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Congress revives bid to pull US out of Yemen war

The Democratic-held House is taking another stab at ending US support for the Saudi coalition’s war against Yemen’s Houthis.

Smoke billows following an airstrike by Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, on June 16, 2020. - Yemen is wracked by a war which has killed tens of thousands of people and led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
The war between Huthi rebels and pro-government forces escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition intervened against the rebels who control large parts of Yemen including the capital Sanaa. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP) (Photo by MOHAM
Smoke billows following an airstrike by Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on June 16, 2020. — MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images

The Democratic-held House is taking another stab at ending US support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. 

The House Armed Services Committee voted 31-25 Wednesday to add language to a key defense authorization bill that would ban the Donald Trump administration from using funds to provide the Saudi coalition with logistical support in its war against the Houthis.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., introduced the amendment, which mirrors a provision he introduced last year to pull the United States out of the Yemen war. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., was the lone Republican to join Democrats in voting for the amendment.

“Two years ago, a similar amendment to end US refueling of Saudi-led coalition planes only received 19 votes,” said Geo Saba, Khanna’s legislative director. “We will work tirelessly to keep it in the final bill as it moves to conference in an effort to help bring an end to the war.”

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