Coverage of the NYC march to remove US forces from Yemen

The Working Families Party organized on Sunday, March 4, in Brooklyn to visit a preplanned speech by New York State Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to hand her a petition in support of the desperate nation of Yemen. New Yorkers are waiting to hear if Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will co-sponsor a joint resolution to pull the US out of its support posture for the war in Yemen.

A Yemeni-American girl, Salma, along with her allies in the Working Families Party event delivered a 988 signature petition in support of the resolution. According to the Working Families Party, “Securing Sen. Gillibrand as an early co-sponsor of SJR 54 would be significant because of her leadership role” on related issues in the past.

The Working Families Party, a powerful force in New York politics, has recently endorsed U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in her re-election campaign. The petition is in support of S.J.Res. 54, a joint resolution in the United States Congress sponsored by Bernie Sanders. The short joint resolution has the following preliminary text:

A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress.

From the WFP Facebook page:

The Working Families Party is a growing progressive political organization that fights for an economy that works for all of us, and a democracy in which every voice matters. We believe that our children’s life chances must not be determined at birth, and that America must be a nation that allows all its people to thrive. Today, hundreds of thousands of individuals are part of the Working Families community, along with a growing number of labor, community, environmental, netroots, youth and faith organizations. You can get involved in one of our state chapters in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania or in Washington, DC.

Here is the video livestream I recorded of Senator Gillibrand speaking:

The following is a widget that will update with new information on the resolution. It is produced by GovTrack, a project of Civic Impulse, LLC. Take a look:

Here is the full text of the joint resolution from congress.gov:

To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 28, 2018

Mr. Sanders (for himself, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Murphy) introduced the
following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

JOINT RESOLUTION

To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in
the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress.

Whereas Congress has the sole power to declare war under article I, section 8,
clause 11 of the United States Constitution;

Whereas Congress has not declared war with respect to, or provided a specific
statutory authorization for, the conflict between military forces led by
Saudi Arabia, including forces from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain,
Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, and Sudan (the Saudi-led
coalition), against the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, in the
Republic of Yemen;

Whereas, since March 2015, members of the United States Armed Forces have been
introduced into hostilities between the Saudi-led coalition and the
Houthis, including providing to the Saudi-led coalition aerial targeting
assistance, intelligence sharing, and mid-flight aerial refueling;

Whereas the United States has established a Joint Combined Planning Cell with
Saudi Arabia, in which members of the United States Armed Forces assist
in aerial targeting and help to coordinate military and intelligence
activities;

Whereas, in December 2017, Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis stated, “We
have gone in to be very–to be helpful where we can in identifying how
you do target analysis and how you make certain you hit the right
thing.”;

Whereas the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis
constitutes, within the meaning of section 4(a) of the War Powers
Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1543(a)), either hostilities or a situation where
imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the
circumstances into which United States Armed Forces have been
introduced;

Whereas section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)) states
that “at any time that United States Armed Forces are engaged in
hostilities outside the territory of the United States, its possessions
and territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory
authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the
Congress so directs”;

Whereas section 8(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1547(c)) defines
the introduction of United States Armed Forces to include “the
assignment of members of such armed forces to command, coordinate,
participate in the movement of, or accompany the regular or irregular
military forces of any foreign country or government when such military
forces are engaged, or there exists an imminent threat that such forces
will become engaged, in hostilities,” and activities that the United
States is conducting in support of the Saudi-led coalition, including
aerial refueling and targeting assistance, fall within this definition;

Whereas section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years
1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a) provides that any joint resolution or
bill to require the removal of United States Armed Forces engaged in
hostilities without a declaration of war or specific statutory
authorization shall be considered in accordance with the expedited
procedures of section 601(b) of the International Security and Arms
Export Control Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-329; 90 Stat. 765); and

Whereas no specific statutory authorization for the use of United States Armed
Forces with respect to the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and
the Houthis in Yemen has been enacted, and no provision of law
explicitly authorizes the provision of targeting assistance or of midair
refueling services to warplanes of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab
Emirates that are engaged in such conflict: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,

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.