Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) addressed the Floor on Wednesday urging that Senate Joint Resolution 54 be passed. The resolution would direct the removal of all U. S. armed forces from hostilities.
Blumenthal spoke about the Department of Defense’s (DOD) involvement-without appropriate notification of Congress, in a refueling support agreement with Saudi Arabia. He shared the DOD’s response to a letter written on the topic in March admitting that it failed to appropriately notify congress of its support agreements and also failed to adequately charge Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for fuel and refueling assistance. Blumenthal points that the errors in accounting mean the U.S. was directly funding the Saudi war in Yemen and has been doing so since March of 2015.
Blumenthal is urging a reevaluation of the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia for numerous reasons. Among the reasons is the way in which President Trump and Jared Kushner undermined intelligence linking the Saudi Monarchy to the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi. He also spoke about the Blumenthal vs. Trump lawsuit which claims President Trump is violating the chief Anti-Corruption provision of the United States Constitution relating to rental and sale deals between the Trump Organization and Saudi Arabia. A very important effort Blumenthal spoke about, that hits home with 9/11 families, was the act of Saudi lobbyists bringing veterans to Washington and setting them up in the Trump hotel in an effort to stop the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) law from passing. Fortunately, JASTA did pass allowing 9/11 families to seek justice and hold the KSA accountable for possible Saudi involvement with the funding and training of 9/11 terrorists.
The Senate passed the historic resolution on Thursday. Resolution 54 will head next to the House of Representatives and if passed there will reach the President.
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