House passes resolution to end U.S. support in Yemen conflict

April 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. House voted Thursday for a resolution to end support for the ongoing conflict in Yemen -- a piece of legislation expected to meet resistance in the White House.

The chamber approved the resolution by a vote of 247-175-1 -- which President Donald Trump has threatened to veto, saying it harms bilateral relationships in the region. The Senate version cleared a vote by a 54-46 margin last month. The Washington Post reported Thursday's vote marked the first time both chambers approved using the war-powers resolution to withdraw the U.S. military out of an overseas conflict.

The resolution could affect U.S. support that includes refueling Saudi aircraft in the region and aerial targeting efforts, though the Trump administration has already pledged to end the refueling runs.

Yemen's civil war has been going since 2015 and pits the Iran-backed rebel Houthis against the internationally-recognized government of President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi, a Saudi ally. The fighting has exacerbated what the United Nations in December called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A U.N. report that month said almost 16 million Yemenis face food insecurity.

Cholera has also sickened many in the Middle Eastern nation. The World Health Organization said recently there have been more than 100,000 cases of severe acute watery diarrhea and suspected cholera in Yemen -- with 190 linked deaths -- during the first two and a half months of 2019.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Thursday the resolution would end the United States' "unconstitutional support for the catastrophic war in Yemen."

"We must send a message to Trump: it's Congress -- not the President -- who has the power to declare war," he added.