US senators who tried to shoot down Yemen war bill paid by Saudi lobbyists, report claims

At least five of the 37 Republican Senators who voted against a resolution to end the United States' involvement in the Saudi-led civil war in Yemen received funding from pro-Saudi lobbying groups.

According to a report by the Centre for International Policy (CIP) published in October, senators Roy Blunt of Missouri, John Boozman of Arkansas, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mike Crapo of Idaho and Tim Scott of South Carolina received financial contributions for elections from firms working for Saudi Arabia between 2016 and 2017.

Blunt received at least $19,200 in campaign contributions, while Boozman, Burr, Crapo and Scott, received funding ranging from $1,000-$2,500 between 2016 and 2017 from Saudi-linked firms, the report showed.

Saudi Arabia spent more than $24 million to influence U.S. foreign policy and public opinion during the 2018 election cycle, according to Department of Justice data made available through CRP's Foreign Lobby Watch tool. Around $18 million of that amount was paid to foreign agents acting on behalf of Saudi interests in 2017 and another $6 million in spending has already been reported this year, making it one of the top 10 countries spending on influence and lobbying in the U.S.

However, despite efforts by lobbyists, U.S. senators sent a strong signal Wednesday that they want to punish Saudi Arabia for its role in the Khashoggi murder and the Saudi-led war in Yemen. In a bipartisan 63-37 vote, the Senate opted to move forward with legislation calling for an end to all U.S. military support to the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemen war.