The Senate voted on Wednesday to end U.S. support of the Saudi-led war in Yemen. In an attempt to “halt American military involvement in a foreign conflict,” this is the first time the decade-old War Powers Resolution was invoked.
Co-sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders from Vermont and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, the vote passed in a final count of 54-46.
“This is historic. For the first time in 45 years, Congress is one step closer to withdrawing U.S. forces from an unauthorized war,” Sanders (I-Vt.), said. “We must end the war in Yemen.”
This decisive vote will end “the American facilitation of the Yemen war and the world’s largest humanitarian crises.”
“Millions of grassroots activists, who helped make this vote a reality, want their lawmakers to end this unconscionable war,” Kate Gould, legislative director for Middle East policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, said.
The resolution cites the War Powers Act of 1973 and argues that the U.S. military involvement in assisting the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting in Yemen falls under this act. According to the United Nations, the ongoing war has displaced millions and blocked food, medicine and many other needed supplies from entering Yemen putting the country on the verge of famine.
The House of Representatives will vote on the War Powers Resolution before it heads to Donald Trump, who vows to veto the bill if it passes the House.
“Now that the new Senate has passed the resolution, the House needs to pass the same clean version of the resolution to finally send it to the president’s desk,” Paul Kawika Martin, senior director for policy and political affairs at Peace Action, said.
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