After both chambers of Congress voted in favor of the War Powers resolution, which would end United States’ support of the Saudi-led war in Yemen, Donald Trump vetoed the bipartisan measure on Tuesday. Trump stated that in doing so, it would be “an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities.”
The Trump administration said that in order to “push back” against Iranian influence in Yemen, it was necessary to back the Saudi-led coalition, Politico reported.
Trump said in his veto message that the U.S. is not actively on the ground in Yemen – there “are no United States military personnel in Yemen commanding, participating in, or accompanying military forces of the Saudi‑led coalition against the Houthis in hostilities in or affecting Yemen.”
Lawmakers who supported the War Powers resolution called Trump’s decision a “painful missed opportunity.”
“The Yemen War Powers Resolution was a bipartisan, bicameral effort to end the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and supported by some of the president’s most trusted Republican allies,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), sponsor of the War Powers resolution in the House, said.
Sen. Bernie Sanders weighed in on Trump’s veto and said that “the people of Yemen desperately need humanitarian help, not more bombs.”
While Trump said his administration is working to lessen the U.S.’ involvement in foreign conflicts, ending U.S. support in Yemen would “harm” America’s foreign policy, Politico reported.
“My administration is currently accelerating negotiations to end our military engagement in Afghanistan and drawing down troops in Syria, where we recently succeeded in eliminating 100 percent of the ISIS caliphate,” Trump said. “Congressional engagement in those endeavors would be far more productive than expending time and effort trying to enact this unnecessary and dangerous resolution that interferes with our foreign policy with respect to Yemen.
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