Bill Summary
A concurrent resolution is a legislative measure that is passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. It does not require the signature of the President and does not have the force of law, but it is used to express the sentiments of Congress on a particular issue.
In this specific resolution, Congress is strongly condemning the Houthi movement and its allies in Yemen for their human rights violations, violence against civilians, and cooperation with Iran. The resolution highlights the Houthi's attacks on Yemen's government, expansion of their armed campaign to target civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, and their slogan promoting violence against America, Israel, and Jews.
The resolution also acknowledges the presence of terrorist groups in Yemen, as well as Iran's support for the Houthis. It expresses concern about the potential consequences of Iran gaining a foothold on the Arabian Peninsula. The resolution urges all parties involved in the Yemeni civil war to uphold the terms of a ceasefire and withdrawal agreement, and calls on the US government to support a peace process to end the crisis in Yemen while preventing Iran and terrorist groups from gaining a foothold in the region.
Possible Impacts
1. The legislation could potentially affect people living in Yemen, as it condemns the Houthi movement and its allies for their human rights violations and attacks on civilian infrastructure. This could lead to increased pressure and potential consequences for the group, potentially impacting the lives of those who support or are affiliated with them.
2. The legislation could also affect people living in Saudi Arabia, as it expresses concern about the Houthi missile and drone attacks on civilian targets in the country. This could potentially lead to increased tension and potential retaliatory actions by the Saudi government, potentially affecting the lives of citizens in the country.
3. The legislation could also affect people living in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which is a strategically important transit point for global trade and oil shipments. The Houthi attacks and potential threats in this area could potentially disrupt trade and impact the livelihoods of those involved in the shipping industry.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 21 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. CON. RES. 21
Strongly condemning human rights violations, violence against
civilians, and cooperation with Iran by the Houthi movement and its
allies in Yemen.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 27, 2019
Mr. Cotton (for himself, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Braun, Mr.
Cornyn, Mr. Inhofe, and Mr. Cruz) submitted the following concurrent
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Strongly condemning human rights violations, violence against
civilians, and cooperation with Iran by the Houthi movement and its
allies in Yemen.
Whereas, in 2014 and 2015, the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, and
its allies attacked Yemen's internationally recognized government and
seized control of the capital, Sana'a, and the port city of Aden;
Whereas, since 2015, the Houthis have expanded their armed campaign beyond
Yemen's borders to target civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and
possibly beyond, including hundreds of missile and drone attacks against
civilian targets in Saudi Arabia that have killed innocent civilians;
Whereas the Houthi movement's slogan is, ``God is great! Death to America! Death
to Israel! Curse upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!'';
Whereas al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria--Yemen Province have taken advantage of the Yemeni civil war to
expand their territory and resources;
Whereas Iran and its proxies have provided direct financial, material, and
logistical support to the Houthis for at least a decade;
Whereas the United Nations Panel of Experts on Yemen has found that Iran is in
violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015) for
supplying the Houthis with missiles and drones;
Whereas the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait between Yemen, Djibouti, and Eritrea, which
connects the Suez Canal and Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, is a
strategically important transit point for a significant amount of global
trade each year;
Whereas the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is the world's fourth-largest transit point for
oil shipments;
Whereas, in its January 2018 and January 2019 reports, the United Nations Panel
of Experts on Yemen expressed concern that Houthi missile attacks and
sea mines released in the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait threatened
commercial shipping and humanitarian aid;
Whereas, in October 2016, the Houthis launched multiple cruise missiles at
United States Navy warships while they were in international waters near
the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait;
Whereas, in July 2018, the Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers transiting
through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait;
Whereas, on May 23, 2018, a Houthi missile hit a Turkish-flagged ship carrying
wheat to a Yemeni port;
Whereas the United Nations warned on February 14, 2019, that approximately
24,000,000 people in Yemen are in need of humanitarian assistance and
protection, with most living in territory currently held by the Houthis;
Whereas the United Nations also estimates that 7,400,000 people in Yemen are in
need of treatment for malnutrition, including 2,000,000 children under 5
years of age;
Whereas according to Human Rights Watch, the extensive use of land mines by the
Houthis has killed and maimed hundreds of civilians and cut off entire
communities from their crops, clean water, and humanitarian aid;
Whereas, on June 21, 2019, the World Food Programme announced that it was
partially suspending aid to parts of Yemen controlled by the Houthis
because of interference with food distribution and aid convoys and the
misappropriation of food by Houthi officials;
Whereas Reporters Without Borders estimated that, as of March 2019, at least 16
journalists were being held hostage by the Houthis, with 10 of them
facing possible execution following years of torture and starvation;
Whereas, according to Human Rights Watch, the Houthis have undertaken a
deliberate campaign of kidnapping, torture, and abuse against students,
human rights defenders, political opponents, and religious minorities;
Whereas Houthi missile and drone attacks on June 12, 2019, and June 23, 2019,
killed 1 civilian and injured 47 others at Abha International Airport in
southern Saudi Arabia;
Whereas, according to United States Central Command, on June 6, 2019, a Houthi
surface to air missile shot down a United States MQ-9 Reaper drone over
Yemen, demonstrating a new Houthi capability that United States Central
Command assessed was enabled by Iranian assistance;
Whereas, on December 18, 2018, a cease-fire took effect in the port of Hodeidah,
Yemen, which is the entry point for 70 percent of humanitarian aid in
the country;
Whereas the Houthis did not begin removing their forces from Hodeidah and two
other ports, part of phase one of the December 2018 ceasefire and
withdrawal agreement agreed to in Stockholm, Sweden, until May 2019;
Whereas according to the United Nations monitoring mission in Hodeidah, the
Houthis had not removed many of their military installations and
equipment from the port city as of June 12, 2019; and
Whereas, on June 24, 2019, the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and
the United Arab Emirates released a joint statement that raised concerns
that Iranian activities were destabilizing both Yemen and the broader
region, reaffirmed support for the efforts of United Nations Special
Envoy Martin Griffiths, and called on all parties in Yemen to accelerate
implementation of the Stockholm agreement: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),
That Congress--
(1) condemns the Houthi movement in Yemen for--
(A) its blatant disregard for human rights and
innocent life;
(B) its ideology of hate toward Israel and Jewish
people both in Yemen and around the world;
(C) preventing critical humanitarian aid from
reaching people in Yemen;
(D) the targeting of international commerce in the
Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; and
(E) missile and drone attacks against civilians;
(2) expresses concern about Iran's extensive support for
the Houthis and the economic and security consequences for the
region of an Iranian foothold on the Arabian Peninsula;
(3) urges the Houthis and other parties in the Yemeni civil
war to uphold the terms of the December 2018 ceasefire and
withdrawal agreement agreed to in Stockholm, Sweden; and
(4) urges the United States Government to support a peace
process to end the civil war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen
while preventing Iran and terrorist groups, including al Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria--Yemen Province, from gaining a permanent foothold on the
Arabian Peninsula.
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