Seven Republicans joined all members of the Democratic Caucus in backing the bill, which senators viewed as an opportunity to not only reassert Congress’ authority to declare war, but to rebuke the Trump administration over its posture toward Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“I think Republicans are just growing thin with Trump’s foreign policy, and they are more willing now to break with him now because they see his foreign policy getting more bizarre as time goes on,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a chief sponsor of the Yemen War Powers resolution, said in an interview.
The White House has dispatched top Pentagon and State Department officials to Capitol Hill to convince lawmakers that the U.S. should remain involved in the conflict — but to no avail, as the War Powers measure will soon reach the president’s desk. Trump has already threatened to veto it.
