Congress inches closer to pulling US out of Yemen war
Congress is looking to must-pass spending bills to force President Donald Trump’s hand on Yemen.
The rapidly escalating fight between Yemen’s Saudi-supported government and the United Arab Emirates-backed southern separatists has renewed Congress’ determination to buck President Donald Trump and pull the United States out of the war.
Trump’s allies in the Republican-held Senate failed to stop Democrats from adding an amendment to curtail US support for the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthi rebels when the Appropriations Committee advanced its annual defense spending bill 16-15 today.
The amendment, introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., prohibits the Trump administration from using taxpayer dollars to support the anti-Houthi campaign until Defense Secretary Mark Esper certifies that the Saudis and Emiratis have ceased transferring US weapons to their Yemeni proxies.
While the UAE has largely withdrawn from the anti-Houthi campaign, the Emiratis continue to support the southern secessionists, who have recently ousted Yemeni government forces from the provisional capital of Aden.
