Senators Paul, Merkley Press Trump Admin to Explain Thinking on Houthi Strikes

The senators argued that the Trump administration should consult with Congress before involving U.S. forces in foreign conflicts.

A plume of smoke billows during a U.S. strike on Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa on March 16, 2025. Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images

After more than two weeks of U.S. strikes across Yemen, Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have called on the Trump administration to explain its decision-making and lay out a clear strategy for how this new military campaign will proceed.

Since March 15, U.S. forces have been targeting weapons sites, command centers, and leaders of the Houthi rebel movement, a Yemeni faction that the Trump administration recently re-listed as a foreign terrorist organization.