The US State Department approves the sale of Stinger missile systems to allies worth $780 million

The US State Department approved the potential sale of Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems worth $780 million to a number of the US's European allies.

The US Defense and Security Cooperation Agency, affiliated with the Pentagon, indicated in a statement on Friday that the potential deal may be concluded with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, and includes missile systems, their equipment, and maintenance costs worth about $780 million.

NATO requested from the United States 940 Stinger missile systems for Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said that this deal “is consistent with US foreign policy objectives and US national security interests, as it will help strengthen the defense of the three NATO allies.”

The US State Department also approved a potential deal with the aforementioned NATO agency to provide maintenance services and equipment for C-17 military transport aircraft worth $150 million.

The US administration informed Congress of its decisions. Lawmakers will have 30 days to consider potential deals and block them if deemed necessary.

Bloomberg: The US Congress this year was the most inactive in fifty years

Bloomberg reported that the US Congress passed the smallest number of laws in 2023 since the 1970s.

The agency quoted data from the Brookings Institute and the Washington Post newspaper: “But so far the impression is formed that this will be a historically inactive Congress. The force of law will be granted this year to less than 30 bills, which is the lowest indicator since at least 1973.”

She indicated that the responsibility for this situation lies with Republicans from the House of Representatives, because other lawmakers in the House are facing difficulties in reaching an agreement with them.

According to the agency, Republicans in the House of Representatives set a new record in terms of the number of proposed bills that failed to obtain the required number of votes or were withdrawn at the last minute. At the same time, Bloomberg acknowledged that Congress was able to avoid major disasters this year.