[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6276. Mr. KAINE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1271. WAR POWERS RESOLUTION AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Meaning of Introduction of United States Armed Forces 
     Into Hostilities for Purposes of the War Powers Resolution.--
     Section 4 of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1543) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d) Rule of Construction Regarding Introduction Into 
     Hostilities.--For purposes of subsection (a), the phrase 
     `United States Armed Forces are introduced into hostilities' 
     shall be construed to include any use of lethal or 
     potentially lethal force by or against United States Armed 
     Forces, whether or not constituting self-defense measures by 
     the United States Armed Forces, and irrespective of the 
     domain, whether such force is deployed by or against United 
     States Armed Forces using remotely launched, piloted, or 
     directed attacks, or the intermittency thereof.''.
       (b) Modification of Timelines Applicable to Removal of 
     United States Armed Forces for Purposes of the War Powers 
     Resolution.--Section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution (50 
     U.S.C. 1544(b)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``Within sixty calendar days'' and 
     inserting ``Within ten calendar days'';
       (2) by striking ``extended by law such sixty-day period'' 
     and inserting ``extended by law such ten-day period''; and
       (3) by striking ``Such sixty-day period shall be extended 
     for not more than an additional thirty days'' and inserting 
     ``Such ten-day period shall be extended for not more than an 
     additional ten days''.
       (c) Modification of Reporting Requirement To Include Legal 
     Justification.--Section 4(a) of the War Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 
     1543(a)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``; and'' and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(D) any legal opinion, memorandum, or analysis provided 
     to any other office or agency, or person in any other office 
     or agency, in the Executive Branch, including any office in 
     the Department of Justice, the National Security Council, the 
     White House, or the Executive Office of the President, 
     relating to the introduction of United States Armed 
     Forces.''.
                                 ______