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<resolution public-private="public" resolution-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" resolution-type="senate-joint" star-print="no-star-print" slc-id="S1-DAV26864-C4H-HG-N4N"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
<dublinCore>
<dc:title>94 SJ 191 IS: To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. </dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2026-04-30</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">IIA</distribution-code><congress display="yes">119th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">2d Session</session><legis-num>S. J. RES. 191</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action display="yes"><action-date date="20260430">April 30, 2026</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S337">Mr. Coons</sponsor> (for himself, <cosponsor name-id="S362">Mr. Kaine</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S370">Mr. Booker</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S364">Mr. Murphy</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S427">Mr. Schiff</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S386">Ms. Duckworth</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="S390">Mr. Van Hollen</cosponsor>) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSFR00">Committee on Foreign Relations</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>JOINT RESOLUTION</legis-type><official-title display="yes">To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. </official-title></form><resolution-body><section id="id007afcf404494e1391fd4f7cdc788ba3" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Findings</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Congress makes the following findings:</text><paragraph id="idaaf1c48b840c4974be1e0a51e2a71a4a"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Congress has the sole power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States Constitution.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id4a4ef00fb77844b29d127b621cd4cf55"><enum>(2)</enum><text>The President has a constitutional responsibility to take actions to defend the United States and its territories, possessions, citizens, servicemembers, and diplomats from attack.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id1501a56fdb9c4cd8b535a30c1c37e24a"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Congress has not declared war upon Iran or any person or organization within Iran, nor enacted a specific statutory authorization for the use of military force within or against Iran.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9ce7e0bdfe7143b3ab72505db0e15d1b"><enum>(4)</enum><text>On February 28, 2026, President Donald J. Trump declared the start of <quote>major combat operations in Iran</quote>, and by early March 2026, the United States had deployed more than 50,000 members of the United States Armed Forces to the region to support the war.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idaa28e4568e83484f93324a0e36546d1b"><enum>(5)</enum><text>Following the initiation of combat operations, Iran conducted retaliatory drone and ballistic missiles strikes against hundreds of targets, including United States embassies, consulates, and military bases, across Bahrain, Cyprus, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 13 American servicemembers have been killed.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id15423b28298142e89a490405874463f0"><enum>(6)</enum><text>On March 2, 2026, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels, resulting in a precipitous drop in maritime traffic, widespread energy shortages, and worldwide economic disruption.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id0b141d0ad93d4e41bf433bfa0e5d1abd"><enum>(7)</enum><text>On April 12, 2026, President Trump ordered a complete naval blockade of Iranian ports.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id27d340184f734eae9a8201687467ef96"><enum>(8)</enum><text>The use of military force within or against Iran constitutes the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities within the meaning of section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/1543">50 U.S.C. 1543(a)</external-xref>).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id5253c3e00c5e4dd1a20a2e0a5eb9c5c0"><enum>(9)</enum><text>Pursuant to the War Powers Resolution (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/1541">50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.</external-xref>), the President must terminate any use of United States Armed Forces within 60 days of providing initial notification to Congress, unless Congress has <quote>declared war or has enacted a specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces,</quote> has <quote>extended by law such 60-day period,</quote> or <quote>is physically unable to meet as a result of an armed attack upon the United States,</quote> none of which has occurred with respect to the current hostilities in and against Iran.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc7fbede2cceb4db991a43cfdaa52dbfb"><enum>(10)</enum><text>The 60-day period following the President’s notification to Congress on March 2, 2026, ends on May 1, 2026.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8101779b1c8e48c5a78963a0e5fd27cf"><enum>(11)</enum><text>Under the War Powers Resolution, the President may extend the presence of the Armed Forces for <quote>not more than an additional 30 days if the President determines and certifies to the Congress in writing that unavoidable military necessity respecting the safety of United States Armed Forces requires the continued use of such armed forces in the course of bringing about a prompt removal of such forces</quote>.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc6e37706114f441db038024b01f7c76f"><enum>(12)</enum><text>The purpose of the War Powers Resolution, as stated in section 2(a) of such resolution (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/1541">50 U.S.C. 1541(a)</external-xref>), is to <quote>insure that the collective judgment of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities</quote>.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id115c859bf0494b2a9d803781a6be76d0"><enum>(13)</enum><text>Section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/1546a">50 U.S.C. 1546a</external-xref>) provides that any joint resolution or bill requiring the removal of United States Armed Forces engaged in hostilities without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization shall be considered in accordance with the expedited procedures under section 601(b) of the International Security and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/94/329">Public Law 94–329</external-xref>).</text></paragraph></section><section id="id89033dbcead24cdba486836536aaa636"><enum>2.</enum><header>Removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8dd8da9346d8420cb2949adb57048ea4"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Removal</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/1546a">50 U.S.C. 1546a</external-xref>), and in accordance with section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/94/329">Public Law 94–329</external-xref>), Congress hereby directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force.</text></subsection><subsection id="id2512b6f6cbe540f6a4c79e6fb4e13e35"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Rule of construction</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Nothing in this resolution may be construed to prevent the United States from—</text><paragraph id="id049148d87cad4a6780f7864913a90641"><enum>(1)</enum><text>defending against an attack on the United States or its personnel or facilities in other nations;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id04c0a878374842efab91a63edbe1b429"><enum>(2)</enum><text>collecting, analyzing, or sharing intelligence, including with partner countries and international organizations as appropriate, related to threats from Iran or its proxies;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idb78645b260414b4ba2e6cc61af4c2f78"><enum>(3)</enum><text>assisting partner countries who have been attacked by Iran since February 28, 2026, and other nations—</text><subparagraph id="id98599cf134da473c82a6fbe945ac4a2f"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in taking defensive measures to protect their territory from retaliatory attacks by Iran or its proxies; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id63bb9801448144cd87b044b570a4f2d6"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by providing defensive materiel support for such defensive measures; or</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id4d62e743843f40d59c33c93a7ac27e92"><enum>(4)</enum><text>providing assistance for the security, departure, and evacuation to United States citizens affected by the hostilities.</text></paragraph></subsection></section></resolution-body></resolution> 

