Dear Editor,

Our elected officials have a priceless opportunity, perhaps by October 9, to right the ship of state on the undeclared wars involving the United States military that the current president and the last president have allowed without the lawful, required Constitutional approval of Congress.

A bipartisan group in the House of Representatives, two Republicans and two Democrats, from California, Kentucky, Wisconsin and North Carolina, have introduced legislation to withdraw U.S. military support from the Saudi-led war in Yemen.  Their legislation invokes the War Powers Resolution because Congress has never authorized U.S. involvement in the war. 

By providing technical, logistical, and other forms of military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, the U.S. has facilitated violations of international humanitarian law against civilians and has helped create the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.  Our country's complicity has plunged Yemen to the brink of famine and into the worst cholera outbreak ever recorded. Further, this unauthorized involvement in the Saudi-led war comes at great expense to American taxpayers and U.S. national security interests.

The vote on this legislation may come as soon as October 9. Please call Representative Pramila Jayapal, 206 674 0040, and urge her to support this bipartisan legislation, and in the process, take back her Constitutional authority, as the final -- and lawful -- arbiter to declare war.

Micki Jackson

Burien