Republicans quash Democrats’ bid to force the US out of Yemen war
House Republicans have temporarily stopped a vote instructing President Donald Trump to end “hostilities” against the Houthi rebels.
House Republicans today quashed a Democratic bid to force a vote requiring the Donald Trump administration to end US support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
In a rare move, Democrats had attempted to use a Vietnam War-era law to force a floor vote on the conflict. But Republican leaders stripped the bill of its expedited status as part of a procedural vote on unrelated legislation concerning wolves.
In the end, the House voted 201-187 to kill the resolution, which would have directed the president to remove US forces from all Houthi-related “hostilities” in Yemen. The unprecedented vote shields Trump from congressional oversight over his Yemen policy — at least until Democrats take control of the House in January.
The resolution, introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., enjoyed the support of key Democratic leaders, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md. While the bill boasts 81 co-sponsors, only four are Republicans.
