In the second veto of his presidency, Donald Trump has rejected S.J.Res.7, a “resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress.”
Despite Trump’s veto, the fight to end the US’ war in #Yemen must go on. Congress can override his veto, but we’ll need 13 more Senators & 43 more Representatives to pass it through with a two-thirds majority. If your lawmaker’s name is below, WE NEED YOU! #SJRes7 #YemenCantWait#CallYourReps
-Dr. Shireen Al-Adeimi, Yemeni American activist (Yemeni Alliance Committee)
If the veto cannot be overturned, the U.S. government and military will continue to provide all kinds of support to the Saudi-led coalition that has been devastating Yemen since 2015, resulting in an acute humanitarian crisis.
S.J.Res.7, with bipartisan support, was based on the War Powers Act, which explicitly prohibits the United States government from going to war without Congressional authorization. Thus, the resolution did not address the ongoing “War on Terror” direct engagement of U.S. forces in Yemen.
That the bill ended up on Trump’s desk is a testament to the hard work of the Yemeni-American community and its allies. Through the campaign to pass this resolution countless people have become aware of the horrific conditions in Yemen and are coming to understand the direct, contributing role played by U.S. government in supporting the genocidal Saudi war.
The U.S. role in Yemen has made the situation worse, not better. Anyone with a shred of human decency should want to end U.S. taxpayer-funded complicity in this grave humanitarian crisis. Clearly, President Trump does not fall into this category.
Trump’s message in rejecting the resolution asserts the “right” of the U.S. government to intervene anywhere U.S. citizens might be living or working, as well as making the claim that the War Powers Act (which affirms the Constitutional right of Congress to declare war) interferes with the President’s role as Commander in Chief.
Untouched by War Powers Act discourse is the issue of Yemeni self-determination. The now-vetoed resolution did not address the U.S. troops on the ground in Yemen ostensibly fighting in the “War on Terror,” nor the use of drone strikes and commando raids to kill not only Yemenis but also U.S. citizens living in Yemen. Prior to the start of the 2015 Saudi aggression, a blatant interference into Yemen’s internal affairs, Yemen had seen the growth of a four way civil war. Recently, mass demonstrations in Yemen marked the four-year anniversary of the genocidal U.S.-Saudi war, calling for its end.
Progressive and revolutionary people living in the belly of the imperialist beast should continue to stand with the people of Yemen. We say: End U.S. support for the Saudi war; no to all U.S. military intervention in Yemen; U.S. out of the Middle East.
