A new executive order is expected to sharply raise the minimum threshold for weapons sales that trigger a congressional review
US President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would significantly simplify the rules governing military equipment exports, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing four sources familiar with the matter.
The executive order, anticipated to be issued imminently, is likely to reflect legislation proposed by Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz, last year during his tenure in the House of Representatives.
According to sources from both the arms industry and the government, the forthcoming order will resemble Waltz’s bill, which sought to amend the US Arms Export Control Act.
The proposed amendments aimed to raise the threshold for deals that trigger a congressional review – from $14 million to $23 million for arms transfers and from $50 million to $83 million for sales involving military equipment, upgrades, training, and related services.
Current rules already allow higher thresholds for NATO members and key US allies such as Japan, Israel, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. In those cases, the administration must notify Congress 15 days before a sale, compared to the 30-day notice period for other countries.
Trump has long criticized the bureaucratic hurdles surrounding foreign arms sales and frequently clashed with Congress during his first term over delays. In 2019, he bypassed a congressional review by declaring a national emergency tied to tensions with Iran, enabling him to fast-track over $8 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.
The deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE had been stalled for months, largely due to congressional objections over the countries’ roles in Yemen’s aerial campaign and human rights concerns following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s consulate in Turkey.
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