Midterms revamp Middle East policymaking in Congress
Tuesday’s elections will re-order the committees in charge of foreign policy.
Democrats took control of the House during Tuesday’s elections, positioning them to exert greater oversight over President Donald Trump’s Middle East policies. While both parties have become increasingly critical of the US relationship with Saudi Arabia, a Democratic House paves the way for a vote on ending US support for the Saudi-led coalition’s bombing campaign in Yemen. Furthermore, Republicans can no longer block Democrats’ efforts to subpoena Trump, his family and his administration over scandals that could implicate Israel and US allies in the Gulf. Meanwhile, Israel has to contend with three Democratic newcomers in the House who have uncharacteristically pro-Palestinian views.
Conversely, the GOP held the Senate. And with several Republican Trump critics leaving the upper chamber, the three key foreign policy committees will be under the control of ardent Trump supporters.
Here’s how the elections will affect the panels most relevant to the Middle East.
House Foreign Affairs Committee: Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., will likely use his new position as incoming chairman to push for greater oversight into Trump’s Middle East policies, particularly his relationship with the Saudis. Republicans had blocked Engel’s previous effort this year to compel the State Department to deliver all correspondence related to Trump’s Helsinki summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which largely focused on Iran’s presence in Syria. With Democrats in the majority, they can no longer shield the Trump administration from such requests. And although Engel opposed the Iran nuclear deal, he also opposed Trump’s withdrawal and recently ribbed the administration for granting exemptions to certain Iranian oil importers.
