WASHINGTON: The US Senate rejected Tuesday a resolution that would prohibit US troops from helping a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Still, the unusual vote — coming as Saudi Arabia’s crown prince was in Washington — amplified the continued unease in Congress with military endeavors abroad.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, warned senators against the measure. But the GOP leader had little choice but to allow the vote that was forced by coalition of liberal and libertarian-leaning lawmakers, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. They argued Congress should not cede its wartime authority to the White House.
The resolution, which would halt US military involvement in the Saudi campaign against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, was tabled, 55-44, effectively shelving it for now.
“The founding fathers gave the power to authorize military conflicts to Congress, the branch most accountable to the people, not to the president,” Sanders said during the floor debate. “The time is long overdue for Congress to reassert that constitutional authority.”
It’s the latest attempt at a war authorization vote as lawmakers regularly raise questions about overseas military actions but have been unable to muster enough votes in Congress to halt, or approve, them.
Congress last authorized the use of military force in Afghanistan in 2003. This authorization has been used by President Donald Trump, and by President Barack Obama before him, to justify US military intervention in Syria and other unstable areas where extremist groups operate.
Supporters had been pushing the resolution forward, but Tuesday’s vote came as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opened a three-week tour of the United States in meetings with Trump at the White House and leaders on Capitol Hill.
The Pentagon opposed the measure, and briefed senators last week about the US role, which is mainly involves refueling Saudi fighter aircraft and providing intelligence, military advice and logistical support. No US troops are fighting Houthis directly, officials say.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has strongly defended what he calls US non-combat support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
“New restrictions on this limited US military support could increase civilian casualties, jeopardize cooperation with our partners on counterterrorism, and reduce our influence with the Saudis — all of which would further exacerbate the situation and humanitarian crisis” in Yemen, Mattis wrote in a recent letter to McConnell.
Both the US and Saudis view the Houthis as Iranian proxies. Mattis said the withdrawal of US support would embolden Iran to increase its support for the Houthis.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, also urged senators against the resolution, promising a full debate on the use of force at an upcoming hearing in April.
“We’re not shying away from this debate,” Corker said. “The proper way to deal with these issues is to deal with them in committee.”
The panel’s top Democrat, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, met with the crown prince before the vote and signaled the tough debate ahead. While Menendez said he was not ready to abandon an ally, he expected to see diplomatic measures and alleviation of the humanitarian suffering in Yemen.
“My vote today is not a blank check for US military support,” Menendez said. Nor, he said, was it a “thumbs up” to Saudi Arabia for “business as usual.”
US Senate votes against bill to end American participation in Yemen conflict
US Senate votes against bill to end American participation in Yemen conflict
AI, automation creating new jobs and displacing traditional roles: Saudi HR minister
- Ahmad Al-Rajhi: Expect significant growth in tech-centric jobs like AI specialists and data analysts, while roles such as data entry and administrative assistants may decline
- Al-Rajhi: Rising living costs and economic slowdowns will shape which skills are most valued, like resilience, flexibility and creative thinking
RIYADH: Artificial intelligence, robotics and automation are creating new opportunities while displacing traditional roles, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmad Al-Rajhi said in his opening remarks at a conference in Riyadh on Monday.
Al-Rajhi was speaking during the opening of the third Global Labor Market Conference, which is being held under the theme “Future in Progress” and brings together decision-makers, thought leaders and experts from around the world.
“Expect significant growth in tech-centric jobs like AI specialists and data analysts, while roles such as data entry and administrative assistants may decline,” he said.
Al-Rajhi added that the green transition is driving demand for renewable energy engineers and environmental specialists.
“We will see a surge in green jobs as industries adapt to climate goals,” he said.
The minister also pointed to broader economic and geopolitical pressures shaping labor markets globally, including rising living costs and slowing growth.
“Rising living costs and economic slowdowns will shape which skills are most valued, like resilience, flexibility and creative thinking,” he said.
Al-Rajhi added that demographic shifts, including aging populations in some regions and expanding working-age populations in others, will continue to influence labor supply and demand, increasing the need for healthcare, training and inclusive job creation.
Turning to the global youth employment challenge, he said international trends highlight the urgency of coordinated action.
“More than 262 million young people worldwide are not in employment, education or training in many regions, and job creation is not keeping pace with population growth, while other countries are facing the pressure of aging workforces and rising dependency ratios,” Al-Rajhi said, citing international estimates.
He added that rapid technological change is outpacing education and training systems, making continuous upskilling essential across both advanced and emerging economies.
“These pressures differ by region, but they are too complex for countries to address in isolation,” he said.
Highlighting Saudi Arabia’s domestic workforce transformation, Al-Rajhi said more than 2.5 million Saudis have joined the private sector since 2020, describing young men and women as a growing national asset driving new fields and skills development.
“These indicators, among others, show an economy movement for people who are investing in themselves, learning, competing and shaping the future with confidence,” he said.
During the event, Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef announced the launch of an occupations and skills framework for the mining and industrial sectors, aimed at clarifying job roles and workforce requirements.
He said the framework will cover more than 500 occupations and outline the skills, job descriptions and titles needed across the sectors, helping private companies, educators and training providers to align workforce development with industry demand.
“This is an important framework to allow different players in the ecosystem, from private sector who will actually need (those) kinds of jobs, but it will allow, I think, most importantly, training and the training ecosystem,” Al-Khorayef said
Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb added global travel is expected to continue rising over the next decade, driving demand for tourism workers as the Kingdom expands new destinations and cities.
He said the global tourism sector is expected to create 91 million jobs by 2035, while facing a projected shortfall of 43 million workers.
“(This is) good news for the job market in Saudi Arabia. We’re projecting to create an additional 400,000 jobs to 600,000 jobs in the next five to six years, just to fill the new destinations, the new cities that we are building today.”
Al-Khateeb added that tourism does not require highly specialized skills in the same way as sectors such as engineering or medicine, but instead builds soft skills that can deliver positive outcomes.
He said that employment in the tourism sector has risen sharply since the Kingdom launched its tourism strategy in 2019, contributing to job creation and lower unemployment, and underscoring the importance of training and workforce development.
“When we launched tourism back in 2019, we used to have 750,000 people working in the sector. Last year, we surpassed 1 million,” he said.
He added that tourism has become one of the most impactful sectors for reducing unemployment and creating jobs, with an emphasis on ensuring that workers entering the industry are well trained.
Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser said infrastructure investment plays a key role in driving economic growth, development and job creation, citing its strong multiplier effect across sectors.
Al-Jasser also cited a recent World Bank statement at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the scale of the labor market challenge ahead.
“There would be 1.2 billion (entering) the labor market in the next 10 years … but only 400 million jobs will be opening up,” he said.
He added that the growing global focus on job creation will be decisive in determining whether development succeeds or falls short in the years ahead.
The event will run from Jan. 26–27 and will focus on six key pillars: trade changes and employment; informal economies; the new global skills landscape; the real impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and productivity; building resilient labor markets in times of crisis; and improving job quality, with particular attention to youth as the foundation of the future economy.
