McConnell Speaks Against Efforts to Block Sales to the UAE
'Senators considering this sale need to consider a reality we cannot escape. A significant competition for influence in the Middle East is underway, and China and Russia will be more than happy to meet the demand for advanced capabilities if the U.S. simply takes our ball and goes home.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding UAE arms sales:
“This week, some Senators indicate they may attempt to move a privileged resolution to disapprove of the Administration’s proposed sale of advanced armaments to the United Arab Emirates, a critical partner in the fight against terrorists.
“It’s a little baffling to suggest that, now of all times, a protest gesture with no chance of obtaining a veto-proof majority is a valuable use of the Senate’s time. But above and beyond that, the strategic realities dictate that Congress should not stand in the way of this sale.
“In August, the UAE reached the first of the Abraham Accords, the landmark peace deal with Israel, brokered by the Trump Administration, which Bahrain soon went on to reprise. That step, the first normalization of relations between an Arab nation and the state of Israel in nearly 30 years, cemented an important new chapter in the UAE’s international relations and its close relationship with the United States.
“Of course it is a key American objective to preserve and protect Israel’s quantitative military edge. Fortunately, Israel’s Ambassador, Defense Minister, and Prime Minister have all made clear they are comfortable with this deal.
“Senators considering this sale need to consider a reality we cannot escape. A significant competition for influence in the Middle East is underway, and China and Russia will be more than happy to meet the demand for advanced capabilities if the U.S. simply takes our ball and goes home.
“If our colleagues make the Senate vote on this measure, I urge all my colleagues to vote against it.”
Related Issues: Russia, China, Israel
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