That same day, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker attended a briefing on the matter and said he expected the White House to make a decision in the next month or two, then seek Congressional approval.

According to Corker, Qatar is seeking 73 jets, 36 in the first tranche, a buy that would take 42 months to be delivered.

"It's been open for two years, it's been rather unusual," Corker said. "Personally I'd like to see it move along."

A leading Democrat on the SASC  Airland subcommittee, Sen. Claire McCaskill, said she was sure the fighter jet sales in question would go through. McCaskill hails from Missouri, home to Boeing’s US headquarters. Boeing would be the prime contractor for both orders, giving much needed work to the company’s St. Louis facility.