ICYMI: KHANNA PENS OP-ED IN THE NATION ON UNAUTHORIZED MILITARY STRIKES IN YEMEN

Washington, DC – Today, The Nation published a new opinion piece from Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17) criticizing President Biden’s decision to launch U.S. strikes against the Houthis in Yemen without the approval of Congress.

Read the full piece here

Rep. Khanna is the first member of Congress to succeed in passing a War Powers Resolution (WPR) to remove troops from hostilities. When he arrived in Congress, appalled by the Saudi-led coalition’s bombing of Yemeni civilians—a humanitarian catastrophe— he introduced a Yemen WPR with Senator Bernie Sanders to end our unauthorized involvement in the ongoing Saudi-led war in Yemen.

“Despite this history, starting last week, we saw Biden launch US strikes against the Houthis in Yemen—the poorest nation in the world—without the approval of Congress,” writes Rep. Khanna. “The latest round of US military strikes came in retaliation against the Houthis’ most recent attacks on commercial shipping vessels. The Houthis carried out these attacks in defiance of the previous US air strikes on January 11 intended to dissuade them. So far, these latest air strikes have failed to deter the Houthis, and they may deepen US military involvement in a regional Middle East conflict…”

“Asking Congress for support would be straightforward even in a divided and dysfunctional Congress: An Authorization for the Use of Military Force would be privileged in both chambers, meaning that expedited procedures would be afforded for its full consideration in the House and Senate floors. It would be easier than passing the federal budget and consistent with what the president promised when he ran for office,” adds Rep. Khanna.

To conclude, Rep. Khanna calls on President Biden to tackle the issue inflaming the tension in the Middle East and “press for a diplomatic effort to secure a cease-fire in Gaza, the release of all hostages tied to it, and work to cool the source of tensions inflaming the region.”

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Congressman Khanna represents the 17th District of California, which covers communities in Silicon Valley. Visit his website at khanna.house.gov. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RepRoKhanna.