Republicans in U.S. Congress push back on Trump weapons packages to Saudi Arabia, UAE

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX), the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, speaks to the news media after attending a closed House Republican Conference meeting with the U.S. President Donald Trump among others at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican members of Congress pushed back on Wednesday against President Donald Trump's plan to sell $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying it was "unfortunate" the administration used an emergency declaration to avoid Congressional review.

Members of Congress had been blocking sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for months, angry about the deaths of civilians in their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.