Gottheimer urges Senate to pass Houthi terrorist designation legislation
The Democratic lawmaker said that Congress must act because the administration has declined to reimpose the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation
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Rep. Josh Gottheimer (R-NJ) leaves a meeting of the House Democratic Caucus at the Democratic National Committee on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) is urging the Senate to pass legislation — already passed by the House earlier this year with bipartisan support — redesignating the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. He highlighted that the administration has declined to take such action on its own, a situation he said necessitates congressional intervention.
The Biden administration has rejected ongoing bipartisan pressure to fully reimpose the terrorist designation it revoked in early 2021, arguing that such a move would shut down access to food and other basic supplies inside Yemen.
In a Monday letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Gottheimer highlighted the Houthis’ ongoing attacks on U.S. service members, allies and civilian vessels in support of Hamas and Iran. Gottheimer also linked the group to Iran’s allies in Russia, China and North Korea and noted the disruptions it has caused to global trade.
“In recent months, the Houthis, as part of Iran’s Axis of Evil, have escalated their attacks, launching drones and ballistic missiles directly at Israel,” Gottheimer said. “Despite this escalation, the State Department reaffirmed their decision to not reimpose the FTO designation on the Houthis. This is deeply troubling, and underscores the need for Congressional action. Currently, a similar version of this bill exists in the Senate, with bipartisan support.”
Gottheimer said the legislation is necessary “in the interest of combating terrorism, maintaining international order, and protecting the United States’ national and economic security.”
He further said that the group has been acting in a method similar to that of Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are designated FTOs, attacking Israel and U.S. interests. Gottheimer also noted that the Houthis have reached diplomatic agreements with Russia and China.
“This new alignment potentially bolsters the Houthis militarily and grants significant economic advantages to Russia and China at the expense of our economies and national security,” he said. “This situation allows our adversaries to profit while imposing significant hardships on our trade routes.”