WASHINGTON — President Trump vetoed a series of bipartisan measures on Wednesday that would have blocked the sale of billions of dollars of arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Lawmakers from both parties sent an angry joint message to Mr. Trump last month, saying that he could not go around Congress in his bid to help Persian Gulf allies prosecute their war in Yemen.
But in a veto message, Mr. Trump said blocking the arms sales “would weaken America’s global competitiveness and damage the important relationships we share with our allies and partners.”
Mr. Trump’s veto — the third of his presidency and the second turning back congressional action condemning his administration’s relationship with Saudi Arabia — had been expected. And although the resolutions passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses, lawmakers do not expect to have enough votes to override it.
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