On the recordDecember 12, 2018
I rise today to urge my colleagues to support amendment No. 4080 to S.J. Res. 54. I introduced this amendment this morning, and I am proud to report that Senators Shaheen, Collins, and Coons are now cosponsoring this important bipartisan amendment. Amendment No. 4080 would amend S.J. Res. 54 by simply defining the term ``hostilities'' to include ``in-flight refueling of non-United States aircraft conducting missions as part of the ongoing civil war in Yemen.'' In other words, this amendment would prevent the resumption of U.S. air refueling of Saudi coalition aircraft in Yemen--those very aircraft that, in too many instances, have been responsible for indiscriminate bombing and violations of international human rights law. That is all this amendment would accomplish. It does not define the term ``hostilities'' more broadly for the War Powers Resolution or in any other instance. Before discussing the amendment in more detail, allow me to zoom out for a moment and explain how I see the broader picture related to Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The civil war in Yemen, as so many now know, is an unmitigated national security and humanitarian disaster. The longer the civil war continues, the more influential Iran and various terrorist groups will become in Yemen. Meanwhile, approximately 14 million people are on the verge of famine, and it is getting worse by the day.…
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