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| Senate to vote on Yemen amid growing skepticism over US-Saudi alliance | Senate to vote on Yemen amid growing skepticism over US-Saudi alliance |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The Senate is due to vote on Wednesday on whether to cut US military support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, amid deepening scepticism over the Trump administration’s alliance with Riyadh. | The Senate is due to vote on Wednesday on whether to cut US military support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, amid deepening scepticism over the Trump administration’s alliance with Riyadh. |
| The independent senator Bernie Sanders has said he is determined to move ahead with the resolution after a Republican revolt on 28 November, driven in part by outrage over the Saudi murder of the Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, defeated the Trump administration’s efforts to stop it going to a vote. | |
| 'Yemenis are left so poor they kill themselves before the hunger does' | 'Yemenis are left so poor they kill themselves before the hunger does' |
| Wednesday’s vote marks the first time a measure invoking the 1973 War Powers Resolution, asserting congressional supremacy in matters of war and peace, has progressed so far in the Senate. The vote comes across the backdrop of peace talks in Stockholm in a UN-brokered effort to halt a war that is thought to have already killed many tens of thousands of civilians, mostly from coalition bombing and starvation, largely as a results of the coalition’s strategy of economic strangulation. | Wednesday’s vote marks the first time a measure invoking the 1973 War Powers Resolution, asserting congressional supremacy in matters of war and peace, has progressed so far in the Senate. The vote comes across the backdrop of peace talks in Stockholm in a UN-brokered effort to halt a war that is thought to have already killed many tens of thousands of civilians, mostly from coalition bombing and starvation, largely as a results of the coalition’s strategy of economic strangulation. |
| The UN has warned that a continuation of the conflict could tip the impoverished nation into the worst famine the world has seen for 100 years. | The UN has warned that a continuation of the conflict could tip the impoverished nation into the worst famine the world has seen for 100 years. |
| The Yemen resolution is part of a flurry of congressional action this week, all aimed at rebuking Riyadh and the Trump administration for its staunch support of the Saudi monarchy. A resolution backed by the Senate Republican leadership would condemn Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Khashoggi murder, while a bill before the foreign relations committee would cut arms sales. | The Yemen resolution is part of a flurry of congressional action this week, all aimed at rebuking Riyadh and the Trump administration for its staunch support of the Saudi monarchy. A resolution backed by the Senate Republican leadership would condemn Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Khashoggi murder, while a bill before the foreign relations committee would cut arms sales. |
| The CIA director, Gina Haspel, is expected to brief the House leadership on the Khashoggi killing on Wednesday, while the secretaries of state and defence, Mike Pompeo and James Mattis, will brief on the wider relationship with Saudi Arabia on Thursday. | |
| The initial battle on Wednesday will be over the scope of amendments allowed to the measure proposed by Senator Sanders, Republican Mike Lee and Democrat Chris Murphy. | The initial battle on Wednesday will be over the scope of amendments allowed to the measure proposed by Senator Sanders, Republican Mike Lee and Democrat Chris Murphy. |
| In a bid to sink the measure, the Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, is expected to try to keep it open to unrelated amendments, but its supporters believe they have enough support among Republican senators to win a procedural vote limiting debate to relevant issues. | In a bid to sink the measure, the Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, is expected to try to keep it open to unrelated amendments, but its supporters believe they have enough support among Republican senators to win a procedural vote limiting debate to relevant issues. |
| The chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, Bob Corker, has said he would support limiting amendments, as did Kansas senator, Jerry Moran, in a tweet on Tuesday saying: “This is important to protect the integrity of the resolution and to pass it in a timely matter.” | The chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, Bob Corker, has said he would support limiting amendments, as did Kansas senator, Jerry Moran, in a tweet on Tuesday saying: “This is important to protect the integrity of the resolution and to pass it in a timely matter.” |
| “I am optimistic that a bipartisan coalition of senators will vote to make clear that the United States will no longer support Saudi Arabia in its incredibly destructive war,” Senator Sanders said in a statement. | “I am optimistic that a bipartisan coalition of senators will vote to make clear that the United States will no longer support Saudi Arabia in its incredibly destructive war,” Senator Sanders said in a statement. |
| “The Senate must reassert its constitutional authority and end our support of this unauthorized and unconstitutional war.” | “The Senate must reassert its constitutional authority and end our support of this unauthorized and unconstitutional war.” |
| Even if passed, the resolution would have to go to the House of Representatives, where Republicans have used delaying tactics to stall a parallel measure. Supporters of a parallel bill in the House were hoping to draw on inspiration from the Senate revolt to overcome Republican delaying tactics. | Even if passed, the resolution would have to go to the House of Representatives, where Republicans have used delaying tactics to stall a parallel measure. Supporters of a parallel bill in the House were hoping to draw on inspiration from the Senate revolt to overcome Republican delaying tactics. |
| If a joint resolution does emerge from the reconciliation process, it would then face the prospect of a presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses to override it. | If a joint resolution does emerge from the reconciliation process, it would then face the prospect of a presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses to override it. |
| Scott Anderson, a former state department legal adviser now at the Brookings Institution, said that although the resolution faced an uphill struggle to become law, it should pass the Senate and the House after a Democratic majority takes its seats in January. | Scott Anderson, a former state department legal adviser now at the Brookings Institution, said that although the resolution faced an uphill struggle to become law, it should pass the Senate and the House after a Democratic majority takes its seats in January. |
| “This vote really put the administration in a dangerous political context,” Anderson said. “It is increasingly evident members of the president’s own party have no confidence in his handling of Saudi and Yemen policy.” | “This vote really put the administration in a dangerous political context,” Anderson said. “It is increasingly evident members of the president’s own party have no confidence in his handling of Saudi and Yemen policy.” |
| Yemen | Yemen |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia |
| Middle East and North Africa | Middle East and North Africa |
| Jamal Khashoggi | Jamal Khashoggi |
| US foreign policy | |
| US Senate | |
| Bernie Sanders | |
| news | |
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