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[Pages S5058-S5059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE
______
REPORT OF THE VETO OF S.J. RES. 36, A JOINT RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR
CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED TRANSFER TO THE KINGDOM OF
SAUDI ARABIA, THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND,
THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN, AND THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC OF CERTAIN DEFENSE
ARTICLES AND SERVICES--PM 23
The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying
report; which was ordered to be printed in the Record, spread in full
upon the Journal, and held at the desk:
To the Senate of the United States:
I am returning herewith without my approval S.J. Res. 36, a joint
resolution that would prohibit the issuance of certain licenses with
respect to several proposed agreements or transfers to the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
the Kingdom of Spain, and the Italian Republic. This resolution would
weaken America's global competitiveness and damage the important
relationships we share with our allies and partners.
In particular, S.J. Res. 36 would prohibit licensing for
manufacturing in Saudi Arabia of Guidance Electronics Detector
Assemblies, Computer Control Groups, Airfoil Groups, Aircraft Umbilical
Interconnect Systems, Fuses, and other components to support the
production of Paveway II, Enhanced Paveway II, and Paveway IV
munitions. The misguided licensing prohibitions in the joint resolution
directly conflict with the foreign policy and national security
objectives of the United States, which include strengthening defense
alliances with friendly countries throughout the world, deepening
partnerships that preserve and extend our global influence, and
enhancing our competitiveness in key markets. Apart from negatively
affecting our bilateral relationships with Saudi Arabia, the United
Kingdom, Spain, and Italy, the joint resolution would hamper the
ability of the United States to sustain and shape critical security
cooperation activities. S.J. Res. 36 would also damage the credibility
of the United States as a reliable partner by signaling that we are
willing to abandon our partners and allies at the very moment when
threats to them are increasing.
The United States is providing the licenses that the joint resolution
seeks to prohibit for many reasons. First and foremost, it is our
solemn duty to protect the safety of the more than 80,000
[[Page S5059]]
United States citizens who reside in Saudi Arabia and who are imperiled
by Houthi attacks from Yemen. The Houthis, supported by Iran, have
attacked civilian and military facilities using missiles, armed drones,
and explosive boats, including in areas frequented by United States
citizens, such as the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Second, the
joint resolution would degrade Saudi Arabia's military preparedness and
ability to protect its sovereignty, directly affecting its ability to
defend United States military personnel hosted there. Third, Saudi
Arabia is a bulwark against the malign activities of Iran and its
proxies in the region, and the licenses the joint resolution would
prohibit enhance Saudi Arabia's ability to deter and defend against
these threats.
In addition, S.J. Res. 36 would negatively affect our NATO Allies and
the transatlantic defense industry. It could, for example, produce
unintended consequences for defense procurement and interoperability
with and between our partners. It could also create diplomatic and
security opportunities for our adversaries to exploit.
Finally, by restricting the ability of our partners to produce and
purchase precision-guided munitions, S.J. Res. 36 would likely prolong
the conflict in Yemen and deepen the suffering it causes. By
undermining bilateral relationships of the United States and immpeding
our ability to support key partners at a critical time, the joint
resolution would harm--not help--efforts to end the conflict in Yemen.
And without precision-guided munitions, more--not fewer--civilians are
likely to become casualties of the conflict. While I share concerns
that certain Members of Congress have expressed about civilian
casualties of this conflict, the United States has taken and will
continue to take action to minimize such casualties, including training
and advising Saudi-led Coalition forces to improve their targeting
processes.
The United States is very concerned about the conflict's toll on
innocent civilians and is working to bring the conflict in Yemen to an
end. But we cannot end it through ill-conceived and time-consuming
resolutions that fail to address its root causes. Rather than expend
time and resources on such resolutions, I encourage the Congress to
direct its efforts toward supporting our work to achieve peace through
a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Yemen.
For these reasons, it is my duty to return S.J. Res. 36 to the Senate
without my approval.
Donald J. Trump.
The White House, July 24, 2019.
____________________