The Trump administration threatened on Monday to veto an effort in the US Congress to end US military support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the war in Yemen.
The administration said the resolution was inappropriate because US forces had provided aircraft refueling and other support in the Yemen conflict, not combat troops. It also said the measure would harm relationships in the region and hurt the US ability to prevent the spread of violent extremism.
Saudi Arabia, a good ally to Trump’s administration in the region, is leading a coalition battling Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The United States has supported the Saudi-led air campaign with mid-air refueling support, intelligence and targeting assistance.
Democrats view the war powers resolution as a way to assert Congress' constitutional right to authorize the use of military force in foreign conflicts. Republican opponents of the measure, echoing Trump, argue that support for the Saudis constitutes a security agreement, not the use of force.
However, the resolution would struggle to garner the two-thirds majorities needed in both the House and Senate to overcome a Trump veto. Republicans still hold a slim majority in the Senate.