Senate votes to condemn Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for Khashoggi killing

[Liberty Belle]

Source: Washington Post

The Senate cast two historic votes Thursday to end U.S. participation in the Saudi-led war effort in Yemen and condemn the Saudi crown prince as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, delivering clear political rebukes of President Trump’s continued embrace of the kingdom.

The unanimous vote to hold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for Khashoggi’s murder reflects the extent to which senators of both parties have grown tired of Trump’s continued defense of Mohammed’s denials. It also puts significant pressure on leaders in the House — where the president’s Saudi policy is a much more partisan issue — to allow members to cast a similar vote condemning the crown prince before the end of the year.

Regardless, the two Senate votes Thursday set the stage for broader strategic debates about Saudi policy when Congress regroups next year.

Just before the Senate voted to condemn Mohammed over Khashoggi’s murder, senators voted 56-to-41 vote to end U.S. participation in the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen by invoking the War Powers Resolution — the first time a chamber of Congress has ever done so.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-prepares-vote-to-curtail-us-support-for-saudi-led-military-effort-in-yemen/2018/12/13/cf934a96-fed7-11e8-862a-b6a6f3ce8199_story.html?utm_term=.2c166532fab4

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Wow. If 100% of Senators are willing to break with Trump on condemning the Saudi killing of a journalist and a majority will also invoke the war powers resolution to END support for a Saudi-led war on Yemen, that's huge. Clearly the Senators, even the Republicans, are getting fed up with Trump and maybe more significantly, realizing how beholden he is to foreign dictators like Putin and the Saudi Crown Prince.

Maybe they're testing the waters here. If Trump's base doesn't scream over this, it may embolden the Senators to break with the president on more issues whether on treatment of immigrants and refugees or other matters, perhaps ultimately even convicting him if the House impeaches.

Let's give all those Senators some support -- I suggest calling or email yours to thank them for the Khashoggi vote and if yours also voted to end support for the Yemen atrocities, that too.

[Leghorn21]

1. HOLY SHIT

RIP MR. KHASHOGGI

[BigmanPigman]

2. Now they must impose sanctions like the

Magnitsky Act did. That would be further justice.

[Liberty Belle]

3. Ultimately, foreign influences on Trump is what's most likely to persaude Senators

to vote for his removal.

It wouldn't be because he paid off women to hide affairs (many of the Senators have probably had affairs, too).

Obstruction of justice in bygone days was enough, same with stealing elections, but probably not with this crowd.

But even a racist right-winger might vote to remove a president if they became persuaded through rock-solid evidence that he was a traitor to our country essentially, on issues such as sanctioning Russia or ignoring murder of journalist in order to enrich himself and ingratiate himself with foreign dictators.

There still may be some lines in the sand, and betraying our national interests to benefit enemies of America should be one.

[kozar]

4. this is along lines I think,

And I see the R's taking "baby steps' along the way. As in " oh but I have a record of voting" on issues like this.
As I see it however, they are doing this in hopes only that it will be enough and they will not have to take that next "baby step".

Koz

[elleng]

5. And it's not even the Onion!

What HAPPENED to the Senate today???

[Marthe48]

6. This is like waking up from a bad dream

What, the Senate is acting as it should? Finally?

[Liberty Belle]

7. Bernie Sanders authored the bill to stop support for the Yemen war,

for those who have claimed he hasn't gotten enough measures passed, as a progressive socialist.

But this one is major -- good for Bernie for standing up for what's right to help save those poor starving children in Yemen; the photos are stories of their ordeal is heart-wrenching.

[JudyM]

10. Yes, this is wonderful. He wrangled those 'pubs into doing the right thing.

[yardwork]

13. How so? What wrangling did Bernie do?

[Hortensis]

8. Thank goodness -- NOT Republicans senators who have not

had personality or morality transplants. It's terrific that they currently feel pushed into a pretense of doing right for the right reasons. Same for criminal justice reform now after a quarter century of their policies of ongoing tragedy and ruined lives.

I'm also afraid that the Republicans passing a bill with Bernie Sanders' name on it is a bad sign. Of course, not a surprising one. The 2020 presidential campaign season is roaring along now, and I at least fully expected them to, if he made candidate sounds again, once again try to use him to repeat their victories of 2016. But that doesn't make it using this excuse to see promote him instead of passing one of the bills written by Democrats and buried by McConnell.

Well, that ball's also in Sanders' court once again. He needs to go along and use this for whatever positive action can be maneuvered out of them now, and hopefully when the primary season gets going he'll be slamming it right back in the Republican faces.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

9. The House needs to follow suit

If only to force Drumpf to veto the bill and make it even more obvious that an override is needed. Maybe with enough public pressure this catastrophe of death and destruction can finally end.

[Demonaut]

11. About Fucking Time!

[Liberty Belle]

12. Paul Ryan in the House killed it.

Damn. But maybe Dems can bring it back in January when they gain control.