WASHINGTON (NewsNation) – Some progressive Democrats are criticizing President Joe Biden after a series of Attacks on Yemen was aimed at them Houthi militia that began targeting international shipping in the Red Sea late last year.

Rep. Ro Khanna of California was among several who said the Biden administration should have consulted lawmakers.

“The President must come to Congress before he launches an attack against the Houthis in Yemen and embroils us in another Middle East conflict. This is Article I of the Constitution. I will advocate for this regardless of whether there is a Democrat or a Republican in the White House,” Khanna wrote in a social media post.

Yemen’s Houthis have vowed fierce retaliation for the US-led attacks, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already reeling from Israel’s war in Gaza.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., said the attacks risked another long-term regional conflict.

“The United States cannot risk becoming embroiled in another decades-long conflict without congressional authorization. The White House must work with Congress before continuing these airstrikes in Yemen.”

The White House said the US expects a retaliation from the Houthis.

“No one expressed concern about the possibility that they could carry out any kind of retaliation,” said John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council. He added: “This was not a signaling exercise. This was intended to disrupt and weaken the Houthi military capabilities.”

The U.S.-led bombardment, launched in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on merchant ships in the vital Red Sea, killed at least five people and wounded six, the Houthis said. According to the US, the attacks targeted more than 60 targets in 16 different locations in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea, allegedly in revenge for Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip against Hamas. But they have often targeted ships with weak or no clear ties to Israel, endangering shipping on a key route for global trade and energy supplies.

The Houthis’ military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a recorded address that the attacks “will not go unanswered or unpunished.”

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat and former U.S. intelligence official, welcomed the U.S. attacks but expressed concerns that Iran aims to drag the U.S. deeper into the conflict.

“We should be worried about regional escalation,” Slotkin wrote… It has to stop and I hope they got the message.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.