In a rebuke to Trump, Senate votes to end American aid to Saudi war in Yemen
The Senate voted Wednesday to end American aid to the Saudi war in Yemen. The vote served as a rebuke to President Trump, who has continued to support Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and American resident, despite Salman's suspected involvement in the murder.
The bill, co-sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., passed 54-46.
This is the second time the Senate approved cutting off military assistance to the Saudis, as the same measure passed in December, but then-House Speaker Paul Ryan refused to bring it to the House floor. Several Republicans joined Democrats in passing the bill in the Senate that time around, resulting in a 56-41 vote.
Senators from both parties have been angered by Mr. Trump's response to Khashoggi's death. The president has repeatedly expressed his faith in Prince Mohammed, commonly known as MBS, despite conclusions from his own intelligence officials that the crown prince ordered Khashoggi's murder. He then ignored a deadline to report to Congress on whether MBS was responsible for Khashoggi's death.
The House passed their own version of the resolution last month, 248 yeas to 177 nays. The bill now heads to Mr. Trump's desk, and may be the first veto of his tenure.
The Senate may issue another rebuke to Mr. Trump on Thursday with a vote on whether to overturn his national emergency declaration. The joint resolution on the national emergency easily passed the House last month.
Although both Senate and House Republican leadership have backed Mr. Trump's declaration, several Republicans have criticized the president's decision to bypass Congress and its constitutional power of the purse. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has said she will support for the bill, while Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins has criticized the president's declaration for its "dubious constitutionality."
While some GOP senators are expected to break with the White House and cross the aisle to vote with their Democratic colleagues, the proposal would need a super majority in both the Senate and House to override a White House veto.