In a recent development, Senate Republicans have thwarted a Democratic attempt to pause arms transactions with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. This move serves as a protest against President Donald Trump’s interactions in the Middle East.
The Democratic initiative on Wednesday consisted of two procedural votes. These were intended to object to Qatar’s contribution of a $400 million aircraft designated for Air Force One, as well as a UAE-backed organization’s $2 billion investment in a stablecoin linked to the Trump family, a form of digital currency.
Senator Chris Murphy, spearheading the Democratic initiative, remarked that the U.S. Senate should not facilitate Trump’s endeavors: “We can achieve this by voting to temporarily block these arms sales to Qatar and the UAE until both nations pledge not to cater to Trump’s personal profit requests as part of the bilateral dealings,” Murphy stated.
The Trump administration is currently deliberating on the legal frameworks required to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royalty. This includes how modifications would be executed to ensure the aircraft’s presidential safety. Trump has tagged the arrangement as a “no brainer,” referring to delays in the delivery of a new Air Force One from Boeing, a U.S.-based manufacturer.
While Trump expressed he would not use the gifted Boeing 747 post-presidency, questions regarding the ethical implications of the agreement have surfaced from both Democrats and Republican quarters. During a hearing on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refrained from divulging details concerning the acceptance plans for the jet by his department, citing that budgeting and scheduling for enhancing the plane’s security to presidential standards are confidential. “A memorandum of understanding is still pending,” Hegseth stated.
Democrats have further scrutinized the Trump family’s involvement in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency enterprise that introduced its own stablecoin, USD1. Earlier this year, an investment fund based in the UAE announced its use of $2 billion in USD1 to secure a stake in Binance, the globe’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
Murphy executed the votes utilizing a joint resolution of disapproval mechanism, empowering the Senate to curtail arms sales. The procedural vote on Wednesday prevented a Democratic motion to clear the resolution from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in order to initiate an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor.
Though largely emblematic, this effort would have required passing in both Congressional chambers and surviving any presidential veto to take effect legally. However, Murphy emphasized the importance of the Senate employing its oversight authority over global arms sales. “We invest enormous confidence in the president not to misuse these significant powers,” he emphasized.