The Senate issued a sharp rebuke Wednesday to President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE, easily advancing a resolution that would end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen’s civil war despite a White House effort to quash the bill.

The administration launched an eleventh-hour lobbying frenzy to try to head off momentum for the resolution, dispatching Defense Secretary James Mattis James Norman MattisBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed it Gary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November MORE and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoPutin nominated for Nobel Peace Prize The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' Pompeo accused of stumping for Trump ahead of election MORE to Capitol Hill in the morning and issuing a veto threat less than an hour before the vote started.

ADVERTISEMENT

But lawmakers advanced the resolution, 63-37, even as the administration vowed to stand by Saudi Arabia following the outcry over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

“There’s been a lot of rhetoric that’s come from the White House and from the State Department on this issue,” said Sen. Bob Corker Robert (Bob) Phillips CorkerHas Congress captured Russia policy? Tennessee primary battle turns nasty for Republicans Cheney clashes with Trump MORE (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. “The rhetoric that I’ve heard and the broadcasts that we’ve made around the world as to who we are have been way out of balance as it relates to American interests and American values.”

The vote advances the resolution out of the Foreign Relations Committee, making it available for action before the full Senate.

The small step is a significant victory for supporters of the resolution, which fell six votes short of passage in March. The resolution, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power Bernie Sanders: 'This is an election between Donald Trump and democracy' The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump stokes fears over November election outcome MORE (I-Vt.), Chris Murphy Christopher (Chris) Scott MurphyDemocratic senator calls for 'more flexible' medical supply chain to counter pandemics The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Don't expect a government check anytime soon GOP chairman to release interim report on Biden probe 'in about a week' MORE (D-Conn.) and Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeBipartisan representatives demand answers on expired surveillance programs McConnell shores up GOP support for coronavirus package McConnell tries to unify GOP MORE (R-Utah), would require Trump to remove troops in or “affecting” Yemen within 30 days.

Senators are increasingly frustrated with Saudi Arabia amid growing questions about Khashoggi’s death and whether Riyadh is actively trying to limit civilian deaths in Yemen.

“In my mind it is imperative today that the United States Senate tell Saudi Arabia and tell the world that we are not going to be continuing to be part of that humanitarian disaster,” Sanders said. “We have to make the decision as to what happens in the war in Yemen and our role in that, and that’s what the vote today is about.”

Lee, who noted he and Sanders agree on very little, added that the vote was a matter of senators exercising their constitutional authorities on war.

“With regard to Mr. Khashoggi, this is an instance in which one man has died compared to many, many, many more who have died in connection with this war. It’s brought the eyes of the American people and turned them toward us and turned them also toward Saudi Arabia,” said Lee, who rarely speaks with reporters in the hallway. “In any event, regardless of what may have happened with Mr. Khashoggi, we are fighting a war in Yemen that we haven’t declared, that has never been declared or authorized by Congress. That’s not constitutional.”

The next Senate vote on the measure is uncertain. The Senate is expected to delay any additional votes related to the resolution until next week as the chamber works through a slate of previously scheduled nomination votes. And senators are privately discussing amending the resolution on the Senate floor, which would set up the sort of unpredictable outcome GOP leadership likes to avoid.

But that did little to stop momentum for the resolution, with supporters flipping 19 votes from March despite an all-out offensive from the White House.

In addition to briefing senators, the Pentagon and State Department took the rare step of publicly releasing Mattis and Pompeo’s closed-door opening statements ahead of the briefing, and Pompeo spoke to reporters in the Senate basement afterward.

In the briefing, Mattis and Pompeo argued that withdrawing U.S. support from the war would undermine efforts to improve Saudi targeting and broker peace at a time when those talks appear on the precipice of starting, according to their prepared remarks. The U.N. special envoy for Yemen has said he hopes to convene talks in December after receiving commitments from the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels it’s fighting.

“We made clear that they’re considering debating a resolution on the Senate floor which we think is just poorly timed,” Pompeo added in his comments to the press. “It would encourage the Houthis. It would encourage the Iranians. It would undermine the fragile agreement for everyone to go to Sweden and have this discussion.”

And the White House warned that it “strongly opposes” passage of the resolution and that advisers would recommend Trump veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

“The continued cooperation of the United States allows the administration to support the diplomatic negotiations to end the war, ensure humanitarian access, enhance efforts to recover United States hostages in Yemen and defeat terrorists that seek to harm the United States,” the White House said in a statement.

But the Trump administration’s tactic appeared to backfire, with several senators coming out in support of taking up the resolution after the briefing, saying the administration’s argument was unconvincing and that the White House made a fatal miscalculation by not sending CIA Director Gina Haspel to speak with senators.

“I don’t think the administration won over any troubled Republicans in that briefing,” Murphy told reporters. “It’s simply not persuasive that a vote to survive a tabling ... will have any effect on negotiations taking place in two weeks.”

Senate Foreign Relations ranking member Bob Menendez Robert (Bob) MenendezKasie Hunt to host lead-in show for MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' Senators ask for removal of tariffs on EU food, wine, spirits: report VOA visa decision could hobble Venezuela coverage MORE (D-N.J.), speaking to reporters after the briefing, called Haspel’s absence from the meeting a “cover-up,” while Sen. Christopher Coons Christopher (Chris) Andrew CoonsMurkowski: Supreme Court nominee should not be taken up before election Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight Sunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates MORE (D-Del.) added that it was a “serious mistake.”

The CIA denied that the White House made the decision not to send Haspel. But even senators who did not support the resolution nonetheless said the briefing was inadequate without her.

Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Key Democrat opposes GOP Section 230 subpoena for Facebook, Twitter, Google MORE (R-S.C.), a Trump ally, threatened to gum up the works of the Senate by withholding his vote on key items until the CIA briefs the full chamber.

Graham has not supported the underlying resolution, but said he voted to get it out of the committee because “this whole process is BS” without a CIA briefing.