Congressman Mark Green on Wednesday introduced legislation aiming to further crush the Iranian-backed Ansar Allah terrorist organization, also known as the Houthis.
The Tennessee Republican’s bill builds on President Donald Trump’s executive order designating the Houthis as a Foreign Terror Organization (FTO) by sanctioning those complicit in Houthi attacks, as well as those who have materially supported Houthi attacks or will in the future.
“We must do more to combat the Houthi rebels and sanction their suppliers,” Green told The Daily Wire. “President Trump’s actions and my legislation accomplish both.”
Trump first designated the Houthis as an FTO in the last weeks of his first term, but President Joe Biden rescinded it in February 2021 because the designation interfered with providing humanitarian aid to Yemen, CNN reported.
In January 2024, the Biden administration classified the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entity (SDGT). SDGT implements economic sanctions but does not impose travel bans or allow sanctions on those supporting the group as the FTO designation does, according to the State Department.
Trump once again designated the Houthis an FTO in a January executive order.
“The Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade,” the order reads.
Green’s bill mandates the creation of three executive branch reports to provide updates about the Houthis’ threat to national security, their disturbances to freedom of navigation, and their violations of the United Nations’ arms embargo against Yemen.
“The Houthis have consistently threatened the lives of American citizens and military personnel,” Green said. “With this new designation, the United States stands ready to combat any threats against us and our allies in the Red Sea.”
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and about 40 missiles and more than 300 drones at Israel, according to Green.
In February 2025, the Houthis fired surface-to-air missiles at an American F-16 and MQ-9 Reaper drone.
“These egregious attacks must come to an end,” Green said. “The Iranian regime has fully backed the Houthi rebels in Yemen with weapons, funding, and political support. As a result, the Red Sea and the Middle East have become vastly more dangerous.”
Green sponsored a similar bill in the previous Congress, which did not make it to a vote on the floor.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last week that the State Department redesignated the Houthis as an FTO.
“Today’s action taken by the State Department demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, the safety of the American people, and the security of the United States,” Rubio said in a statement.
Rubio added that the United States would not tolerate any country engaging with terrorist organizations like the Houthis under the guise of practicing legitimate international business.
The State Department is offering a $15 million reward and possible relocation for people who provide information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of the Houthis.
