Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced a hold on Sept. 16 blocking the Trump administration’s proposed $2.8 billion sale of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. The package includes 20,000 MK-84 general-purpose bombs, 20,000 BLU-117 bombs and 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads. Meeks cited unresolved concerns about compliance with U.S. and international law and civilian safety in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon, while reaffirming Israel’s security needs and Congress’s oversight role. The Biden administration previously paused transfers of the same bomb class over civilian-harm concerns; the Trump administration later reversed that policy. The most likely route around the hold is an emergency determination by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a mechanism used by prior administrations to bypass the standard congressional review period. Since taking office, the Trump administration has facilitated more than $12 billion in arms sales to Israel, including a $6.67 billion package approved in January 2026. In April 2026, a Senate effort led by Sen. Bernie Sanders to block a smaller package failed, although 36 to 40 Democratic senators supported the resolutions.