Rebuking Saudi Arabia

Senate defies Trump, rebuking Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi killing

By MARIANNE LEVINE

The Senate passed a resolution Thursday to withdraw U.S. support for Saudi-backed forces at war in Yemen in a rare bipartisan rebuke to President Donald Trump.

The resolution, led by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), invokes the War Powers Act and passed in a 56-41 vote. It’s the first time the Senate has voted to withdraw forces from a war Congress didn't approve.

“For too many years, Congress has abdicated its historical and constitutional responsibility to be the body that determines whether this country is at war,” Sanders said on the floor prior to the vote.

The resolution picked up momentum in recent weeks following the killing of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump’s reluctance to blame Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, further angered senators on both sides of the aisle.

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Rand Paul(R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.) and Lee joined all 49 Democrats to pass the resolution. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) did not vote.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) described Thursday’s vote as “ the Senate’s first response to the Saudi royal family, and to the Trump Administration,” adding that “the disaster in Yemen is so appalling, and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was so wicked, so repulsive, that no amount of money, no amount of oil, and no amount of lies can obscure it.”

The Senate also agreed by unanimous consent to a resolution from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) to condemn MBS for Khashoggi’s murder, which he offered as an alternative for lawmakers wary of pulling support for the Saudis’ Yemen intervention.

Corker said earlier Thursday that there was interest in the GOP-controlled House.

Should Corker’s resolution pass the House with veto-proof majorities, Trump could be forced to sign it.

The Sanders-Lee-Murphy proposal is not expected to get that far. The House passed a rule Wednesday that appears to block consideration of any War Powers resolutions to limit the United States’ involvement in Yemen for the rest of the year. The White House also said last month that Trump would veto the resolution if it came to his desk.

Several GOP senators took to the floor to speak out against using the War Powers Act to punish Saudi Arabia for Khashoggi’s murder. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reiterated Thursday that the resolution was not precise or prudent enough.

“Yes, the Senate wants Saudi Arabia to act responsibly,” he said. “We want to see a more stable Yemen for the sake of the Yemeni people. We also want to preserve this 70-year partnership which serves our interest and helps stabilize a crucial region. The resolution... would jeopardize U.S. support that is actually limiting civilian casualties.”

Thursday’s vote came after hours of debate Wednesday over amendments. Among the amendments approved in the Sanders-Lee-Murphy resolution was an amendment from Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) that prohibits the United States from aerial refueling Saudi coalition aircraft in Yemen.

Two amendments were also adopted from Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) that clarified the resolution would not affect military activity in Israel and requested that the president issue a report to determine if terrorism increased following withdrawal of U.S. forces in Yemen.