'Historic' Yemen Vote Puts Power to End US Complicity in World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis in Trump's Hands
September 14, 2020 | News | No Comments
All eyes turned to the White House Thursday after the House of Representatives “made history” by sending a resolution to end U.S. complicity in the Saudi-led assault on Yemen to President Donald Trump’s desk.
“The grassroots movement that propelled this landmark legislation through Congress has generated momentum that can’t be stopped by the president’s anticipated veto.”
—Kate Gould, Friends Committee on National Legislation
“President Trump has threatened to veto the resolution, but he could and most certainly should change his mind,” Paul Kawika Martin, senior director for policy and political affairs at Peace Action, said in a statement following the 247-175 vote.
While 16 Republicans joined the 231 Democrats who all voted in favor of the resolution, all 175 “no” votes came from the GOP. Read the full roll call here.
“For Trump, this vote poses some theoretically simple questions,” added Martin. “Does he want to continue violating the Constitution to support a famine-inducing intervention responsible for the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet? Does he think arming and advising countries that give U.S. weapons to al Qaeda is an acceptable cost of doing business?”
Passage of the Yemen War Powers resolution came after the GOP’s failed attempt to sabotage the legislation by inserting language condemning the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The Republican amendment resoundingly failed.
Kate Kizer, policy director of Win Without War, said the movement to end America’s role in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis won’t stop if Trump vetoes the Yemen resolution.
Kate Gould, legislative director for Middle East policy with the anti-war group Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), echoed Kizer in a statement celebrating Thursday’s vote.
“This bicameral success is the strongest signal Congress has sent to date that the Saudi-led coalition must stop the slaughter and starvation of Yemeni men, women, and children,” Gould said. “The grassroots movement that propelled this landmark legislation through Congress has generated momentum that can’t be stopped by the president’s anticipated veto, and it won’t stop until American complicity in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis ends.”