With the Senate, it's always hard to know for sure when a vote will be. But on Saturday afternoon we were told that a Senate vote on Trump's Saudi arms deal is expected Monday.
This isn't just about an arms deal. This vote is a Senate referendum on U.S. participationin the Saudi-UAE war and blockade on Yemen, which has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine, with millions of people at risk of starvation.
This is a big deal. As Kate Gould of FCNL says, the most precious commodity in Washington is floor time in Congress. A consequential floor debate on war and peace is a once-in-a-blue-moon thing. By "consequential floor debate," I mean one that is followed by a floor vote. When they talk about war and peace, Members of Congress love to say things like "the President doesn't have a strategy," which sounds critical but doesn't commit them to anything. But when they are forced to vote, Members have to publicly choose sides between less war and more war.
If your schedule permits it, the best time to call your Senators would be first thing Monday morning, soon after Senate offices open around 9AM ET. Make an appointment with yourselfto call however you make such appointments - Google calendar, iPhone alarm, post-it note, string around your finger. When you make your call Monday morning, refer back to this email.
But if you can't call Monday morning, call your Senators nowand try to leave a message.
1-855-68-NO-WAR. [1-855-686-6927]
When you reach a staffer or leave a message, you can say something like:
"Save Yemen from Saudi-imposed famine. Vote to support the Paul-Murphy-Franken resolution against Trump's Saudi arms deal."
[Who you don't need to bother: Sens. Paul, Murphy, Franken, Merkley, and Cardin, because they've publicly committed to voting against the deal.]
When you've made your calls, please report them here. And/or note them in the comments.
And if you find any public statements documenting the positions of any Senators prior to the vote who are not Paul, Murphy, Franken, Merkley, or Cardin, please note them in the comments.