Sen. Kaine critical of Biden Administration strikes on Houthis

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — President Biden is facing criticism over the airstrikes he ordered against the Houthi rebels targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea — including from members of his own party.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) was one of four senators to sign a letter to the administration critical of the strikes on Tuesday. The letter requested to know the president’s strategy in carrying out the actions as well as his legal justification.

In the letter, the senators acknowledge the president’s powers to defend the country under Article II of the constitution, and concede that it could technically extend to protecting American commercial vessels.

“However, most vessels transiting through the Red Sea are not U.S. ships,” the letter reads. “which raises questions about the extent to which these authorities can be exercised.”

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“What are our allies doing to protect their own ships,” he asked during a call with reporters on Wednesday. “And importantly, what is the legal justification for U.S. military action? We’re not supposed to be in any hostile military action using U.S. forces without a debate and vote of Congress. We haven’t had that. That’s in the Constitution and it’s there for a reason.”

The letter was also critical of the attacks themselves, hinting that they could be counterproductive.

“The administration has stated that strikes on Houthi targets to date have not and will not deter the Houthi attacks, suggesting that we are in the midst of an ongoing regional conflict that carries the risk of escalation,” the letter states.

Kaine, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he had been hearing from both military families as well as the Port of Virginia about concerns of an escalation.

“A lot of the U.S. military that’s being used in this protection is U.S. military that are based on ships that are home-ported out of Norfolk,” he said.

Kaine also said he wanted to get the focus back on the Israeli hostages, some of whom have ties to Virginia and have now been held for more than 100 days. He said that he sees a path toward regional de-escalation in another round of hostage releases.

During the ceasefire that allowed for the first round of prisoner swaps, he said, the cessation in fighting extended far beyond the Gaza Strip.

“What happened during that moment? The Houthis stopped firing missiles, Hezbollah slowed down firing missiles from Lebanon, Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq and Syria — their intensity level dropped when there was a pause in hostilities in Gaza,” he said.

“The Houthis have said clearly ‘we’re only doing this because of the war in Gaza,” he said. “They weren’t doing it before Oct. 7, and they say they’re only doing it because of the war in Gaza.”

The letter also requested the date that U.S. forces were “introduced into hostilities,” which could shed light on previously undisclosed special operations or surveillance activities.

Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Todd Young (R-IN) and Mike Lee (R-UT) joined Kaine in signing the letter.

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