The president’s personal intervention was “highly improper,” one arms export expert says, concluding that the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act “appears to have been criminally violated here.”

WASHINGTON: A long-time State Department official who oversees critical security assistance programs is heading to the Pentagon, a move that may usher in another big change in the reworking of the acquisition and arms exports programs at the Defense Department. The unexpected announcement was made by Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment,… Keep reading →

WASHINGTON: As President Donald Trump discovered after he cobbled together all those arms sales when he visited Saudi Arabia, selling weapons to foreigners is a complex business, fraught with congressional oversight and an intricate interagency process. As he has with so many other government issues, Trump appears eager to reduce interference from other branches of… Keep reading →

Congress should use its considerable power under U.S. law to compel Trump administration officials to answer a basic question about the $110 billion package of arms sales to Saudi Arabia: Does it serve the U.S. national security interest at this specific time? If the answer is no, then Congress should oppose it. While many may… Keep reading →

Last week, a bipartisan quarter of senators — Rand Paul, Chris Murphy, Al Franken, and Mike Lee — introduced a joint resolution to block the $1.15 billion sale of Abrams tanks and other major defense articles to Saudi Arabia in light of concerns about the kingdom’s actions in Yemen. In the House, more than 60 representatives signed… Keep reading →