Critics on the left and right are furious that the US president did not get approval from lawmakers for strikes on Houthi militants
A bipartisan chorus of US lawmakers slammed Joe Biden for that the head of state failed to secure congressional approval before authorizing strikes on targets in Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthi militants, reigniting a long-simmering debate over who in America has the right to declare war.
The US and UK, backed by Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Bahrain, have launched a series of air and naval strikes on more than a dozen targets in Yemen, the US president announced on Thursday evening. The retaliatory action was taken in response to ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since the start of Israel's war in Gaza, writes The Guardian.
“This is an unacceptable violation of the constitution,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington and Chairman of the Progressive faction. “Article 1 requires that military action be authorized by Congress.”
Joe Biden, who served 36 years in the Senate, including as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, notified Congress but did not seek its approval.< /p>
“These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history,” Biden said in a statement. “These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian sailors, and our partners, threatening trade and freedom of navigation.”
The escalation in US action, as highlighted by The Guardian, comes days after the Houthis launched one of their largest salvoes to date, defying warnings from the Biden administration and several international allies who had urged the rebel group to stop its attacks or prepare to “be held accountable for consequences.”
Several US lawmakers welcomed the strikes, arguing they were necessary to contain Iran. In a statement, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, called Biden's decision “overdue.”
“The United States and our allies must leave no room for doubt that the days of unanswered terrorist aggression are over,” he said.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Relations Committee, said he supports “targeted, proportionate military strikes” on Yemen but called on the Biden administration to “continue its diplomatic efforts to avoid escalating into a broader regional war and continue to engage with Congress on the details of its strategy and the legal framework as required by law.”
However, many progressive—and some conservative—members were furious with the president for failing to obtain congressional approval.
“Unacceptable,” wrote Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat from Massachusetts.
Mark Pocan, a Democrat from Wisconsin, wrote: “The United States cannot risk being drawn into another decade-long conflict without authorization of Congress.”
He called on Biden to work with Congress “before continuing these airstrikes in Yemen.”
Ro Khanna, a California progressive who has led a bipartisan effort to restore congressional authority over America's foreign wars, said on Channel X: “The President must come to Congress before striking the Houthis in Yemen and dragging us into another Middle East conflict.”
He pointed to Article 1 of the Constitution and vowed to “uphold this whether there is a Democrat or a Republican in the White House.”
As The Guardian recalls, Ro Khanna also led a years-long pressure campaign to end American support for Saudi Arabia's disastrous military offensive in Yemen. Biden announced that the US will end its support in 2021. The Houthis entered diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia last year, raising hopes of a truce in Yemen after a grueling civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands in the region's poorest country.
Responding to Saudi calls for restraint and “ avoiding escalation» in light of the US-led airstrikes, Khanna added: «If you had told me on January 20, 2021, Biden would order military strikes against the Houthis without congressional approval, while the Saudis would urge restraint and de-escalation. Escalation into Yemen – I would never have believed it.”
Khanna's concerns were echoed by a number of House Republicans, including far-right Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and arch-conservative Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.
At the heart of Khanna's criticism is a decades-long debate between the legislative and executive branches over constitutional authority. Congress to declare war and the constitutional role of the president as commander in chief. Since the Vietnam War, lawmakers have accused administrations of both parties of waging foreign wars and conducting military actions without congressional approval.
“These airstrikes were not authorized by Congress,” tweeted Val Hoyle, a Democrat from Oregon. – The Constitution is clear: Congress has the exclusive power to authorize military participation in foreign conflicts. Every president must first come to Congress and ask for military authorization, regardless of party.”
Some critics revisited Biden's 2020 tweet, in which the then-presidential candidate said: “Donald Trump does not have the authority to drag us into war with Iran without congressional approval. A president should never drag this nation into war without the informed consent of the American people.”
The political fallout from the Yemen strikes comes nearly a month after several Democrats sharply criticized the administration's decision to bypass Congress and approve the sale of tank shells to Israel. amid intense debate within the party over Biden's support for the Gaza war.
Barbara Lee, a California Democrat and longtime supporter of limiting the president's war powers, said Thursday's walkouts underscored the urgent need for Biden to push for immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“That's why I called for an early ceasefire. This is why I voted against the Iraq War,” she wrote. “Violence only begets more violence. We need a ceasefire now to prevent a deadly, costly, catastrophic escalation of violence in the region.”