Top Democrats in Congress today introduced legislation that seeks to end US support for the air war in Yemen, highlighting the risk to the Saudi-led campaign if the minority party wins the November elections. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the No. 2 Democrat in the House, endorsed the new bill along with Reps. Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y. Smith and Engel are the likely chairmen of the armed services and foreign affairs panels if Democrats take the House. The bill was introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. Khanna’s resolution is privileged under the War Powers Act, which stipulates expedited procedures on the House floor.
Why it matters: Democrats have lambasted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent decision to allow refueling support for the coalition to continue despite the high rate of civilian casualties. They are also skeptical of other actions undertaken under Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, such as the detention of women’s rights activists and the potential that Riyadh could use US technology to start a nuclear weapons program.
