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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today thanked the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee for including language she authored in the final FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report. The report urges President Obama to work with international partners, to the extent practicable, to protect non-combatants and assist in the evacuation of U.S. citizens and nationals from Yemen.

“The situation in Yemen is dire, and many of my constituents or their family members have been trapped in the country for months without a safe route home,” Dingell said. “I thank Chairman Thornberry, Ranking Member Smith and the entire conference committee for including this important language in the final conference report to prioritize evacuating U.S. citizens from Yemen. Given the conferees’ direction to the Obama Administration, it is my hope that we can provide much-needed hope for Yemeni-Americans in my district and their families. I will continue working with all relevant government agencies to do everything possible to bring our citizens home.”

In May, the House of Representatives approved Dingell’s amendment to express the sense of Congress that the President should exercise all available authorities to evacuate United States citizens and nationals from Yemen as soon as possible. 

Dingell has been in close contact with State Department officials since the crisis in Yemen began. Earlier this year, she wrote a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry urging the State Department to take increased steps to evacuate American citizens, protect those stranded in Yemen, and improve communication with families. The letter can be read in full here.