This commentary is by Isaac Evans-Frantz, executive director of Action Corps, an advisory board member of Freedom Forward, and co-leader of a national coalition to stop the Saudi blockade of Yemen. He chairs the Vermont Democratic Party’s LGBT+ caucus. He lives in southern Vermont.
This week the U.S. Senate is voting on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ bill to stop unconstitutional U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen — participation that Congress never authorized.
For over seven years, Americans have been providing military support and weapons for Saudi Arabia that the dictatorship has used against civilians in Yemen. Article 1 of the Constitution says Congress — and not the president — has the power to declare war. The 1973 War Powers Act further asserts Congress’ role.
Bernie’s forward movement with this bill is critical. And it was everyday Vermonters who helped make this happen.
Yemen is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises on Earth. The blockade has left much of the population without access to food, clean water, and other basic necessities, and has a particularly vicious impact on Yemeni children. Although limited fuel imports and flights in and out of Yemen are happening, there is no guarantee they will continue, and they are far inadequate to meet the needs of the population.
Experts say the Saudis’ blockade relies on U.S. military support, meaning the American people are complicit in the ongoing tragedy in Yemen.
On Sept. 6 of last year, on the Brattleboro Town Common, MD Baker — who volunteers with the organization I lead, Action Corps — asked Bernie if he would introduce a Yemen War Powers Resolution to stop U.S. participation in the Yemen war that Congress never authorized. Bernie answered that he and his colleagues would do just that.
Now, 15 months — and thousands of deaths — later, Bernie is starting to make good on his commitment.
Back in 2018, Bernie, along with Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, led a War Powers Resolution to end unconstitutional participation in the war. A bipartisan majority of senators voted for the resolution. In 2019, the Senate and House passed another such resolution, sending the bill to President Trump’s desk. Mr. Trump controversially vetoed it.
Fast forward to 2021. On President Biden’s first Monday in office, I convened 400 organizations from 30 countries for a World Says No to War on Yemen Global Day of Action, which became the largest antiwar mobilization since 2003. The Brattleboro Reformer covered our local car caravan. That same day, at my invitation, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., spoke at an online rally, and announced that he and Bernie planned to introduce the Yemen War Powers Resolution.
It took a year and a half for that to actually happen.
In 2021, Vermont leaders met with Sanders’ D.C. staff, asking Bernie to introduce the bill. Ten Vermont-based organizations wrote to Bernie, asking the same. VTDigger published a commentary by James Haslam, then executive director of Rights and Democracy, and Zoraya Hightower, a member of the Burlington City Council, calling on Sanders to introduce another Yemen War Powers Resolution.
In 2022, activists held multiple rallies from Brattleboro to Burlington, wrote letters to the editor, held public events, and appeared on radio shows, urging Bernie to introduce a new Yemen War Powers Resolution. I participated too.
Why are activists so focused on a Yemen War Powers Resolution? Unconstitutional U.S. participation in the war in Yemen has caused tremendous harm. And the resolution is the best legislative option for cutting the military support the Saudi dictatorship needs to continue its blockade of Yemen.
In light of the recent U.S. failure to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder in 2018, the Yemen War Powers Resolution offers Congress a means for Saudi accountability. And grassroots organizations are going to push for the resolution.
Last Wednesday, 105 national organizations — including Action Corps, Friends Committee on National Legislation, MoveOn, and the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation — called on Congress to support the Yemen War Powers Resolution.
With the expiration of the Yemen ceasefire truce in October, the resolution will signal to Saudi Arabia that it does not have support for resuming airstrikes. It will cause significant logistical problems that will likely end, or severely curtail, the devastating air and naval blockade.
Although Biden promised to end U.S. participation in the war, we continue to service Saudi fighter jets and provide diplomatic cover for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Both countries have caused tremendous destruction in Yemen.
When Trump was president, Bernie and his Democratic colleagues like Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut had no problem going all-out against Trump’s support for the Saudi aggression in Yemen. With a Democrat in the White House, Congress has been abdicating its constitutional responsibility over war. Congress has competing priorities, but members of Congress can’t afford to punt on this any longer, and grassroots activists won’t let them.
Bernie’s announcement last week is a good sign; we are ready for him to bring his colleagues together — both constitutional conservatives and defenders of humanity — to help end U.S. complicity once and for all.
Vermonters will be watching.
This commentary has been updated to reflect new action on the Yemen issue.
