(NewsNation) — A group of senators wrote a letter to President Joe Biden raising some concerns they have about the U.S. strategy against the Houthi rebels.
In the letter, Democratic Senators Tim Kaine, Michael Lee and Christopher Murphy, as well as Republican Sen. Todd Young, said they condemn the Houthis’ attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, but questioned if the United States is overreaching by defending non-American vessels.
“We support smart steps to defend U.S. personnel and assets, hold the Houthis accountable for their actions, and deter additional attacks,” the senators said. “We further believe Congress must carefully deliberate before authorizing offensive military action.”
U.S. forces have been conducting strikes against Houthi military sites in Yemen, as the newly-designated terrorist group has been attacking ships in the Red Sea that they say are linked to Israel or heading to the country’s ports.
While the Houthis claim this is because of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, the connections to the ships targeted in the rebel assaults have grown more tenuous.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that U.S. strikes will continue for as long as they need to, although Biden recently acknowledged in an exchange with reporters last week they aren’t stopping the Red Sea attacks.
“When you say working, are they stopping the Houthis, no. Are they going to continue, yes,” Biden said before departing the White House for North Carolina.
Now, senators want answers. In their letter, Kaine, Lee, Murphy and Young wrote that Biden’s remarks suggest “we are in the midst of an ongoing regional conflict that carries the risk of escalation.”
“While the Houthis and their backers, namely Iran, bear the responsibility for escalation, unless there is a need to repel a sudden attack, the Constitution requires that the United States not engage in military action absent a favorable vote of Congress,” the lawmakers wrote. “We have long advocated for deliberate congressional processes in and authorizations for decisions that put servicemembers into harm’s way overseas. There is no current congressional authorization for offensive U.S. military action against the Houthis.”
The senators wrote in their letter that they want to know: what the Biden administration’s understanding of “self-defense” is in the context of these strikes; for an explanation, in writing, of the legal authority it has to carry them out; and the date when U.S. forces were “introduced into hostilities” in Yemen and the Red Sea.
“As tensions in the region rise, we believe that American participation in another war in the Middle East cannot happen in the absence of authorization by Congress, following an open debate during which the American public can be informed of the benefits, risks and consequences of such conflict,” senators wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
