President Trump, who has in the past ridiculed American involvement in places like Iraq, has vetoed a bipartisan resolution that would have forced an end to United States military involvement in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.
It is only the second time he has used his power to block legislation passed by both houses of Congress.
The resolution invoked the War Powers Act in an effort to distance the United States from a four-year conflict that has killed thousands of civilians and resulted in a widespread famine.
The measure was a rebuke of Trump’s support for Saudi Arabia despite the killing of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Virginia resident.
“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 his veto message.
The veto today came only a month after Trump similarly rejected a bipartisan measure that would have overturned his declaration of a national emergency at the southwestern border.
Congress failed to override that veto and appears similarly unlikely to muster the votes to override the Yemen veto.
Pressure to end support for the Saudi war ramped up last year amid reports of civilian casualties.
The U.S. has provided mid-air fueling, intelligence, and weapons to Saudi Arabia in their war with Yemen, which the UN calls the greatest humanitarian crisis on Earth.
The war has fueled a cholera epidemic affecting over a million people and a famine that has starved 85,000 children.
The fighting has directly killed an estimated 60,000 civilians, including 44 children who died when Saudi Arabia bombed a school bus using a U.S.-produced weapon.
“There are 22 million souls at risk of dying, of being killed. Maybe not of being shot, but being starved to death or dying from medical problems for which they can receive no medicines,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer previously told reporters.
“It is a humanitarian crisis. I would refer to it in even more draconian terms because I think it’s such a conscious effort by both sides to put these people at risk,” Hoyer added. “It is necessary for us to act.”
Trump has defended Saudi Arabia throughout his presidency, in part because he’s done millions of dollars worth of business there.
Son-in-law Jared Kushner also has a massive amount of business dealings in Saudi Arabia.
Trump registered eight companies during his presidential campaign that were tied to hotel interests in that country.
The companies were registered under names such as THC Jeddah Hotel and DT Jeddah Technical Services, according to financial disclosure filings.
During a rally in 2015, the day Trump created four of those companies, he said he gets along well with Saudi Arabia.
“They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
After his election, Trump said on Fox News he “would want to protect Saudi Arabia.”