A coalition of more than 40 progressive advocacy groups Wednesday warned Democrats to block any Republican attempts to sabotage the effort to end U.S. complicity in Yemen’s humanitarian crisis.

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“We urge you to vote against any motion to recommit (MTR) presented by Republicans,” the groups wrote in a letter (pdf) to House Democrats. “A vote in favor of the MTR is a vote to destroy the viability of the bill, prevent it from reaching the president’s desk, and prolong the conflict.”

“Next week the House will vote on our resolution to end US support for the Yemen war. I urge my House colleagues to reject any effort to undermine the resolution with a motion to recommit.”
—Sen. Bernie Sanders

An MTR is the final opportunity for the minority party to amend legislation before it reaches the floor for a final vote.

Progressives have good reason to worry about Democrats voting for Republican MTRs. In February, House Democrats unanimously approved a Republican MTR that inserted language condemning anti-Semitism into the Yemen War Powers resolution.

The Yemen resolution passed the House, but the language denouncing anti-Semitism was deemed “non-germane” to the legislation—which is why the House must re-vote on the resolution before it reaches President Donald Trump’s desk.

The Senate passed the Yemen War Powers resolution earlier this month. The second House vote is expected as early as next week.

“Republicans will seek to defeat this critical bill to end U.S. support for the coalition’s military campaign, likely by using the procedural vote as an opportunity to introduce non-germane language,” the groups warned. “The Republicans’ weaponization of accusations of anti-Semitism is wrong. Doing so to prolong one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world is unconscionable. Democrats must not abet such a cynical effort.”

If the GOP does succeed in amending the Yemen resolution through an MTR, the groups warned, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “would then be under no obligation to bring SJRes7 back up for a vote, and the bill would die.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)—a leader of the Senate effort to end U.S. complicity in Yemen—urged House Democrats to unite against Republican attempts to undermine the War Powers resolution: