The Trump administration invoked emergency powers on May 1 to go around congressional review and approve more than $8.6 billion in military sales to Middle East partners, including advanced precision munitions and missile defense systems for Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded that emergencies necessitated immediate action, precluding the standard congressional notification under the Arms Export Control Act, which typically requires Congress to review major foreign weapons sales, giving lawmakers time to raise objections or block deals.
The State Department announcements on Friday came as the United States and Israel’s war against Iran marked nine weeks since its start and more than three weeks since a fragile ceasefire came into effect….