Washington, D.C. – Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement on President Trump’s veto of the Yemen War Powers resolution:
“For the first time in American history, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate invoked the War Powers Act of 1973 to terminate unauthorized war in Yemen. Yet with the stroke of a pen, President Trump has instead signed the death warrant of countless innocent Yemeni men, women, and children.
“Make no mistake: the United States has spent years fueling the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in Yemen. By vetoing this bipartisan resolution to end the war, President Trump has signaled to the Saudi and Emirati regimes that U.S. military participation and diplomatic protection for their military campaign will be unwavering — even as more than 140 Yemeni children die of war-related hunger and disease every day.
“Congress refuses to accept the President’s decision to condemn Yemeni civilians to unspeakable suffering and carnage. It is Congress, not the president, that has sole constitutional authority over war and peace. Despite this setback, the Progressive Caucus will pursue every legislative means of ending this immoral conflict, including a possible vote to override the president’s veto. We are also committed to exercising Congress’s power of the purse to withhold every taxpayer dime from being used in this unconstitutional war.”
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