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| Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., talks to people at a May Day rally outside Philadelphia City Hall, Thursday, May 1, 2025 | Matt Rourke/AP on Politico |
WASHINGTON, D.C. Earlier this month, Sanders collaborated with the liberal group Run for Something to help and prepare people interested in running for progressive office.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Senators Chris Murphy, Chris Van Hollen, Brian Schatz and Tim Kaine proposed resolutions in the Senate to stop three planned arms sales to the United Arab Emirates.
Sanders, who is not a Democrat but caucuses with them, joined his colleagues because of a law that enables any senator to request a vote on big foreign arms deals.
The measures involve selling $1.32 billion worth of helicopters and equipment, $130 million in spare parts for F-16s, and $150 million in parts, logistics and support for Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters.
Lawmakers pointed to claims that the UAE has provided weapons to the Rapid Support Forces, who are involved in Sudan’s civil war.
They also mentioned that MGX stated it would use a stablecoin by President Trump’s World Liberty Financial crypto venture to fund its $2 billion investment in Binance.
The Senators said “The Trump administration’s bypass of Congress will encourage the UAE to violate the UN’s Darfur arms embargo and support the RSF, who are killing innocent people.”
Officials from the White House and the UAE embassy in Washington did not immediately answer our questions.
It is not possible for a sale to be blocked by a resolution of disapproval under U.S. law, as no such resolution has yet been approved and survived a presidential veto.
On the same day, President Trump visited Abu Dhabi and announced $200 billion in new deals with the UAE, saying he was certain the relationship would grow stronger.
The senators mentioned that the measures help ensure that Congress controls the sale of arms and helps protect human rights in foreign countries.