Zinke Introduces Bill to Modernize Outdated Foreign Military Sales Congressional Notification Process

(Washington, D.C.)  As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Foreign Military Sales Task Force, Congressman Ryan Zinke has introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize the Congressional Notification (CN) thresholds for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS). Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) co-sponsored this legislation. Read the full text of the bill here.

FMS and DCS purchases by allies have surged, however, CN thresholds have remained unchanged for over 20 years. The outdated process delays key defense and diplomatic partnerships, potentially pushing allies toward adversaries like China and Russia.

Zinke’s bill raises CN dollar thresholds to reflect inflation and global realities, streamlining approval timelines while maintaining rigorous security and human rights reviews by the Department of State and Department of Defense. The legislation also updates reporting requirements under the Arms Export Control Act to improve efficiency and oversight.

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