Senate Democrats push for additional checks on UAE F-35 sale
The bill comes amid a fresh wave of scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers over the Biden administration's plan to move forward with the Trump-era arms sale.
Leading Democrats in the US Senate introduced a bill Friday that would place additional checks on the Biden administration’s plan to advance a Trump-era sale of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates.
Democratic Senators Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Dianne Feinstein of California introduced legislation Friday that would require the Biden administration to provide “detailed certifications to Congress that the United States’ aircraft technology and Israel’s security are fully protected.”
The bill comes amid renewed concern among some Democratic lawmakers after the Biden administration briefed congressional aides last week that it intended to move forward with the $23 billion sale, which includes armed drones and munitions.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a Foreign Relations Committee member who chairs the subcommittee that covers the Middle East, has requested a full briefing from administration officials regarding the status of the proposed sales to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
