Senate Republicans have blocked an effort by Democrats to temporarily block arms sales to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in response to President Donald Trump's dealings in the region.
Democrats forced two procedural votes Wednesday to protest Qatar's donation of a 400 million plane to be used as Air Force One and a 2 billion investment by a UAE-backed company using a Trump family-linked stablecoin, a form of cryptocurrency.
Sen. Chris Murphy, who led the Democratic effort, said the U.S. Senate should not "grease the wheels" for Trump.
"We can do that by voting to block these two arms sales to Qatar and to the UAE - not permanently, but until both countries commit to deny Trump's requests for personal enrichment as part of the bilateral relationship," Murphy said.
Trump's administration is still sorting out the legal arrangement for accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family and how the plane would be modified so it is safe for the president, who has called the arrangement a "no brainer" as a new Air Force One has faced delays at U.S.-based Boeing.