US: House Speaker blocks Yemen resolution

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) – U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan moved Wednesday to block a resolution on ending U.S. support for the war in Yemen from reaching the House of Representatives for a vote.

Ryan inserted a provision into a must-pass farm bill that essentially blocks a vote on any legislation dealing with War Powers resolutions for the remainder of the current Congress’ term, which ends on Jan. 3.

The House Speaker created a hurdle for senators who are trying to advance the resolution on Yemen, which would have to pass in the House after the Senate.

"Despicable. @SpeakerRyan is shirking responsibility for debating our involvement in the Yemen war by hiding the war resolution in a procedural vote on the farm bill. SAD!" Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said on Twitter.

The resolution, which was set to be voted on in the Senate later Wednesday, seeks to end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia's ongoing war in Yemen, which has created a humanitarian disaster in the country.

If it passes in the Senate, the provision Ryan introduced would block it from reaching the House floor for a vote.

Yemen has been wracked by violence since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, and the crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.

Tens of thousands of people, including civilians, are believed to have been killed and the UN estimates around 14 million Yemenis are at risk of famine.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged other senators to block the resolution, saying it goes too far in invoking the Wars Powers Resolution, advising them not to "pick a fight" with the executive branch.