More than 50 members of Congress are cosponsoring a resolution (H.J.Res.87) to put an end to U.S. involvement in the eight-year, Saudi Arabia-led war in Yemen.
The Yemen War Powers Resolution, introduced Wednesday by Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), “directs the President to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Houthis in the Republic of Yemen” within 30 days of its adoption “unless and until a declaration of war or specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces has been enacted.”
In 2015, a Saudi-led coalition began its bombing campaign against the Houthis after they deposed Yemen’s then-president, Mansour Hadi. The United States joined the conflict on the side of the Saudis. According to the Libertarian Institute’s Will Porter:
Under President Barack Obama — who initiated the policy to “placate” Saudi complaints over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — the United States offered training, arms, vehicle maintenance, logistics, intelligence aid, mid-air refueling and naval support for a blockade on Yemen’s ports.
For much of the war, Saudi pilots trained by American counterparts flew US-made planes to drop US-made bombs on targets selected with the aid of US intelligence, while American officials repeatedly helped Riyadh to avoid responsibility for years of alleged war crimes.
President Joe Biden has been promising to get America out of the Yemen conflict since 2019, when he was still seeking office, but U.S. arms sales to the Saudis continue, and U.S. contractors are still maintaining and repairing Saudi aircraft, which Porter notes is “vital for the coalition’s war effort, which would be virtually crippled otherwise.”
The Yemen War Powers Resolution opens with an assertion of Congress’ “sole power to declare war under” the Constitution. “Congress,” it adds, “has not declared war with respect to, or provided a specific statutory authorization for” U.S. involvement in, the Yemen conflict. Moreover, under the War Powers Resolution, the president must remove U.S. forces from foreign conflicts that have not been authorized by Congress if that body so directs.
A press release from the Congressional Progressive Caucus says the resolution, if adopted, would:
End U.S. intelligence sharing that enables offensive Saudi-led coalition strikes;
End U.S. logistical support for offensive Saudi-led coalition strikes, including the providing of maintenance and spare parts to coalition members engaged in anti-Houthi bombings in Yemen; and,
Prohibit U.S. personnel from being assigned to command, coordinate, participate in the movement of, or accompany Saudi-led coalition forces engaged in hostilities without prior specific statutory authorization by Congress.
“Article I of the Constitution is clear: Congress, not the Executive branch, has the sole authority to declare war and authorize involvement of U.S. forces in overseas conflicts, including inserting U.S. troops as advisors in aid of foreign-led hostilities,” said DeFazio. “It’s critical that the Biden Administration take the steps necessary to fulfill their promise to end U.S. support for the disastrous Saudi-led war in Yemen. We should not be involved in yet another conflict in the Middle East — especially a brutal war that has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, and contributed to the deaths of at least 377,000 civilians.”
About 70 percent of those UN-estimated deaths have occurred among children under the age of five, “more than half of whom perished due to indirect causes such as hunger, disease and deprivation,” writes Porter.
“Congress cannot sit by and allow the United States’ complicity in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world to continue,” declared Jayapal.
As of this writing, the resolution has 55 cosponsors, five of whom are Republicans: Representatives Mace, Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), and Ken Buck (Colo.). Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says he will introduce a companion resolution in the Senate this week.
The Yemen conflict is currently in the midst of a ceasefire, “the most successful attempt to end the fighting to date,” reports Porter.
“The recent ceasefire has created an opportunity for American diplomacy to help end the tremendous human suffering caused by the war in Yemen,” said Schiff. “The clearest and best way to press all sides to the negotiating table is for Congress to immediately invoke its constitutional war powers to end U.S. involvement in this conflict.”
