U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced the “Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act” to redesignate Ansarallah, more commonly known as the Houthis, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) given their actions to destabilize the region, the security threat they pose to the U.S. and most recently, their involvement in the ongoing conflict in Israel, including attacks on Israel this week. Today, Daines also joined a letter led by Senator Hagerty to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the administration re-designate the Houthis as a FTO.
“The Biden administration needs to send a strong, decisive message to the Iranian regime that the U.S. will not stand idly by and watch Iran’s proxies try and destroy Israel. The unspeakable horrors that we have witnessed over the past several weeks have been at the hands of Iranian-backed terror groups. As the situation in Israel escalates and the Houthis insert themselves in the conflict, the U.S. must immediately redesignate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and enforce sanctions that will help strengthen our national security and weaken terrorist organizations,” Daines said.
On October 19, 2023, the U.S.S Carney intercepted both cruise missiles and UAVs launched from Yemen by the Houthis.
Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated the Houthis as an FTO on January 19, 2021. Approximately one month later, Biden’s Secretary of State Blinken revoked the FTO designation of the Houthis.
Read the bill text HERE.
Senators Roger Marshall (Kans.), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.), Susan Collins (Maine), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Marco Rubio (Fl.), Roger Wicker (Miss.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Bill Cassidy (La.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.V.), Pete Ricketts (Neb.), John Kennedy (La.) and Katie Britt (Ala.) joined Daines in introducing the bill.
See more of Daines’ work to strengthen our national security and support Israel HERE.
Statements of Support:
“The Counter Extremism Project strongly supports the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act. The Houthis are a terrorist organization and the U.S. should again designate them accordingly. Doing so will give the U.S. additional tools to counter the threat from the Houthis and their state sponsor, Iran. We thank Congressman Clyde and Senator Daines for sponsoring this legislation and urge its adoption.” – The Counter Extremism Project