Recent reports suggest that the Senate is likely to vote on Trump’s Saudi arms deal after 2 pm Eastern Time this Tuesday in a roll call on US participation in the Saudi-United Arab Emirates war and blockade on Yemen, which has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine, with millions of human beings at risk of starvation.
This is a winnable fight:
1. Last September four Senate Republicans joined 23 Senate Democrats to vote against Obama’s Saudi tank deal. Three of those four Republicans are still in the Senate: Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Dean Heller. There are now 48 Senate Democrats. Forty-eight plus three equals 51. If we can get all or almost all Senate Democrats to vote against Trump’s Saudi arms deal plus a handful of Republicans, we can win.
2. Last September, Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin — top Democrat on Senate Foreign Relations — voted for Obama’s Saudi tank deal. On June 7, Senator Cardin said he would vote against Trump’s Saudi arms deal, because Trump doesn’t have a plan to end the Saudi war in Yemen, and because Trump refused to use his arms deal as leverage to pressure the Saudis to end the war and save Yemen from famine. Senator Cardin’s pledge to vote against the deal is a key signal that will help other Senate Democrats vote against Trump’s Saudi arms deal.
3. Last September, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley voted for Obama’s Saudi tank deal. On June 7, Senator Merkley co-sponsored the Paul-Murphy-Franken resolution against Trump’s Saudi arms deal.
4. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who voted for Obama’s Saudi tank deal last September, and Sen. Tim Kaine, who missed the vote, have publicly indicated that they are leaning towards voting with Sen. Chris Murphy and Sen. Al Franken this time against Trump’s Saudi arms deal.
What will make the most difference now is how many phone calls we can generate to the Senate. Just Foreign Policy is tallying calls via Friends Committee on National Legislation’s toll-free number: 1-855-68-NO-WAR (1-855-686-6927). So far more than 1,000 people have called, which is a good start. But only a handful of people have called so far from Indiana and West Virginia. We need more calls to the Senate, especially from purple and reddish America.
Here’s what I said when I called my Senators: “Vote to save Yemen from Saudi-imposed famine. Vote to support the Paul-Murphy-Franken resolution against Trump’s Saudi arms deal. Make a public statement on how you’ll vote.”
When you’ve made your calls, you can report them here.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $120,000 in one-time donations and to add 1383 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy