Joe Biden's Strikes on Yemen Spark Democrat Fury

Some Democrats have responded with anger after President Joe Biden authorized air and missile strikes in Yemen on Thursday.

The United States and the United Kingdom—with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands—targeted strikes at 60 Iran-backed Houthi rebel targets in 16 locations in Yemen on Thursday, following the Houthis attacking shops traveling in the Red Sea and ignoring warning from the U.S. to stop the assaults. The Houthis said the missile and drone attacks on ships headed for Israel, which began in mid-October, were in protest against Israel's military action in Gaza.

In a statement, Biden said: "These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history.

"These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation."

He said the strikes send "a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world's most critical commercial routes," and warned he "will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary."

Biden's decision triggered a backlash from some within his own party.

Newsweek contacted a representative for Biden by email to comment on this story.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, California Rep. Ro Khanna said Biden should consult Congress before launching air strikes.

"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," Khanna said.

Barbara Lee, who also represents a California district, said that "violence only begets more violence" and repeated her calls for a ceasefire in the region.

"This is why I called for a ceasefire early. This is why I voted against war in Iraq. Violence only begets more violence. We need a ceasefire now to prevent deadly, costly, catastrophic escalation of violence in the region," she wrote.

Michigan Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who was censured in 2023 over comments about Israel, also accused Biden of violating the Constitution and said: "The American people are tired of endless war."

He also was criticized by some Republicans including Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who wrote on X: "The President must come to Congress for permission before going to war. Biden can not solely decide to bomb Yemen."

However, the president also received some bipartisan support.

Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego said in a statement: "The decision to strike the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen is necessary to maintain stability and security in the Gulf. The U.S. has dealt with this aggression for far too long, and it is in our nation's interests to maintain the free flow of commerce. Terrorism has no safe harbor anywhere."

While Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said: "I welcome the U.S. and coalition operations against the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists responsible for violently disrupting international commerce in the Red Sea and attacking American vessels. President Biden's decision to use military force against these Iranian proxies is overdue. I am hopeful these operations mark an enduring shift in the Biden Administration's approach to Iran and its proxies."

Following the attacks, Houthis warned they would respond with force. "Any strike against us will be responded to, absolutely, without the slightest doubt, with all force and determination, and the region will be on the verge of escalation, the end of which no one knows," Nasreddin Amer, deputy information secretary for Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, told Newsweek.

"Any strike against us has no justification," Amer added. "As it is only support for Israel to continue killing the oppressed Palestinian people."