Mary Troyan

@orndorfftroyan

WASHINGTON – The Senate will hold a rare vote Wednesday on whether to disapprove the Obama administration’s plan to sell $1.15 billion in military equipment to Saudi Arabia.

The debate, allowed under a 1976 law that lets any senator challenge an arms deal, will again showcase the divide between senators who are inclined to intervene in the region and those who aren't.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he pushed for the vote to protest the U.S. assistance to Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen, a role Congress hasn't expressly authorized.

“This is part of a larger effort by many of us to say that Congress is not only relevant, but has the primary role and duty of the initiation of war,” Paul said Tuesday.

He's backed by an unusual alliance of conservatives and liberals uneasy about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the civilian casualties in Yemen. Cosponsors include Sen. Christopher Murphy of Connecticut, Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.

“Saudi Arabia is an important partner, but their war in Yemen, funded by the U.S., has become a disaster that is making our country less safe every day,” Murphy said in a statement. “Thousands of civilians are being killed, and terrorist groups inside the country, like al-Qaida and ISIS, are getting stronger. Until the Saudis conduct changes, the U.S. should put a pause on further arms sales."

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the proposed sale of tanks, guns and ammunition to Saudi Arabia in August.

“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic regional partner which has been and continues to be a leading contributor of political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the agency said when the deal was announced.

Rand Paul calls for debate over war authorization

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Tuesday that Paul’s resolution will get a vote Wednesday, despite his own opposition to it.

“The Saudis in many, many ways have been good allies of the United States over the years,” McConnell said. “I think it's important to the United States to maintain as good a relationship with Saudi Arabia as possible, and I hope we'll defeat the resolution of disapproval of the arms sale.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also supports the proposed sale.

“We can’t ask our Middle East allies to fight harder and do more and not provide them with the weaponry to do it,” he said Tuesday. “I think Saudi Arabia is a valuable partner in the war on terror. If you want to lose Saudi Arabia as an ally, be careful what you wish for.”

The U.S. is backing the Saudi-led coalition of forces allied to In Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi that are trying to oust Iranian-backed Houthi forces. The war has led to massive civilian deaths and humanitarian strife.

Rand Paul drops out of presidential race

Paul, a consistent voice of caution when it comes to committing U.S. forces in foreign countries, said he wants public debate on the arms deal and the role of Congress, even if he doesn’t have enough votes to pass the resolution.

The Senate has a long record of bipartisan support for selling weapons to foreign countries and even subsidizing those that can’t afford it, Paul said. A similar move to try and block the sale of F-16s to Pakistan, for example, received only 24 votes.

“Expecting a numerical victory with people who I think have been on the wrong side of this issue a long time is probably not realistic,” Paul said. “However it is a huge victory any time we can talk about the founders and the Constitution.”

Contact Mary Troyan at mtroyan@usatoday.com.