The House of Representatives will be voting on the bipartisan H.J. Res. 37 on Wednesday.
The resolution is the War Powers Act challenge to the US involvement in
the war in Yemen, and instructs the US to immediately halt military
involvement.
This is the long-awaited House vote on the Yemen War, which in 2018 was
repeatedly blocked by last minute rule changes. The Senate is also
planning a vote on an identical resolution, S.J. Res 7, though the date
has yet to be set for that.
The resolution notes that Congress never authorized a US military
operation in Yemen. The White House has argued this isn’t war enough to
count under the War Powers Act, though the law offers no such limitation
on challenging unauthorized wars.
The bill is widely expected to pass, though final vote numbers are still
extremely important. That’s because President Trump has threatened a
veto, and the final vote numbers will provide a good first indication if
Congress will be able to override such a veto.
Those wishing to contact their Representative to express support for H.J. Res 37 should do so before Wednesday afternoon. Contact information can be found at this link on the House’s website.
What? Trump would veto this bill? That’s inconceivable! Isn’t he the anti-war, non-interventionist president that all you libertarians have been waiting for?
Every President since Eisenhower or Kennedy, has greased the slide to the current situation we’re in, e.g., more Executive Branch power and each excess piggybacks on the previous precedent.
And always that expanding power was abused in this same way by these same groups which help expand it.
It’s actually LESS Executive Power since JFK Assassination.
Mull over that.
I beg to differ, executive power was sharply curtailed after Nixon thoroughly abused it. Dick Cheney was Nixon’s chief-of-staff, took this symbolic castration personally and made it his mission to expand executive branch powers when he was VP under GW Bush.
Are you saying that JFK had powers at his disposal that Johnson did not? Johnson accelerated the troop buildup in Vietnam, helped push through the Civil Rights Act.
I have mulled and you are wrong.
Current administration’s decision making process:
a) Was this something President Zero or Killary supported? If so, we’re dead against it.
b) If there is an authoritarian responsible for the situation, do I have a man-crush on him? If so, ignore any problems or conflicts.
This eill be sgain much ablut nothing. The game is on — who lost Saudi Arabia, how to explain loss if US agenda for Yemen, snd finally, how to stay right there to “countrrr” Saudi “malign” influence. Yes, let is bolt the barn door, after the horrors of naval blocade starved the population, but did not break it.
Sooo, let us see. Blickade of port of Hodeidah willl be continued by our Navy, to counter “malign” imaginary Iranian influence in Sana’a.
All along it was US enforcing blockade. When any neutral country tried to bring ships with food or medicine, they were turned away. So, it was never about Iran, but abour forcing Sana’a to capitulate. Even now, we — not Saudis — decide through UN just how much food will be alliwed in. And food comes with conditions for giving up port of Hodeidah to a cornucopia of UN minders that will eventually muscle Western interests in. But it is slow going, as Saudis are not budging.
To all our bleeding hearts — from left right or otherwise — let go of the delusion that this is about doing right thing.
If you do not believe me — look up the portal if Sana’a government, aka the starved people.
Saba.net has a bi-line that says: USA killing Yemeni people. Not Saudi Arabia. Last meeting in Sweden saw the delegation of starved Yemenis, whom we call Houthis, embrace the delegation representing ousted president Hadi, residing in Saudi Arabia. Why? Aren’t they the enemies? Aren’t Saudis the enemy? It is because this war eould have ended long time ago, had it not been for our attempts of reengineering the entire south-west corner of Arabian peninsula, and bring it under the control of our clients — Saudis and UAE. It worked until June 2017, when Saudis redefined their role and interests in the area. Sine thatbtime — not before, we started calling this Saudi war, while usung our private armies to help UAE undermine the uppity prince, and yank out good chunk of south from the supporters of Hadi. But this stabbing in the back by UAE came to abrupt end after Kashoggi murder, This was meant to be a challenge to Saudi ruling families to get rid of MBS, but the opposite happened. He got support, full control snd purging of intelligence, and no dissention occured, The first trip MBS made out of the country was to UAE. UAE eating crow ever since. Including reopening embassy in Damascus, making nice to Assad.
How will it go from here, anyone’s guess. Will US go as far as a hard regime change? Congress is full if ideas. Caring about Yemen is the last thing on their minds.
But they may wish to consuder that Saudis are not exactly powerless. And they were key executioners (litterally) of various schemas to dismantle various states via financing and ideooligy of Islamic cults. They may have plenty of hard evidence. They are clearly not in a hurry to give their interim report on the statu of investigation? Why not reveal all, as the theatrical murder was not something Kingdom wanted or needed. There are msny other ways to disparch meddlesome formal official turned journalist. Why not reveal what they surely already know? I have a feeling that timing is everything — and we may be led into a political conflict we an lose. On the side note — Saudis started accepting Chinese yuan as payment for oil. Petro-yuan is convertible to gold on demand, do Saudis have choices.