US Senators introduce resolution to end US involvement in Yemen

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Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) filed a bipartisan resolution in the Senate on Thursday to direct the withdrawal of US Armed Forces from unauthorized involvement in the Saudi-led war on Yemen.

The resolution, which has the backing of more than 100 members of Congress from both parties in the House, is considered privileged in the Senate and can be voted on the floor ten calendar days after it is introduced.

“We must put an end to the unauthorized and unconstitutional involvement of US Armed Forces in the catastrophic Saudi-led war in Yemen and Congress must take back its authority over war,” said Sen. Sanders.

“More than 85,000 children in Yemen have already starved and millions more are facing imminent famine and death. More than 70 percent of Yemen’s population currently relies on humanitarian food assistance and the UN 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. Let us pass this resolution, so we can focus on diplomacy to end this war.”

“The war in Yemen has been an unmitigated disaster for which all parties to the conflict share responsibility,” said Sen. Leahy.

“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? Congress never agreed to this war. Absent a congressional declaration of war that is required by the Constitution and the War Powers Act, Congress should end US support for the Saudi military’s indiscriminate bombing, naval blockade, and other involvement in Yemen.”

Sen. Warren detailed how “millions of innocent Yemenis have endured untold suffering and a humanitarian catastrophe" since the Saudi-led war on Yemen began.

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“The American people, through their elected representatives in Congress, never authorized US involvement in the war – but Congress abdicated its constitutional powers and failed to prevent our country from involving itself in this crisis. The US must immediately end its support for Saudi-led coalition in Yemen unless explicitly authorized by Congress.”

While there is presently a weak cease-fire in place that has halted Saudi-led coalition attacks on civilians, a cruel aerial and naval blockade that limits mobility and prevents food, fuel, and medical supplies from entering Yemen remains in force.

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More than 377,000 people have been killed since the war began in 2015, with nonmilitant causes such as hunger, sickness, and a lack of clean water accounting for 60% of the deaths. During that period, the Saudi-led coalition has carried out over 23,000 bombings in Yemen, killing about 19,000 civilians, while the US has provided nearly $55 billion in military assistance to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

President Biden committed at the start of his term to withdraw assistance for Saudi-led operations in Yemen. Unfortunately, the United States continues to provide maintenance, logistics support, and spare parts to the Saudi Air Force. The Yemen War Powers Resolution would carry out Biden's promise by terminating US backing for Saudi-led attacks on Yemen, including:

1. Ending US intelligence sharing in order to enable offensive Saudi-led coalition strikes.

2. US logistical support for offensive Saudi-led coalition strikes, including maintenance and spare components for coalition members flying jets hitting Yemen, is being phased down.

3. Without special statutory permission, US military personnel may not be assigned to command, coordinate, move, or accompany Saudi-led coalition forces engaging in hostilities.

Read next: Yemen, graveyard of US-Saudi bloody alliance