Senate Democrat Jeanne Shaheen Blocks $2.8 B Israel Arms Deal Over Use Concerns

Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has kept a hold on a $2.8 billion arms package for Israel, arguing that the administration has not explained how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to use the weapons. Since July she has pressed the Trump administration for details, expressing fears that the bombs could be used in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza or to widen the war with Iran. Her stance aligns with a broader Democratic pushback, highlighted by House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks, who said Congress lacks adequate assurances that the sale will comply with U.S. law and protect civilians.

The proposed sale, the biggest recent one, comprises 40,000 one-ton bombs that Israel has employed in Gaza and Lebanon. Funding would come from U.S. foreign military financing, typically provided as grants. While the State Department and Pentagon have not offered comment, a Congressional Research Service report notes that a committee ranking member’s hold can stall a sale, though it does not legally block it. The administration previously bypassed congressional review for a similar sale of more than 35,500 bombs last year.