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Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Bernie Sanders of Vermont introduced a joint resolution of disapproval targeting a Trump administration proposal to sell $5 billion in bombs and munitions to Saudi Arabia, according to a Truthout report published September 18, 2026. The resolution, designated S.J.Res. 216 and referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, addresses a sale that includes 10,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits and 5,000 2,000-pound bombs along with associated U.S. government support services. The State Department notified Congress of the proposed transaction on September 15, stating that it would improve the security of a major non-NATO ally that contributes to political stability in the Gulf region, the senators’ offices confirmed in a joint release.
Markey, who co-chairs the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group with Merkley, voiced strong objections to both the weapons transfer and a separate U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear agreement under review. “The United States must not send thousands of conventional weapons to Saudi Arabia or allow it to develop a nuclear program,” Markey said in the statement issued September 17. He added that he remained deeply concerned by Saudi human rights practices, regional security amid the war in Iran and the escalating proxy conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Yemen.
The joint resolution qualifies as privileged legislation, enabling any senator to force a floor vote after a brief waiting period, according to details provided in Markey’s press release. This mechanism has been employed in past attempts to scrutinize arms deals with Saudi Arabia, though earlier resolutions in 2019 failed to pass the Senate by wide margins, congressional records show. The current measure arrives as Saudi Arabia has intensified its military campaign against Yemen’s Houthis, with reports indicating hundreds of airstrikes in recent weeks.
Saudi Arabia has ramped up operations in Yemen, where Houthi forces have seized portions of the Red Sea coastline and damaged a key oil pipeline, sending diesel prices to record highs and disrupting shipments to Europe, a related Truthout article from September 15 noted. The Pentagon has deployed more than 100 military advisers to support Saudi strikes, while the conflict serves as a proxy element in broader U.S.-Iran tensions that have included direct exchanges in recent months. United Nations assessments from prior years placed the cumulative death toll in Yemen above 377,000, including indirect causes such as disease and starvation, though comprehensive 2026 updates remain pending from the world body.
The proposed sale is distinct from a separate $24.3 billion deal for 48 F-35 fighter jets that the State Department approved earlier in September, according to a Semafor report published September 18. That transaction also faces likely congressional opposition over concerns about technology transfers and Saudi ties to other powers. The bomb package notification coincides with administration efforts to advance a civil nuclear cooperation pact with Riyadh, which has prompted a bipartisan Senate letter on September 16 demanding declassification of two side agreements, Markey’s office reported.
Lawmakers have 30 days from formal notification to act on the arms sale under the Arms Export Control Act, a timeline that overlaps with the Senate’s scheduled recess, the Markey release indicated. Proponents of the deal argue it bolsters a key partner against Iranian influence, while opponents highlight risks of fueling further civilian harm in Yemen. The resolution’s introduction marks the latest congressional push to condition U.S. security assistance on Saudi conduct in the decade-long conflict.
