Washington (CNN) A collection of former high-ranking Obama administration national security officials who pushed a policy that led the United States to support Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen are now pleading with leaders in Congress to defund that effort.

Former national security adviser Susan Rice, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power and former deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes are among a group of signatories on a letter to Democratic leaders , obtained by CNN, that argues that the policy they were instrumental in implementing could lead to much bigger problems in future.

"The ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis threatens fresh U.S. military action in the region," they write. "President Trump recently signaled that the United States is 'locked and loaded' for possible intervention at the behest of Saudi Arabia, deployed U.S. troops to the Saudi kingdom, and escalated military tensions with Iran. In addition to making a war with Iran more likely, the conflict in Yemen is also imperiling tens of millions of the most vulnerable people on earth through disease, starvation and violence."

In a rare moment of bipartisanship, both the House and Senate passed a resolution (SR7) that called on the Trump administration to end all hostilities in Yemen that weren't expressly authorized by the Congress. President Donald Trump vetoed the resolution in April and the support of the Saudi-led effort in Yemen continues. Now these former Obama administration officials are arguing that the only way to end the US involvement in Yemen is by defunding the effort with an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

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