While Saudi Arabia bombs hospitals, schools, and other civilian areas in Yemen, the U.S. is set to finalize a $1.15 billion arms deal with Riyadh.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kate Gould kate@fcnl.org
Direct: 202-903-2516
FCNL applauds 27 senators who voted to support the Murphy-Paul-Franken-Lee bill to block the $1.15 billion arms deal to Saudi Arabia, in the midst of Riyadh’s indiscriminate bombing of hospitals, schools, and other civilian areas in Yemen.
Kate Gould, FCNL’s Legislative Representative for Middle East Policy, made the following statement:
“Today, the Senate missed a unique opportunity to challenge Saudi Arabia’s indiscriminate killing of Yemeni civilians. Just a year ago, it would have been virtually unthinkable that the Senate would weigh in on an arms deal to Saudi Arabia. Every one of the 27 votes against this arms deal sends a crystal clear message that the Saudi-led carpet bombing of Yemen must come to an end, and Riyadh must meaningfully engage in a political solution to end the bloodshed in Yemen.
“This vote should mark a new beginning for congressional opposition to Saudi Arabia’s relentless bombardment of Yemeni civilians. As Senator Chris Murphy said: ‘There’s an American imprint on every civilian life lost in Yemen.’ Every American who doesn’t want to have their imprint on Yemeni civilian deaths should press the Obama administration and Congress to stop arming and abetting Saudi’s mass killings of civilians in Yemen.”