National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022
Floor Speech
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Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I rise to offer my amendment with Chairman Smith, with Chairman Schiff, and Representative Jayapal, to finally end the humanitarian disaster in Yemen that has been going on year after year.
Our amendment would end all U.S. logistical support and transfer of spare parts for Saudi warplanes that are bombing Yemen; that are bombing schools; that are killing children; that are bombing civilians in the largest humanitarian crisis around the world.
Now, this body passed the War Powers Resolution to say that we would not be aiding the Saudi offensive in Yemen. President Trump suspended the fueling of those planes, and President Biden made that policy formal.
And yet, the Saudis have not listened. Yet, they have a blockade where, just last month, in August, in the Port of Hodeidah, no fuel was let in. They come and they tell the United States one thing: We are letting fuel in. They lie, again and again they lie.
There is a reason the 9/11 families wanted transparency and the decommissioning of the reports. There is a reason there was outrage in all of this country when they brutally murdered Khashoggi.
They need accountability, and we are not going to use taxpayer dollars to give them equipment for their planes to bomb Yemeni's kids.
Now of course the Houthis are to blame as well. No one says the Houthis are blameless. Of course they are to blame, and of course they have had human rights violations.
But the point is, the United States should not be making this war continue by arming or by giving parts to the Saudis that end up facilitating the conflict or elongating the conflict and killing people. It is time for the Saudis to recognize what everyone recognizes, that they have lost in Yemen. It is time for them to end the blockade, and it is time for them to allow a peace process that has a ceasefire in Yemen and a civilian government, instead of trying to win this by force.
So I hope that everyone who supported our amendment last time--it passed 240-185 in this body--Jake Sullivan, who is the National Security Council Adviser; Wendy Sherman, who is the Deputy Secretary of State; Rob Malley, who is the envoy to Iran, all supported it. So I hope the administration will support it this time, that it won't get stripped out of conference; and that it will pass, and we will finally begin to end this war.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
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Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff), the distinguished chair of the Intelligence Committee.
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Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I will end with this. A year ago, this exact amendment passed this body 240-185. The war has only gotten worse. Saudi Arabia has not lived up to its commitment to lift the blockade. The Saudis have not lived up to their commitment to stop the offensive strikes.
I hope that this amendment will pass with an even bigger majority this time, and I hope the people in the administration, who supported this amendment as private civilians, will support it in their current roles.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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