Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Tuesday night withdrew his request to vote on the Yemen War Powers Resolution that would end US support for the Saudi-led war and blockade on Yemen, citing White House opposition to the bill.
Sanders said on the Senate floor that he was informed ahead of the scheduled vote of the administration’s opposition to the legislation, meaning President Biden would veto the resolution. The Intercept reported earlier in the day that The White House was pressuring senators to vote against the bill, and Democrats came out in opposition to Sanders’ resolution earlier on Tuesday, including Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA).
Sanders’ justification for not holding the vote was that the administration claimed it would work with Congress on ending the war in Yemen. He said the White House wanted to “work with us on crafting language that would be mutually acceptable” and insisted if that didn’t happen, he would resume his efforts to end the war through a resolution.
But even if the White House really wants to engage with Congress on the issue, or if Sanders chooses to reintroduce the resolution, the plan will take time, which Yemenis don’t have. There has been a cessation in violence in Yemen, with no Saudi airstrikes since March, but there has been a recent uptick in fighting on the ground.
A ceasefire expired in October, and without a real peace deal, the war could flare up again at any time. The resolution could have ended US support for the Saudi-led coalition, including maintenance of its warplanes, which would effectively ground the Saudi air force. Even if Biden vetoed the resolution, its passage through Congress would have sent a message to the White House and Riyadh to work faster on a real end to the war.
While Democrats started to fold in their support for the resolution, Republican Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT) both came out in favor of the legislation. In the House, a version of the resolution was also introduced that has gained 118 cosponsors, including 10 Republicans.
The US first intervened to back the Saudi/UAE-led coalition in Yemen against the Houthis in 2015. A few months earlier, the Obama administration was sharing intelligence with the Houthis as part of the effort against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. After the Obama administration switched sides against the Houthis, the US-backed coalition recruited al-Qaeda fighters, and US arms ended up in the hands of the terror group.
According to UN estimates, by the end of 2021, at least 377,000 people had been killed in the war. The UN said that about 150,000 people had died in violence while the rest were killed by starvation and disease caused by the war and blockade on the country. The US-backed coalition is notorious for bombing civilians, and civilian casualties spiked earlier this year, right before the ceasefire was reached in March.
That is sickening.
But not surprising.
Wars, Bernie at this point is just going through the motions. The real “”powers that be” have decided to pull the plug on the Anglo-Zionist Empire. Hopefully, we can somehow go back to being a “normal” nation that works for a living and pays its bills. We are more apt to go out in some nuclear blaze of glory that will be the end of the USA and most of the human race. The Powers are most likely not even human anymore, just some AI profit algorithm like what controls the hedge funds. At least they have no use for actual human beings. Maybe they’ll keep a few of us around as pets. I would make a very bad pet.
Same here, Thomas. I don’t follow commands, and I bite.
What powers that be are pulling the plug? Mother nature?
The same folks that Jesus threw out of the Temple back in the day have morphed into the current “powers that be.” They’ve never forgiven him for that.
Interesting claim. Based on other posts of yours, I’d have expected the opposite.
Real end of the war cannot come until all interests are satisfied or somebody gives up on their interests.
Sooooo — until Uncle Sam declares its interest, we do not know what is at stake. Saudis are clear — they wanted to maintaun ONE Yemen as it was since unification. Yemenis in the North and South want their independence back. But if Houthis get back their previous state, it leaves Saudis with a weak hand fighting Southern states for influence against US and who knows who else. This is why the war on the ground is around areas Saudis need badly in order to take pioelines out to Indian ocean, and out of danger posed by US ability to stir up closures of Bab Al Mandeb or Hormuz Straits. Whatever the excuse.
Wars Power Act would have beeb an open hostility to Saudis, Sudan and Egypt. Looks like there are some possible unforeseen repercussions to what looked like a simple solution.
Not a good day in world politics for me. Seems like the fix is in on almost every front. But I am listening to BBC on NPR, though there is almost as much bad news here on aw.c-m. Have any of you out there noticed how aw.c is linking to ever increasing MSN links, like & especially U.S News & World Report. Not only more empire friendly content but no comment or chance to debunk badly shaded or inacuirate content.
Nicey-nicey supposed antiwar opposition. What happened to introducing the bill reguardless?
What is wrong with you? We have a one party Democracy you do understand there are limits, and an opposition is not needed./s
Very sad that Sanders is a creature of the political class. His deepest beliefs never survive the elbows of his fellow Democrats.
He knows that if Biden vetoes it, the Senate will be unable to override. It’s dead.
The US Congress has been neutered. There’s no reason for Americans to expect anything from the representative branch of government and there’s no reason for Americans to expect the administrative branch to be focused on the needs of the American middle and lower classes.
End of the Empire.
Yes, but it would at least show a stand.
If I had been in his shoes, I would have submitted it and let it fly. I’m only saying that it’s Ok with me that he withdrew it, while I agree with you that I would have loved it had he not.
You shouldn’t be ok with it. No one should.
You forgot to say that the End of the American Empire is probably tied to extinction and the death of our Planet
That actually has a valid ring to it…
Once again a law of nature, much like General Relativity validated under the most extreme circumstances, has survived another test: regarding US government it is not possible to be too cynical.
That is why I skipped the election and will never vote again.
What is the point?
I agree but for this idea; Get smart with the numbers.
Help stimulate the largest turnout ever seen and everyone writes in their friends. Picture the reported totals vs the statistically sufficient shadow exit returns recorded by poll volunteers. Then as yourself what the imaginations of freedom loving Americans will come up with next.
Without a free press democracy can’t survive. MSM is our problem, uninformed people are not likely to vote because there is nothing to vote for.
MSM does not allow anyone to say a word against the war in Ukraine, no word of critic of Biden, and not one objective word about Putin or Russia, in print or on TV or the internet.
Uninformed voters are the result of MSM coordinated public manipulation. Deceptions and omissions of pertinent facts is the tool to indoctrinate the public. It takes money to fight MSM. We have a few voices preaching in the wilderness.
We humans are what we are— Our genes tell us to be alert to warning cries, we are not yet programmed to see deceit.
BDS Yuckola or get what one deserves.
If enough people would just vote their conscience, one election cycle would completely disrupt the charade. Vote third party.
To vote ones conscience one needs honest media information and honest candidates, real public servants.
Democracy has disintegrated we have lobbyists writing the laws to suit their corporate bosses.
What we really need is a reformed electoral process and a system that deserves to be called Democracy.
We have a Potemkin village, we live in a fairyland. It is my conscience telling me to forget about voting, it is a scam.
The Germans voted for the Greens and they got …… another war party. Who knew that war was beneficial to the environment anyway?
Political parties rarely represent the interests of the populace. When they do, it’s more lucky coincidence than by design.
President ButtWipe. I guess he’s still getting off on killing children.
Afghanistan should have been but was not included in the bill either.
President Phil Abuster in my new story.
Our latest leader Sleepy,Senile Hawkish anti union Joe Biden is really trying to continue the policys that have brought us to the eve of destruction for the benefit of his masters the war loving Capitalists that run this country at the cost of a decent living standard for the majority of citizens and especially people of color.Jesus said they know not what they do.Wrong,the Bidenistas know exactly what they are doing.Trump was and is a moron knowing nothing about government. After 50 years serving{sic} the peopleHe knows better,he chooses not to.
Don’t call him sleepy or senile. His handlers are neither, and underestimating them makes him seem safe and not dangerous.
He is a seasoned political expert who has played the game very very well. His job was to crush the left, and he succeeded wildly. He has successfully worked to maximize the number of places that our military is involved in, eliminating any other way of resolving issues other than through military confrontation.
He has his agenda. He is moving towards it quite adeptly.
377,000 people dead, yet another number frozen in amber. Remember how long we maintained that only 15,000 were dead despite its implausibility.
I could go back to articles from a couple years back that said there would be 400,000 dead by the end of that year if nothing was done. Well, nothing was done and yet I keep hearing these 377,000 numbers.
It’s the last decent number we have. It is probably a lot higher now.
The traitor…!
Not a traiter. The article clearly states that Biden promised to veto the bill should it get that far.
Sanders fought. You can say not very hard. But he is the guy in the trenches.
He fought, he lost. This is his way of making it quite clear that Biden is 100% in favor of all of our military missions, and is unphased and unconcerned about collateral damage in the hundreds of thousands. Just like Albright, who was praised effusively by politicians from both parties. America has voted – 98% or so voted for a political party that agrees that 500,000 dead Iraqi children was “worth it”. The Yemeni death toll is not that high. Yet.
Not a traitor, but a quitter…! You don’t quit from what you started…Biden veto does not matter…!
Same quitting happened when he gave up his presidential ambition to Hillary back in 2016 letting Trump to get the best of of her…!
Sanders, the anti war traitor. No, you’re not a socialist or independent, just join the pro war party already.
Yep, once again, good ol’ Bernie shows his true colors. It probably didn’t occur to him to press for a vote so he would have Biden and the Democrats on record as opposing a peaceful settlement, just as they oppose negotiations in Ukraine. What a bunch of phonies!
First time in a while i am disappointed in sanders. Sometimes you just have to do what you know is right and see how it plays out.