President Joe Biden said he will take more action if necessary against the Houthi rebels, after the US military and its allies conducted strikes on more than a dozen targets in Yemen.
“I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary,” the president said in a statement last night, Zoe Ma reports. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin likewise vowed the Houthis would “bear further costs if they do not end their illegal attacks.”
American and British forces struck radar installations and storage and launch sites for drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, according to US officials, who asked not to be identified. The attacks came from Air Force jets and fighter jets based on the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier, as well as Tomahawk missiles launched from a submarine and surface ships.
The strikes were intended to cripple the militant group’s ability to attack commercial vessels following Houthi barrages of drones and missiles fired into a vital trade waterway.
Last night’s action marks a significant escalation in the weeks since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and Israeli forces responded with a devastating air and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis began their harassment of commercial vessels soon after. In response to last night’s attacks, the Houthi supreme ruling political council said that “all US and UK interests have become legitimate targets” to the Yemeni group. Jennifer Jacobs, Tony Capaccio and Courtney McBride have the full story.
Read More on the Conflict:
- QuickTake: Who Are the Houthis Being Hit With US, UK Airstrikes
- Biden Backs Far-Reaching Yemen Strikes Despite Fear of Wider War
Key lawmakers reacted swiftly to the airstrikes, generally supporting the decision.
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) backed the strikes, calling Biden’s decision overdue.
- House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said he was pleased that Biden took action against the Houthis. He added that now the administration needs to “immediately” re-list the group’s designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
- Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said the military action, in concert with weeks of diplomacy, sends a clear signal the US will continue to take appropriate action to protect the nation.
The UN Security Council meets today to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, according to an emailed agenda.
BIDEN’S AGENDA
- The president will leave the White House after noon and will arrive near Allentown, Pa. around 1:15 p.m.. He’ll visit several small businesses in the Allentown area around 2 p.m.
- Biden will return to the White House after 5 p.m.
- Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to the Allentown area.
CONGRESS’ SCHEDULE
- The House is back at 9 a.m. to vote on rescinding a labor board rule.
- Senators are out until Tuesday.
- For the full detailed agenda, read BGOV’s Congress Tracker.
Also Happening on the Hill
CONGRESSIONAL STAFF UNIONS and LAWMAKERS are struggling to secure bargaining contracts two years after publicly organizing, highlighting both longstanding issues newly minted unions face as well as the unique circumstances of organizing on the Hill.
- Among the issues cited by the Congressional Workers Union are lawmakers dragging their feet during bargaining, an approach that mirrors tactics used by large employers who lawmakers themselves have publicly criticized. Read more.
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Ill.) is pointing to a fiery Japan Airlines incident this month, in which all 379 passengers and crew onboard were successfully evacuated to ask the question: Could a US airline respond with such speed? Read more.
THE HOUSE passed a measure to halt the White House from temporarily allowing use of foreign-made materials for federally funded chargers for electric vehicles. The resolution now heads to the White House for an expected veto by the president. Read more.
A NEW BIPARTISAN GROUP will study AI’s impact on financial services and housing, according to a House Financial Services Committee statement. The task force will also study how AI can improve compliance at financial institutions. Read more.
- The US is facing new threats to its network security communications with the proliferation of internet-connected devices at home and embedded in critical infrastructure, cybersecurity experts told lawmakers yesterday. Read more.
WHITE HOUSE technology adviser Anne Neuberger spoke with Bloomberg Government on AI policy. The deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies discussed how she sees Congress’s role in regulating the emerging technology. Read more.
BIDEN renominated lawyer Moshe Marvit for the third time to fill an open seat at the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission. Marvit was previously nominated in 2022 and 2023 before his nominations stalled in the Senate. Read more.
People, Power, and Politics
DONALD TRUMP’S sizable lead in polls going into Monday’s Iowa caucuses has his aides worried that some voters, seeing his dominance, could stay home on what is forecast to be a frigid night in Iowa — resulting in a less-imposing margin of victory and a prolonged primary fight. Read more.
DEMOCRATIC SUPER PAC American Bridge 21st Century plans to spend $140 million on advertising about abortion, democracy, and other issues aimed at women in smaller towns in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin — three states Biden won in 2020 that will be crucial to his reelection. Read more.
THE PANDEMIC’S economic, lifestyle, and work disruptions led millions of middle-class Americans to move to new states, causing a burst of migration that is set to be a powerful force in November’s presidential election.
- A Bloomberg analysis of state population forecasts found swing-state counties that Biden won in 2020 will have on net gained almost twice as many people by election day as those that voted for Trump. Read more.
HOUSE MEMBERS who left at the end of the last Congress recently hit a significant milestone for those yearning to get back to Capitol Hill: They are no longer prohibited from lobbying the legislative branch.
- Many of them had already set up shop in the influence sector, but they were not permitted to make direct lobbying contacts to members and staff in the House and Senate. This week offered them their first unfettered days with Congress back in session. Read more.
HUNTER BIDEN pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he failed to pay taxes on millions of dollars in income from foreign businesses in a case that House Republicans hope will bolster an impeachment inquiry into his presidential father. Read more.
LARRY HOGAN stepped down from his role as honorary co-chair of No Labels, a centrist advocacy group, a person familiar said, a move likely to fuel speculation about the former Maryland governor (R) running for president on a third-party ticket. Read more.
What Else We’re Watching
THE US must update requirements for insurer contraceptive coverage to help states prepare for the first daily over-the-counter oral birth control pill expected to soon hit retail shelves, reproductive health groups and policy analysts say. Read more.
KATHERINE TAI is on a three-day visit to India where the US Trade Representative is expected to hold talks with the country’s trade and foreign ministers on topics including business visas for Indian workers and duty-free access on goods. Read more.
ELON MUSK’S alleged drug use leaves his companies and their boards exposed to potential shareholder claims that directors’ and officers’ insurance is meant to cover. Read more.
- NASA said in a statement yesterday that the agency is not aware of drug use at Musk’s SpaceX that could jeopardize the rocket launch and satellite-service provider’s government contracts. Read more.
Editor’s Note: What to Know in Washington will not publish on Monday, Jan. 15 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day federal holiday. Publication will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
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