Bernie Sanders Unveils Resolution to End US Support for Saudi-Led War in Yemen

As U.S. President JoeThree senators and Biden visit the Middle East this week introduced a joint resolution to end the United States’ involvement in the Saudi-led war on Yemen.

Sens. Sens. — and, according to the trio, it is already backed by a bipartisan group of over 100 House members.

“We must put an end to the unauthorized and unconstitutional involvement of U.S. armed forces in the catastrophic Saudi-led war in Yemen and Congress must take back its authority over war,” Sanders said in a statement, detailing the dire conditions in the region.

“More than 85,000 children in Yemen have already starved and millions more are facing imminent famine and death,” he pointed out. “More than 70% of Yemen’s population currently rely on humanitarian food assistance and the U.N. has warned the death toll could climb to 1.3 million people by 2030.”

“This war has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis today and it is past time to end U.S. complicity in those horrors,” Sanders declared. “Let us pass this resolution, so we can focus on diplomacy to end this war.”

While the cease-fire in Yemen has been in place for the past few months however, peace advocates and progressive legislators have continued to call on the U.S. to end its support for the decades-long war.

“The war in Yemen has been an unmitigated disaster for which all parties to the conflict share responsibility,” Leahy said Thursday. “Why are we supporting a corrupt theocracy that brutalizes its own people, in a war that is best known for causing immense suffering and death among impoverished, defenseless civilians?”

Warren and Leahy stressed the fact that U.S. participation has never been authorized by Congress.

“The American people, through their elected representatives in Congress, never authorized U.S. involvement in the war — but Congress abdicated its constitutional powers and failed to prevent our country from involving itself in this crisis,” Warren said.

Not long after taking office last year, Biden announced an end to U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition’s “offensive operations” in Yemen. His administration has allowed arms sales to continue and provided logistical support.

The U.S. President is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia Friday. Responsible Statecraft noted Thursday that “in an op-ed explaining the reasoning behind the trip, Biden touted an ongoing truce in Yemen, but didn’t say whether he would press for an end to the war.”

As the senators’ statement explains, their resolution — which comes after a similar one introduced in the House last month — would “follow through on Biden’s pledge” from last year by:

  • Ending U.S. intelligence-sharing to enable offensive Saudi-led coalition strikes
  • Stopping U.S. logistical support to offensive Saudi-led coalition strikes. This includes the provision of spare parts and maintenance to coalition members flying warplanes that are bombing Yemen.
  • U.S. military personnel are prohibited from being assigned to coordinate, command, or assist the movement of Saudi-led coalition forces engaged with hostilities without a specific statutory authorization.

The statement highlighted that the resolution “is considered privileged in the Senate and can receive a vote on the floor as soon as 10 calendar days following introduction.”