Hoyer Statement on Original Co-Sponsorship of the Yemen Resolution
Press Types
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
September 26, 2018
Contact Info:
Annaliese Davis 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after a war powers resolution addressing the crisis in Yemen was introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17). Whip Hoyer is an original co-sponsor of the resolution, along with House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (WA-09), House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (NY-16), and others:
“On August 9, the Saudi-led coalition conducted an airstrike in Yemen that destroyed a school bus and killed forty children – using armaments allegedly provided by the United States. This attack took place more than three years into a conflict that has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties and 22 million people requiring humanitarian assistance. Almost 18 million people lack secure access to food. According to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, grave dangers await more than 350,000 civilians in Hudaydah as coalition forces besiege that city. The status quo – militarily pressuring the Houthi rebels into accepting coalition demands – is not working. Continued airstrikes, besiegement of Hudaydah, and the coalition’s maximalist diplomatic demands are making a political solution even more elusive.
“Members of the House have attempted to influence America’s approach to the Yemen crisis indirectly through the defense authorization bill, through appropriations amendments, through letters, and by freezing arms sales. To that end, I have been engaged personally with the Saudi and Emirati ambassadors, and I wrote the Administration in August requesting a briefing but have yet to receive a response. Congress can no longer avoid tackling this issue head on.
“I am cosponsoring this resolution because Congress must send a strong signal that our Yemen policy needs to change. As a legal matter, I do not believe that American military forces are engaged in hostilities in Yemen. I also do not believe that Iran and its Houthi proxies ought to be let off the hook for their brutal actions during the conflict to date or that Saudi and Emirati humanitarian efforts ought to be minimized. The objective of this resolution is not to do either of those things; it is to raise the alarm that Congress must play a role in clarifying American goals and ensuring that the Administration works with our allies to achieve a real political solution that alleviates the humanitarian disaster.
“The current strategy is not working, and simply continuing as things are will not produce a better outcome. I urge Chairman Royce and the Republican leadership to work with us to move this resolution to the Floor so the House can have an open debate about America’s role in Yemen. It is time to set ourselves on a better path forward.”
“On August 9, the Saudi-led coalition conducted an airstrike in Yemen that destroyed a school bus and killed forty children – using armaments allegedly provided by the United States. This attack took place more than three years into a conflict that has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties and 22 million people requiring humanitarian assistance. Almost 18 million people lack secure access to food. According to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, grave dangers await more than 350,000 civilians in Hudaydah as coalition forces besiege that city. The status quo – militarily pressuring the Houthi rebels into accepting coalition demands – is not working. Continued airstrikes, besiegement of Hudaydah, and the coalition’s maximalist diplomatic demands are making a political solution even more elusive.
“Members of the House have attempted to influence America’s approach to the Yemen crisis indirectly through the defense authorization bill, through appropriations amendments, through letters, and by freezing arms sales. To that end, I have been engaged personally with the Saudi and Emirati ambassadors, and I wrote the Administration in August requesting a briefing but have yet to receive a response. Congress can no longer avoid tackling this issue head on.
“I am cosponsoring this resolution because Congress must send a strong signal that our Yemen policy needs to change. As a legal matter, I do not believe that American military forces are engaged in hostilities in Yemen. I also do not believe that Iran and its Houthi proxies ought to be let off the hook for their brutal actions during the conflict to date or that Saudi and Emirati humanitarian efforts ought to be minimized. The objective of this resolution is not to do either of those things; it is to raise the alarm that Congress must play a role in clarifying American goals and ensuring that the Administration works with our allies to achieve a real political solution that alleviates the humanitarian disaster.
“The current strategy is not working, and simply continuing as things are will not produce a better outcome. I urge Chairman Royce and the Republican leadership to work with us to move this resolution to the Floor so the House can have an open debate about America’s role in Yemen. It is time to set ourselves on a better path forward.”