Did CT Sen. Richard Blumenthal vote to block U.S. arms sale to Israel?

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., did not vote to block the U.S. sale of around $500 million in arms sales to Israel.

He was one of seven Democratic senators who joined 52 Republicans in voting against blocking the sale of U.S. bulldozers to Israel. And he voted against another resolution, which would have blocked the sale of bombs to Israel for use in its war against Palestinians in Gaza and Lebanon. Both failed measures were introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Amnesty International has argued Israeli forces use bulldozers to destroy civilian homes and infrastructure.

In a statement, Blumenthal said, “The current resolution is not the solution or vehicle to address these problems. I continue to be critical of this Israeli government’s conduct.” He argued that Israel is an ally of the U.S. and he cannot support “leaving it vulnerable.”