Top priority for 116th Congress: ending criminal Yemen war

For three and a half years now the Congress has punted on ending US war crimes in Yemen. Under the War Powers Act of 1973 (50 USC 1541-1548), Congress reasserted its Constitutional right to declare war and empowers Congress to end unilateral presidential war by invoking that law. Next Monday the Senate begins debate on the Senate version which will end US support for Saudi Arabia's merciless criminal war in Yemen which has devastated several million in that hapless land bordering Saudi Arabia. But even though likely to pass, since senators voted 63-37 to proceed with debate, passage in the House will have to wait till Democrats take control there in January. Tragically for peace, House Republicans will not even debate ending our Yemen war crimes, tacking on a motion to quash debate to a favored bill to allow hunting of gray wolves last month. But incoming House Democratic leaders, including likely new Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are determined to end US involvement they have enabled till now. A joint Senate-House resolution to end our Yemen war crimes is veto proof. If Trump ignores it the Senate can simply defund military operations there to end the madness. Sadly, it wasn't millions of dead, wounded, disease ridden or starving Yemenis that galvanized Congress to act, but the grotesque murder and dismemberment of US based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi government. End of US support will likely end the war since the incompetent Saudis can't even prevail with our support. If Congress acts as expected in January, the 116th Congress will make history, serving the cause of peace, which, despite the myriad of domestic problems requiring action, is and always will be their Job One.