House to Vote Wednesday on War Powers Act Challenge to Yemen War

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.