A bipartisan group of senators are cautioning President Joe Biden not to get involved in another war in the Middle East, after he began sending missiles into Yemen earlier this month without congressional authorization.
“As tensions in the region rise, we believe that American participation in another war in the Middle East cannot happen in the absence of authorization by Congress, following an open debate during which the American public can be informed of the benefits, risks, and consequences of such conflict,” Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Todd Young (R-IN) wrote to Biden in a letter this week.
On January 12, Biden ordered strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. According to Pentagon officials, the U.S. and the U.K. used over 150 munitions to hit 28 different locations in Yemen that contained targets such as radar systems, air defense systems, drone storage and launch sites, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
In this handout image provided by the UK Ministry of Defence, an RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off from RAF Akrotiri to join the U.S.-led coalition to conduct air strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels on January 11, 2024 in Akrotiri, Cyprus. On Thursday evening, four RAF Typhoons launched from RAF Akrotiri to conduct strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have been targeting merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with missiles and drones. According to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the strikes were done to protect global shipping in the region. (MoD Crown Copyright via Getty Images)
Since then, Biden has ordered seven more rounds of strikes on Yemen, despite acknowledging they are not working.
The strikes were meant to stop the Houthis from attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group in Yemen, began firing missiles at commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea in October in what they said was retaliation for Israel’s military campaign against Hamas. Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, conducted a terrorist attack in Southern Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 and kidnapping about 240.
INTERNATIONAL WATERS RED SEA, YEMEN – NOVEMBER 20: This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen’s Houthi fighters’ takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on November 20, 2023 in the Red Sea, Yemen. On Monday, the Houthi movement in Yemen released footage and photos of the Houthi-run coastguard taking over the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader Vessel in the Red Sea, which had 52 people onboard. Galaxy Leader is owned by Galaxy Maritime Ltd in the Isle of Man and is linked to Israeli businessman Abraham Ungar through Ray Car Carriers. (Photo by Houthi Movement via Getty Images)
The Houthis said they would target ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea, but some of the ships they have attacked appear to have no discernible link to Israel. The attacks have forced shipping companies to reroute around Africa instead of traveling through the Red Sea, increasing shipping, insurance costs, and travel time. U.S. and international warnings to the Houthis went unheeded.
The Houthis have continued to attack ships in the Red Sea, where roughly 15 percent of global shipping passes through.
The senators said they support “smart steps” to defend against and deter the Houthis attacks, but raised questions about the constitutionality of the attacks and the prospect of dragging the U.S. into another open-ended war in the Middle East. They also reminded Biden that any offensive or sustained military action against the Houthis must require a vote of Congress.
“We support smart steps to defend U.S. personnel and assets, hold the Houthis accountable for their actions, and deter additional attacks,” the senators wrote, but added, “We further believe Congress must carefully deliberate before authorizing offensive military action.”
“The Administration has stated that the strikes on Houthi targets to date have not and will not deter the Houthi attacks, suggesting that we are in the midst of an ongoing regional conflict that carries the risk of escalation,” they warned.
“As tensions in the region rise, we believe that American participation in another war in the Middle East cannot happen in the absence of authorization by Congress, following an open debate during which the American public can be informed of the benefits, risks, and consequences of such conflict.”
Kaine said in a recent video posted on X that he wanted to know the legal authorities for the strikes, as well as the administration’s strategy.
“We need to know from the administration what the strategy is,” said Kaine, who has a son serving in the Marine Corps.
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