“Today, the House voted to disapprove of the Trump Administration’s ill-conceived decision to allow the sale of sensitive military equipment and munitions to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which continue to prosecute a war in Yemen whose main outcome has been an unmitigated humanitarian disaster and military stalemate.  Using force to pressure the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have committed terrible atrocities and are responsible for horrible civilian suffering, into accepting coalition demands has demonstrably not worked.  I am encouraged by reports the UAE is now reassessing its role in this conflict; we ought to be doing the same.  The Administration’s end-run around Congress reflects a complete disregard for the legislative branch’s prerogative in foreign policy and a refusal to consider a different strategy.

“Moreover, Congress must have a say in the transfer of highly classified military technology, on which so many American jobs depend and upon which our national security depends, to countries that could use that technology to compete with our workers and proliferate our defense technologies.  I urge the President to accede to the will of Congress and accept these resolutions in order to protect our national defense, protect American workers, and promote a peaceful settlement that ends the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.”