President Donald Trump vetoed on Tuesday a measure passed by Congress earlier this month demanding that he withdraw U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, the White House said in a statement.
“This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future,” Trump said in a message to lawmakers released by the White House.
In the message, Trump defended limited U.S. support of the Saudi-led coalition’s war against Houthi rebels as essential to protect Americans living in the region and fend off the potential influence of Iran.
The House adopted the resolution April 4 on a 247-175 vote following Senate approval in March. Both chambers failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to override Trump’s expected veto.
Lawmakers were pushing to end a conflict that has ravaged one of the world’s poorest countries, and the measure was also seen as an implicit rebuke of the president for his continued support of Saudi Arabia after the killing last year of columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
The resolution directed the president to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or affecting Yemen within 30 days unless further engagement is authorized by Congress.
Trump’s veto of the Yemen measure was the second of the administration. He used his first to reject a measure aimed at halting his national emergency plan to fund a border wall.
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