US Congress reacts to Yemen strikes — RT World News
The Western raids come in the wake of a series of attacks on commercial ships by Yemeni militants
Lawmakers in Washington gave mixed reactions to a series of US and British retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, with some questioning whether President Joe Biden had full authorization for the move.
The US Air Forces Middle East Command said it struck more than 60 targets in 16 locations in Yemen on Thursday evening, including “Command and control nodes, ammunition depots, launch systems, production facilities, and air defense radar systems.”
President Joe Biden said the strikes – which included Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets – were intended to show that the United States and its allies “He will not tolerate” Houthi militants launched attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, and confirmed that the decision was taken after attempted negotiations. The Yemeni group claims to have targeted ships linked to Israel during the Gaza conflict.
While a number of Republicans criticized the process — including libertarian-leaning Rep. Thomas Massie — several members of Biden's party also criticized the decision.
Democratic Representative from Michigan, Rashida Tlaib, said that Biden lacks the authority to approve military action, saying that he does “Violating Article 1 of the Constitution.” And the Americans were like that “I'm tired of endless war.”
Other Democrats, including Ro Khanna, Val Hoyle, and Mark Pocan, have made a similar case, with Khanna writing a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter) arguing that Biden “He must come to Congress before striking the Houthis in Yemen and engaging us in another conflict in the Middle East.” “This is Article 1 of the Constitution. I will defend that regardless of whether there is a Democrat or a Republican in the White House.” he added.
Republican Senator Mike Lee later commented on the strikes, saying: “I completely agree with [Ro Khanna]. “The Constitution is important, regardless of party affiliation.”
Republicans Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene also criticized the military action. “Biden cannot decide alone to bomb Yemen.” Green said.
Democratic Party Representative Sarah Jacobs said that the Biden administration has “The solemn responsibility to protect our service members from harm, and the laws of the free and open seas.” Jacobs said “Congressional leadership has been briefed.” Before the attack, he stressed this “Congress alone authorizes war.”
Thursday night's raids follow a series of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Houthi militants who control parts of Yemen. The armed group vowed to strike Israeli ships amid the conflict between Israel and Gaza, which erupted after a Hamas terrorist attack last October.
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