Editorial

Reed and Whitehouse fail to stand against Trump on Yemen

The vote of United States Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed on March 20th to allow the continuation of war in Yemen without Congressional oversight is both outrageous and heartbreaking. Senator Bernie Sanders had a strong Resolution to counter the dangerous warmongering and unbridled power of President Donald Trump and his Masters of War in Yemen.  The bill was to

Rhode Island News: Reed and Whitehouse fail to stand against Trump on Yemen

The vote of United States Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed on March 20th to allow the continuation of war in Yemen without Congressional oversight is both outrageous and heartbreaking. Senator Bernie Sanders had a strong Resolution to counter the dangerous warmongering and unbridled power of President Donald Trump and his Masters of War in Yemen.  The bill was to simply demand that Congress vote on allowing the continuation of military intervention in Yemen. In other words, call it what is: A war on the civilian population in Yemen.

Jack Reed

The Resolution had strong Democratic support – altogether 43 additional Senators and all 10 others from New England voted for the bipartisan legislation. This was exactly what RESISTANCE is all about.  Resist Trump and his insatiable appetite for power. Reed and Whitehouse’s support for Trump shows exactly where they really stand on the President’s agenda. They won’t stand up to him and his masters of war if the agenda helps the defense contractors and the military industrial complex of Rhode Island. If it allows Textron, General Electric, Electric Boat, Raytheon and other producers of weapons of mass destruction to continue to employ people in Rhode Island then keep the contracts coming and don’t resist too much.

The starvation of one million innocent people in Yemen, the deaths of tens of thousands of Yemenites, the cholera epidemic, and the destruction of Yemen’s infrastructure should be part of the equation for any military actions, implied Reed in his address to Congress, but more importantly they want to keep supporting the United States “allies” Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who we “share many common interests with,” The fact that a $12 Billion dollar weapons deal was just finalized with the Saudis should be further evidence as to how dangerous voting against this resolution was.

This was the Senators’ opportunity to oppose an unsanctioned war, to stop a President with an unbridled taste for power and to stop increased United States aggression in Yemen until a full vote for war authorization took place in Congress. It would have sent a critical message to the world and to Trump and his Generals. Have we not learned anything from the failed invasions of Iraq or Syria? Allowing these military actions to continue without appropriate authorization shows the moral rot of the United States foreign policy.  It seems that Whitehouse and Reed need to be reminded what Resistance really is.


Reed, Whitehouse continue war with Yemen War, breaking with most Democrats

Reed’s Testimony on opposition to the bill


SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS.

Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a) and in accordance with the provisions of section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (Public Law 94–329; 90 Stat. 765), Congress hereby directs the President to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen, except United States Armed Forces engaged in operations directed at al Qaeda or associated forces, by not later than the date that is 30 days after the date of the adoption of this joint resolution (unless the President requests and Congress authorizes a later date), and unless and until a declaration of war or specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces has been enacted.