The bill to get the U.S. out of Yemen's civil war won't get a vote in the Senate
The House of Representatives voted 248-177 earlier this month to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition intervening in Yemen's civil war — but the bill won't get a vote in the Senate.
House Republicans added an amendment to the legislation condemning anti-Semitism, and the Senate's parliamentarian this week determined the addition is not germane to the broader content of the bill. That determination is thought to be the basis for removing the bill's "privileged" status, which would have guaranteed it a vote on the Senate floor.
Now that the legislation has been "de-privileged," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) can decline to bring the measure to a vote.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We will reintroduce the clean version that we passed in the Senate last year and send it back to the House for a vote," said a representative from the office of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is sponsoring the bill with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
Even with a clean version, obstacles would remain. House Republicans could introduce the same amendment again, which would put House Democrats and the minority of House Republicans who backed the bill in the unfortunate position of having to vote against condemning anti-Semitism to keep the legislation viable. And President Trump has threatened to veto the bill if it arrives at his desk.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
Tea with Judi Dench: ‘touching’ show is must-watch Christmas TVThe Week Recommends The national treasure sits down with Kenneth Branagh at her country home for a heartwarming ‘natter’
-
Codeword: December 24, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Sudoku hard: December 24, 2025The daily hard sudoku puzzle from The Week
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
