[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 55 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 55

    Requiring the President to develop and implement a plan for the 
   withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 16, 2005

    Mr. Abercrombie (for himself, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, Mr. 
 Kucinich, Mr. Paul, Mr. Meehan, Ms. Woolsey, and Ms. Lee) introduced 
the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
  International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
    Requiring the President to develop and implement a plan for the 
   withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This joint resolution may be cited as the ``Withdrawal of United 
States Armed Forces From Iraq Resolution of 2005--Homeward Bound''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against 
        Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243; 50 U.S.C. 1541 
        note) was passed by Congress on October 11, 2002.
            (2) Public Law 107-243 cited Iraq's possession of weapons 
        of mass destruction as a primary reason for the use of United 
        States Armed Forces against Iraq.
            (3) On January 12, 2005, the President officially declared 
        an end to the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
            (4) The United States initiated combat operations in Iraq 
        on March 19, 2003.
            (5) Hundreds of thousands of members of the United States 
        Armed Forces have served with honor and distinction in Iraq.
            (6) More than $200 billion has been appropriated by 
        Congress to fund military operations and reconstruction in 
        Iraq.
            (7) More than 1,700 members of the United States Armed 
        Forces have been killed and more than 12,000 members of the 
        Armed Forces have been wounded in substantially accomplishing 
        the stated purpose of the United States of giving the people of 
        Iraq a reasonable opportunity to decide their own future.
            (8) The United States military occupation of Iraq has 
        placed significant strains on the capacity of the United States 
        Armed Forces, both active duty and reserve.
            (9) The armed forces of Iraq number more than 76,000 troops 
        as of June 8, 2005, and are growing in number and capability 
        daily.
            (10) The forces of the Iraqi Interior Ministry number more 
        than 92,000 personnel as of June 8, 2005, and are growing in 
        number and capability daily.
            (11) The United States has in place a timetable for 
        training, equipping, and employing Iraqi security forces to 
        take over the counterinsurgency mission from coalition forces.
            (12) The joint explanatory statement accompanying the 
        conference report for the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 
        Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 
        2005 (Public Law 109-13) requires the Secretary of Defense to 
        report not later than July 10, 2005, and every 90 days 
        thereafter, on measures of security, political, and economic 
        progress in Iraq.
            (13) Congress, under article I, section 8 of the 
        Constitution of the United States, must accept its full share 
        of responsibility in matters involving the deployment of United 
        States Armed Forces in foreign wars.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States--
            (1) to announce, not later than December 31, 2005, a plan 
        for the withdrawal of all United States Armed Forces from Iraq;
            (2) at the earliest possible date, to turn over all 
        military operations in Iraq to the elected Government of Iraq 
        and provide for the prompt and orderly withdrawal of all United 
        States Armed Forces from Iraq; and
            (3) to initiate such a withdrawal as soon as possible but 
        not later than October 1, 2006.

SEC. 4. REQUIREMENTS TO IMPLEMENT POLICY.

     The President shall implement the policy expressed in section 3 
by--
            (1) taking all necessary steps to ensure the completion of 
        Iraq's political transition to a constitutionally elected 
        government by December 31, 2005, as called for in United 
        Nations Security Council Resolution 1546 (2004), which was 
        supported by the United States;
            (2) establishing a plan for the withdrawal of all United 
        States Armed Forces from Iraq limited only by steps to ensure 
        the safety of such Armed Forces;
            (3) establishing a plan for a transition of responsibility 
        for internal security activities to the military forces of the 
        Iraqi Government and a transition of United States military 
        personnel to an advisory and support role;
            (4) accelerating the training and equipping of the military 
        and security forces of the Iraqi Government; and
            (5) taking all appropriate measures to account for any 
        missing members of the United States Armed Forces or United 
        States citizens in Iraq prior to completion of the withdrawal 
        of United States Armed Forces from Iraq.
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