Top House Foreign Affairs Democrat Praises Revised CAT Policy
The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee applauded the Biden administration's revised conventional arms transfer policy, saying it will give “greater consideration for human rights abuses” when State Department officials adjudicate transfers and sales. Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York said the new policy, released last week (see 2302230049), “represents a meaningful step forward in ensuring the United States does not contribute to human rights abuses through its arms exports.”
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Meeks also said the policy reverses “unhelpful” Trump-era policies and “reasserts the State Department’s role in oversight of arms sales.” He said some U.S. arms exports had “undermined U.S. foreign policy goals,” leading to human rights abuses and illegal weapons transfers. “Though the true test for this framework is in implementation, I am hopeful this update represents the first of many more meaningful steps that ensure such exports serve both our national security interests and align with our democratic values,” Meeks said in a Feb. 27 statement.
Meeks' comments came days after the new policy was criticized by some Republicans, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul of Texas, for failing to prioritize ease of sales for U.S. defense companies (see 2302240043).