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Biden Faces Growing Opposition From His Own Party After Authorizing Yemen Strikes

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12 months ago

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A number of House Democrats have spoken out against President Biden after he authorized air and missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

In a written statement, Biden stated that he authorized the strikes in “direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.”

“Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces—together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands—successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways,” the statement reads.

The strikes have been met with opposition from a number of elected officials, including a number of elected Democrats.

“The President needs to come to Congress before launching a strike against the Houthis in Yemen and involving us in another middle east conflict,” U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) wrote in an X post. “That is Article I of the Constitution. I will stand up for that regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House.”

U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR) echoed Khanna’s sentiment, adding that “every president must first come to Congress and ask for military authorization, regardless of party.”

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Biden is also facing criticism from the progressive wing of the Democrat Party, something that has increased in frequency due to his policy on the war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip.

“The people do not want more of our taxpayer dollars going to endless war and the killing of civilians. Stop the bombing and do better by us,” said U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO).

According to Pentagon officials, more than a dozen Houthi-controlled military sites were struck by Tomahawk missiles and airstrikes. The sites were chosen for their ability to degrade the group’s ability to continue attacks on shipping, a U.S. official told CNN. Targeted sites include radar installations, drone storage and launch sites, as well as missile storage and launch sites.

The Houthi regime — which controls half the territory in Yemen as a result of the long-running civil war — has stated that the strikes will be met with a response. “The battle will exceed the imagination and expectations of the Americans and the British,” said Houthi leader Ali Al-Qahoum. “The war is open, and the Americans and the British will regret their aggression and pay a high price. The Yemeni Armed Forces are responding to the American and British warships in the Red Sea,” he continued, further vowing attacks on American military installations in the region.

Wednesday’s escalation comes after weeks of attacks on Israeli vessels or, according to the militant group, ships heading to Israeli ports in the Red Sea. In response, the U.S. has dispatched a number of warships to the region.



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