Biden Takes Heat from Fellow Dems for Allegedly ‘Illegal’ Houthi Strike

Clear Facts

• President Joe Biden faced criticism from fellow Democrats following U.S. and British strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
• The strikes were a response to over two dozen attacks by the Iranian-backed rebels on ships off Yemen, following a terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel.
• Several Democrats, including Reps. Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib, Ro Khanna, and Val Hoyle, criticized the strikes as a violation of the Constitution, arguing that the President needs congressional approval for such actions.

President Joe Biden is facing backlash from within his own party after American and British forces executed strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen early Friday morning. These strikes were a direct response to over two dozen attacks on ships off Yemen by the Iranian-backed rebels. These attacks followed a terrorist attack by Hamas on multiple locations in southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the death of over 1,400 people, including at least 30 Americans.

Several Democrats have voiced their disagreement with the strikes, arguing that they are a violation of the Constitution.

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “@POTUS can’t launch airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval. This is illegal and violates Article I of the Constitution. The people do not want more of our taxpayer dollars going to endless war and the killing of civilians. Stop the bombing and do better by us.”

Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan echoed these sentiments, posting, “@POTUS is violating Article I of the Constitution by carrying out airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval. The American people are tired of endless war.”

Other House Democrats also cited Article I of the Constitution in their criticism of the strikes.

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California stated, “The President needs to come to Congress before launching a strike against the Houthis in Yemen and involving us in another middle east conflict. That is Article I of the Constitution. I will stand up for that regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House.”

Democratic Rep. Val Hoyle of Oregon tweeted, “These airstrikes have NOT been authorized by Congress. The Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole authority to authorize military involvement in overseas conflicts. Every president must first come to Congress and ask for military authorization, regardless of party.”

Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii also criticized Biden over the strikes, arguing that he had not adequately considered the potential consequences.

Gabbard told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, “What they are doing here now appears to not be well thought out at all or considering what the ramifications of this will be and how it serves our national security interest, just like they didn’t think through what the ramifications would be of taking the Houthis off the terrorist list a few years ago, just like they didn’t consider the ramifications of giving Iran over $6 billion, much of which is going not to the well-being and humanitarian interest of the Iranian people.”

The White House has yet to respond to requests for comment.

Clear Thoughts (op-ed)

The Biden administration’s recent decision to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen is causing quite a stir. Not from the usual suspects on the right, but from within his own Democratic party.

Democrats, including Reps. Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib, Ro Khanna, and Val Hoyle, have publicly chastised the President, citing constitutional violations and asserting the necessity of congressional approval for such actions.

It’s somewhat refreshing to see these Democrats uphold the Constitution for once, although it’s unfortunate that it took a military action under a Democratic president to ignite this newfound respect for the document.

One can only hope that this marks a shift towards greater constitutional fidelity in the Democratic party. However, it’s more likely that this is another instance of political posturing, a chance to score points with their anti-war base.

Regardless, it’s clear that Biden’s decision to greenlight the Houthi strike has stirred up a hornet’s nest within his own ranks.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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