FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Statement from Madelyn Hoffman, recent Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in New Jersey:

On Monday, Action Corps NYC and New Jersey Peace Action are sponsoring a vigil in front of the Newark offices of Senator Menendez, at 1 Gateway Center, from 2:00pm until 3:00pm against continued U.S. support of the Saudi-led military action in Yemen.

From their description of this event:

“Yemen is caught in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis after three years of war and a de facto blockade at the country’s main port of Hodeida, with 14 million Yemenis on brink of the world’s worst famine in 100 years. It is important that we come together and demand that Sen. Menendez, top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, co-sponsor SJRes54, a joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress. We believe it is important to advocate for the co-sponsorship and passing of this legislation now because #YemenCantWait

We think we can end US involvement in this unauthorized war by the end of 2018. But this will take all of us, going out Monday, to make it happen. Show up Monday at the nearest US Senate office with a friend. Share this call-in number on your channels for those who might not be able to attend, and call Monday: 1-833-STOP-WAR. If you have Twitter, tweet at your senators to co-sponsor #SJRes54 . Be sure to email actioncorps.nyc@gmail.com with photographs of you demonstrating, so we can share. Thank you for agitating and advocating with us.”

SJRes54 is a War Powers Resolution that will put some restrictions on the war being waged in Yemen in our name, but it will not end or suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia. That has to take place separately. SJRes54 will require U.S. troops to be withdrawn no later than 30 days after the adoption of this joint resolution (unless the President requests and Congress authorizes a later date) and unless and until a declaration of war or specific authorization for such use of the United States Armed Forces has been enacted. It will also still allow U.S. troops to remain in Yemen if they are fighting al-Qaeda.

SJRes54 was tabled by a vote of 55 – 44 earlier this year, but can and will be brought back for a vote very soon. Despite its limitations, passage of this resolution would send a strong message that U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s continued military action in Yemen is not open-ended and would put more pressure on all the actors in the conflict to utilize diplomacy to end it NOW.

From June 2018 until November 6th, 2018, I was the Green Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate in New Jersey against Senator Bob Menendez, who as Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Committee could have done something about U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, weapons that were being used in Yemen. I remember how outraged I was this past August when a bomb manufactured by Lockheed Martin was found by the bus transporting Yemeni school children on a class trip, after having killed approximately 40, yes 40 school children. U.S. media covered this tragedy for about 3 or 4 days — and then it was gone off our TV screens.

My campaign helped to generate close to 3000 phone calls to Senator Menendez from NJ residents opposed to the U.S. continuing to support Saudi Arabia in their “war” against Yemen.

Now that the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist, is being discussed virtually non-stop on the news, the spotlight is shining again on U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and U.S. participation in the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen.

The U.S. should be working to STOP THE WAR. Given current conditions in Yemen perhaps 1 million Yemeni children will die from starvation even if they receive massive food supplies and medical intervention right now. Perhaps 14 million people, half the population of Yemen, will die from starvation if this war and blockade of Hodeidah isn’t ended immediately!!

Please join in Monday’s National Day of Action against U.S. continued support of the Saudi-led military action in Yemen by calling 1-833-STOP-WAR and demand that Senator Menendez co-sponsor and vote for SJRes 54. Senator Cory Booker is already a co-sponosr. LET OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS KNOW THAT WE WILL DO NOT SUPPORT THE FOREIGN POLICY AGENDA OF ENDLESS WARS AND REGIME CHANGE.

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