Trump vetoes Yemen War Powers Resolution, his 2nd veto since taking office

By artappraiser on Tue, 04/16/2019 - 9:07pm |

By Allie Malloy @ CNN.com, April 16, 8:14 pm

President Donald Trump issued the second veto of his presidency Tuesday, stopping a congressional resolution that would have sought to end US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

"This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future," Trump wrote to the Senate Thursday. Trump added that the resolution is "unnecessary" in part because there are no United States military personnel in Yemen "commanding, participating in, or accompanying military forces of the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis in hostilities in or affecting Yemen."

Trump was expected to issue the veto as the resolution was seen as a rebuke of Trump's Middle East policies [....]

URL:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/16/politics/trump-vetoes-yemen-war-powers-resolution/index.html

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The NYTimes tonight:

Trump Vetoes Measure to Force End to U.S. Involvement in Yemen War

From the NYTimes April 4 article on final House vote U.S. Role in Yemen War Will End Unless Trump Issues Second Veto with embedded link to their reporting on the Senate vote"

The 247-to-176 vote, with 16 Republicans joining all House Democrats, invoked the rarely used War Powers Act to curb the president’s executive power to wage war without congressional approval. It most likely sets up the second veto of Mr. Trump’s presidency, this time to publicly defend a four-year conflict that the United Nations has deemed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with thousands of civilians killed and millions suffering from famine.

The Senate passed the resolution in March, 54 to 46.

From WaPo tonight:

Trump vetoes resolution to end U.S. participation in Yemen’s civil war

by artappraiser on Tue, 04/16/2019 - 9:17pm

Pelosi:

The conflict in Yemen is a horrific humanitarian crisis that challenges the conscience of the entire world. Yet the President has cynically chosen to contravene a bipartisan, bicameral vote of the Congress & perpetuate America’s shameful involvement in this heartbreaking crisis.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 17, 2019

Sen. Sanders:

Sanders Responds After Trump Vetoes Yemen Resolution https://t.co/DkrJX3JQOD
— Joe Catron (@jncatron) April 17, 2019

Sen. Murphy:

This is a huge mistake. Republicans and Democrats came together to send a clear message that the US has no business being part of the war in Yemen. I am going to keep working to assert Congress' authority in matters of war. https://t.co/J6hgNILdzf
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 17, 2019

Rep. Ro Khanna:

The Yemen War Powers Resolution was a bipartisan, bicameral effort to end the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

From a president elected on the promise of putting a stop to our endless wars, this veto is a painful missed opportunity.

Full statement on Facebook.
— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) April 17, 2019

by artappraiser on Tue, 04/16/2019 - 9:54pm

The resolution was considered a rebuke of the President for his refusal to take a harder line against Saudi Arabia after Jamal Khashoggi’s death.

That is probably an accurate statement regarding most politicians involved. To the extent that it is an accurate statement, it is an incredibly sad one revealing the soul-less cynicism guiding their thoughts and actions. It is saying that the resolution was not actually at all about stopping the ongoing atrocity. These politicians have been not just aware but also complicit in that worst humanitarian crisis on the planet for a long time and done nothing. Only now do they take any action and it is only because they see an opportunity to "rebuke" Trump and they do so only for domestic electoral politics.

by A Guy Called LULU on Tue, 04/16/2019 - 10:57pm

this doesn't sound like it could be that to me, it sounds like it is rejecting a Saudi ethos that includes all kinds of civilian life:

America stands for nothing if it willingly participates in the slaughter of civilians. One of the darkest days of the Trump presidency. https://t.co/q1JgPDoPQb
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 17, 2019

And if it's true as you say that they just care about votes, we do have this possible solution:

URGENT:
Overriding a Presidential veto is difficult, so please contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives in the House and urge them to support the War Powers Resolution, and do just that! https://t.co/9vIBwfAfXp
— Erik Bushey (@erik_bushey) April 17, 2019

especially give that there is already a majority

If you believe Congress should take back war powers, now is the time! The situation is especially absurd right now given that many Trump fans probably give a shit about Saudi Arabia and have no idea that Trumpco shows favors towards it. Many in Congress who voted against this no doubt have been bamboozled by the Saudi lobby one way or another. I doubt the public for the most part even realizes that Saudis and Netanyahu are allied against Iran, rather they probably think of them as enemies. When they see Saudi Arabia most probably still just see 9/11 and Wahhabism, I don't think the American public for the most part has ever had sympathy for Saudi Arabia; Israel is a different story. If it's about votes, this is a no brainer.

by artappraiser on Wed, 04/17/2019 - 12:02am

Deleted, wrong place.

by A Guy Called LULU on Wed, 04/17/2019 - 12:03am

You added a lot to your comment as I was composing mine. Your's originally ended with:

America stands for nothing if it willingly participates in the slaughter of civilians. One of the darkest days of the Trump presidency. https://t.co/q1JgPDoPQb

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 17, 2019

To which my original reply was: You never seem to know when you have dropped an irony bomb.

by A Guy Called LULU on Wed, 04/17/2019 - 12:11am

Schumer:

The Saudi-led war in Yemen is inhumane.

So is President @realDonaldTrump’s veto.

Why won’t he hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its role in the devastation and humanitarian disaster? https://t.co/3uG4PvDwiQ
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 17, 2019

Sen. Warren:

Congress passed a bipartisan bill to stop US support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. @realDonaldTrump has just vetoed it. We can’t keep writing the Saudis blank checks. It's time to end our complicity in this humanitarian crisis – I’ll keep on fighting to get it done.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) April 17, 2019

Rep. Omar:

This puts the lives of millions of Yemenis at risk—including children—and undermines U.S. standing in the world. It is a moral imperative that Congress override this veto. https://t.co/5XZY3ZfdAD
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) April 17, 2019

Sen. Blumenthal:

President Trump’s veto is a show of tacit support for U.S. involvement in a devastating humanitarian disaster. Vetoing a bipartisan, bicameral resolution condemning the United States’ complicity in a humanitarian crisis puts President Trump squarely on the wrong side of history. https://t.co/m3NigCiuN2
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) April 17, 2019

Good snarky point by Chicago Tribune's humor columnist:

President Kushner gets his first veto! https://t.co/tmORVJcjXW
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) April 16, 2019

Hillary's foreign policy spox making a good serious point about language of veto:

in Trump's veto of the bipartisan resolution to end U.S. support for the Yemen war –– can anyone explain to me what kind of "Congressional engagement" he's seeking on Syria/Afghanistan?

I have no earthly idea what this means, especially since he's rebuking Congress's war powers. pic.twitter.com/G9ClJ139E5
— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) April 17, 2019

by artappraiser on Tue, 04/16/2019 - 11:24pm

Constitutional law expert Laurence Tribe:

No way to know how much this pro-Saudi decision, which will starve and maim countless Yemeni children and risk US lives, is driven by Trump’s & Kushner’s financial interests in Saudi Arabia. That’s what the Foreign Emoluments Clause was meant to prevent.https://t.co/IAwiEVLT2n
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) April 17, 2019

by artappraiser on Tue, 04/16/2019 - 11:40pm

Although Trump vetoed their last effort at reining in U.S. involvement in Yemen, Democrats are now trying new approaches. https://t.co/450RJfsdZR
— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) April 18, 2019

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/18/2019 - 7:36pm

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