Capito Commends President Trump for Re-designating Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) commended President Donald J. Trump’s move this week to re-designate Ansarallah, more commonly known as the Houthis, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). The Houthis, a paramilitary organization in Yemen funded by Iran, pose a significant security threat to the United States as well as the peace and stability of Israel and the Middle East.
Senator Capito is an original co-sponsor of legislation known as theStanding Against Houthi Aggression Act, which was introduced prior to President Trump’s announcement and would codify the Houthis’ FTO designation as U.S. law.
“The Houthis have spent more than a year consistently attacking U.S. ships at sea, targeting civilian commercial ships, and firing ballistic missiles at innocent civilians in Israel. It is imperative that we call these attacks exactly what they are – acts of terrorism – and respond accordingly. I was proud to join Senator Daines in introducing legislation to re-designate the Houthis as a FTO following President Biden’s weak response to Houthi aggression. I commend President Trump for taking swift action to reinstate the Houthis’ designation, which will finally impose stronger consequences for their unacceptable attacks,”Senator Capito said.
BACKGROUND:
President Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated the Houthis as an FTO on January 19, 2021. Approximately one month later, former President Joe Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken revoked their FTO designation. In January 2024, Biden re-designated the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), which falls short of the FTO designation needed to implement full sanctions and has not deterred Houthi aggression.
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