The Senate shot down 3 propositions advanced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and other Democrat senators to obstruct the sale of weapons and other weapons to Israel.
In an 18 to 79 vote, the Senate turned down S.J.Res.111. The resolution restricted the sale of:
… thirty-two thousand 7 hundred thirty-nine (32,739) 120mm tank cartridges, including 120mm M1147 High Explosive Multi-Purpose with Tracer (HEMP-T) cartridges and/or 120mm M830A1 High Explosive Multi-Purpose Anti-Tank (MPAT) with Tracer cartridges.
The resolution’s text continued:
Consisted of are different 120mm tank munitions; 120mm munition cylinders; transport expenses; publications and technical paperwork; U.S. Government and professional engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other associated aspects of logistics and program assistance.
The Senate voted 18-79-1, versus the 2nd proposition, likewise called S.J.Res.113. The 2nd proposition looked for to restrict the sale of “fifty thousand 4 hundred (50,400) M933A1 120mm High Explosive mortar cartridges with M783 fuzes” to Israel.
In a 17-80-1 vote, with a single person staying away, the Senate likewise voted to turn down S.J.Res.115, which looked for to obstruct the sale of “sets to change ‘dumb’ bombs into precision-guided weapons,” according to the Hill
S.J.Res.115 and S.J.Res.113 were presented by Sanders, and co-sponsored by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Peter Welch (D-VT). On S.J.Res.113, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) signed up with Merkley and Welch as a co-sponsor.
Jacob Wheeler, a press reporter with NBC Los Angeles, reported that 18 Democrat Senators had actually voted to obstruct the arms sale.
The 18 Senators were noted as:
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Sen. Angus King (I-ME)
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA)
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Sen. Jon Ossof (D-GA)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT)
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM)
Sen. Rafael Warnock (D-GA)
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Sanders, who has actually identified Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” and boycotted Netanyahu’s speech before a “Joint Meeting of Congress” in July, described that the proposed resolutions were directed at “offending weapons that have actually been utilized to destructive impacts versus the civilians of Gaza and Lebanon,” the Hill reported.
The senator kept in mind that “under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Control Act” it is not enabled to “offer weapons” to foreign nations that have actually broken “worldwide acknowledged human rights” or that have actually obstructed access to U.S. humanitarian help, according to the outlet.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) argued that, on the other hand, “rather of obstructing” the sale of essential weapons to Israel as it “defend its own presence,” the U.S.