U.S. needs to streamline foreign arms sales approval process - McCainWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government needs to improve and accelerate its process for approving foreign arm sales, Senator John McCain said Thursday, warning that U.S. firms were losing billions of dollars of potential orders to countries like Russia. McCain, who heads the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, said both the White House and State Department were too slow to process requests for arms sales from U.S. allies and coalition partners, noting he frequently received complaints from visiting defense ministers. “We need to streamline that process, perhaps even with legislation. It’s not working,” McCain told reporters. “These countries deserve a decision. If it’s no, it’s no. If it’s yes, it’s yes.” Any legislative changes would be led by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which oversees foreign military sales, McCain said. He said Senator Bob Corker, who heads that  committee, had also expressed frustration about arms sales delays. McCain noted that Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar had recently purchased billions of dollars worth of equipment from Russia while waiting for potential U.S. arms sales to be processed. U.S. government officials say efforts to reform the arcane U.S. export control regime are starting to pay off but acknowledge that they have more work to do to cope with the current record level of U.S. foreign military sales and to improve the often sluggish approval process. McCain said it was important for the United States to continue supporting Israel, which had traditionally expressed reservations about large arms sales to Middle Eastern countries. But changing realities in the Middle East made it important to ensure that countries in the region had the equipment they needed to engage in actual fighting, he said. He said Israel was also relaxing its concerns given that it was facing the same enemy - Iran - as countries with a Sunni Muslim majority. McCain and other lawmakers have expressed particular frustration about two Boeing Co arms sales - an F-15 fighter jet sale to Qatar and an F/A-18E/F sale to Kuwait - that have stalled as the Obama administration focuses on concluding on a long-term military funding agreement with Israel. Reuters reported earlier this month that Boeing is nearing a decision to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to preserve its F/A-18 fighter jet line and start work on 28 F/A-18 fighter jets for Kuwait while it waits for the Obama administration to approve the deal.     politicsNews
needs streamline foreign arms sales approval process mccainwashington reuters the government needs improve accelerate process approving foreign arm sales senator john mccain said thursday warning firms losing billions dollars potential orders countries like russia mccain heads powerful senate armed services committee said white house state department slow process requests arms sales allies coalition partners noting frequently received complaints visiting defense ministers we need streamline process perhaps even legislation it working mccain told reporters these countries deserve decision if if yes any legislative changes would led senate foreign relations committee oversees foreign military sales mccain said he said senator bob corner heads committee also expressed frustration arms sales delays mccain noted saudi arabia united arab emirates qatar recently purchased billions dollars worth equipment russia waiting potential arms sales processed government officials say efforts reform arcane export control regime starting pay acknowledge work cope current record level foreign military sales improve often sluggish approval process mccain said important united states continue supporting israel traditionally expressed reservations large arms sales middle eastern countries but changing realities middle east made important ensure countries region equipment needed engage actual fighting said he said israel also relaxing concerns given facing enemy iran countries sunny muslim majority mccain lawmakers expressed particular frustration two boeing co arms sales fighter jet sale qatar sale kuwait stalled obama administration focuses concluding military funding agreement israel reuters reported earlier month boeing nearing decision spend hundreds millions dollars preserve fighter jet line start work fighter jets kuwait waits obama administration approve deal politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: U.S. needs to streamline foreign arms sales approval process - McCainWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government needs to improve and accelerate its process for approving foreign arm sales, Senator John McCain said Thursday, warning that U.S. firms were losing billions of dollars of potential orders to countries like Russia. McCain, who heads the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, said both the White House and State Department were too slow to process requests for arms sales from U.S. allies and coalition partners, noting he frequently received complaints from visiting defense ministers. “We need to streamline that process, perhaps even with legislation. It’s not working,” McCain told reporters. “These countries deserve a decision. If it’s no, it’s no. If it’s yes, it’s yes.” Any legislative changes would be led by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which oversees foreign military sales, McCain said. He said Senator Bob Corker, who heads that  committee, had also expressed frustration about arms sales delays. McCain noted that Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar had recently purchased billions of dollars worth of equipment from Russia while waiting for potential U.S. arms sales to be processed. U.S. government officials say efforts to reform the arcane U.S. export control regime are starting to pay off but acknowledge that they have more work to do to cope with the current record level of U.S. foreign military sales and to improve the often sluggish approval process. McCain said it was important for the United States to continue supporting Israel, which had traditionally expressed reservations about large arms sales to Middle Eastern countries. But changing realities in the Middle East made it important to ensure that countries in the region had the equipment they needed to engage in actual fighting, he said. He said Israel was also relaxing its concerns given that it was facing the same enemy - Iran - as countries with a Sunni Muslim majority. McCain and other lawmakers have expressed particular frustration about two Boeing Co arms sales - an F-15 fighter jet sale to Qatar and an F/A-18E/F sale to Kuwait - that have stalled as the Obama administration focuses on concluding on a long-term military funding agreement with Israel. Reuters reported earlier this month that Boeing is nearing a decision to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to preserve its F/A-18 fighter jet line and start work on 28 F/A-18 fighter jets for Kuwait while it waits for the Obama administration to approve the deal.     politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: needs streamline foreign arms sales approval process mccainwashington reuters the government needs improve accelerate process approving foreign arm sales senator john mccain said thursday warning firms losing billions dollars potential orders countries like russia mccain heads powerful senate armed services committee said white house state department slow process requests arms sales allies coalition partners noting frequently received complaints visiting defense ministers we need streamline process perhaps even legislation it working mccain told reporters these countries deserve decision if if yes any legislative changes would led senate foreign relations committee oversees foreign military sales mccain said he said senator bob corner heads committee also expressed frustration arms sales delays mccain noted saudi arabia united arab emirates qatar recently purchased billions dollars worth equipment russia waiting potential arms sales processed government officials say efforts reform arcane export control regime starting pay acknowledge work cope current record level foreign military sales improve often sluggish approval process mccain said important united states continue supporting israel traditionally expressed reservations large arms sales middle eastern countries but changing realities middle east made important ensure countries region equipment needed engage actual fighting said he said israel also relaxing concerns given facing enemy iran countries sunny muslim majority mccain lawmakers expressed particular frustration two boeing co arms sales fighter jet sale qatar sale kuwait stalled obama administration focuses concluding military funding agreement israel reuters reported earlier month boeing nearing decision spend hundreds millions dollars preserve fighter jet line start work fighter jets kuwait waits obama administration approve deal politicsnews