U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) spoke on the Senate floor on Tuesday about the path forward in Yemen and his legislation with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), S.J.Res.55, to pressure the Saudi government to end the civil war in Yemen and to take additional steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there. Senator Young thanked Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Corker for his commitment to markup Yemen legislation in the committee next month.
“As many know, over the last year, I have focused persistently on the humanitarian situation in Yemen,” said Senator Young. “Given the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and our national security interests there, I appreciate Chairman Corker’s commitment today to markup Yemen legislation in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in April. Based on this reasoning, I plan to oppose the Sanders-Lee-Murphy legislation today. Instead, I will support legislation like ours that could become law, would provide the administration leverage, and would actually result in real change in Yemen.”
During his remarks on the Senate floor, Young referenced a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing he convened last week, entitled “Why Food Security Matters.” That hearing underscored the connection between food crises—like the one in Yemen—and instability, terrorism, and conflict.
World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley and others have praised Senator Young’s efforts related to Yemen.