IIA
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. J. RES. 6
Directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in
Syria that have not been authorized by Congress.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY23, 2025
Mr. P
AULintroduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
JOINT RESOLUTION
Directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from
hostilities in Syria that have not been authorized by
Congress.
Whereas Congress has the sole power to declare war under
the War Powers Clause of section 8 of article I of the
Constitution of the United States;
Whereas the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public
Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) against the perpetra-
tors of the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, which
was enacted on September 18, 2001, and the Authoriza-
tion for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of
2002 (Public Law 107–243; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note), which
was enacted on October 16, 2002, do not serve as specific
statutory authorizations for the use of force against
Syria;
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Whereas, on December 19, 2024, the Department of Defense
announced that there are approximately 2,000 members
of the United States Armed Forces deployed to Syria,
1,100 more than previously reported;
Whereas United States military operations in Syria began on
September 22, 2014, over 13 years after the September
11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with Operation Inherent Re-
solve targeting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS);
Whereas United States forces in Syria have targeted numer-
ous entities, including the Syrian Armed Forces and pro-
Syrian Government forces, numerous terrorist organiza-
tions including ISIS, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard,
Iranian-backed militias, the Russian-backed Wagner pri-
vate military company, and the Armed Forces of Turkey;
Whereas, on October 30, 2015, the Obama administration de-
ployed boots on the ground, announcing that up to 50
United States special operations forces would be deployed
to Syria;
Whereas, on April 25, 2016, the Obama administration an-
nounced that an additional 250 United States special op-
erations forces would be deployed to Syria;
Whereas, on December 6, 2017, the Pentagon revealed that
there were about 2,000 members of the United States
Armed Forces deployed in Syria, 1,500 more than pre-
viously reported;
Whereas, since 2016, United States Armed Forces have tar-
geted personnel, platforms, and facilities of the Syrian
Armed Forces or forces allied with the Government of
Syria on at least 11 occasions, including on April 7,
2017, when United States forces fired 59 Tomahawk
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cruise missiles at Shayrat Airbase controlled by the Gov-
ernment of Syria. Syrian government officials indicated
the strike killed 16 people, including seven military per-
sonnel;
Whereas, on February 7, 2018, United States Armed Forces
in Syria killed hundreds of Russians who were part of the
Russian-backed Wagner private military company;
Whereas, on April 12, 2018, CIA Director Mike Pompeo told
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, ‘‘In
Syria, now, a handful of weeks ago, the Russians met
their match. A couple hundred Russians were killed.’’;
Whereas, on December 19, 2018, President Donald J. Trump
ordered the withdrawal of all United States military
forces from Syria, a policy that was not implemented;
Whereas, on February 28, 2019, President Trump declared
that ‘‘100 percent’’ of the Islamic State caliphate had
been defeated, therefore achieving the objective of Oper-
ation Inherent Resolve;
Whereas United States and Turkish forces have fired on one
another in Syria, as evidenced by the Pentagon reporting
on October 11, 2019, that United States troops in north-
ern Syria came under artillery fire from Turkish armed
forces and former United States Special Presidential
Envoy for the anti-ISIS coalition Brett McGurk stating,
‘‘Turkish forces have fired on a declared U.S. military
outpost in northern Syria. Turkey knows all of our loca-
tions down to the precise grid coordinate.’’;
Whereas, on October 6, 2019, President Trump ordered the
withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from northern
Syria;
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Whereas United States forces in Syria are regularly attacked
by Iranian-backed militias resulting in casualties;
Whereas, on February 25, 2021, United States Armed
Forces conducted airstrikes in eastern Syria against fa-
cilities used by Iran-backed militias in response to at-
tacks against United States and allied personnel in Iraq
that killed a Filipino contractor and injured a National
Guardsman and four United States contractors;
Whereas, on June 27, 2021, United States Armed Forces
conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria
in response to drone attacks against United States per-
sonnel and facilities in Iraq;
Whereas, on August 24, 2022, United States Armed Forces
conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Deir
al Zour, Syria, in response to attacks on a United States
base in northeastern Syria that injured three United
States soldiers;
Whereas, on March 24, 2023, United States Armed Forces
conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria
in response to an attack in northeast Syria that killed a
United States contractor and injured five United States
soldiers and another United States contractor;
Whereas, on October 5, 2023, a United States F–16 aircraft
shot down an armed Turkish drone operating in north-
eastern Syria, and the drone was reported to have come
within 500 yards of United States troops;
Whereas, since October 17, 2023, United States Armed
Forces in Syria and Iraq have been attacked at least 52
times, with 28 attacks in Syria and 24 attacks in Iraq,
resulting in at least 56 members of the United States
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Armed Forces being injured and at least 25 sustaining
traumatic brain injuries;
Whereas, on October 26, 2023, United States Armed Forces
conducted airstrikes against a weapons storage facility
and an ammunition storage facility used by Iran’s Is-
lamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian-backed mi-
litias in Abu Kamal, Syria;
Whereas, on November 8, 2023, United States Armed Forces
conducted airstrikes against a weapons storage facility
used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and
Iranian-backed militias in Maysalun, Syria;
Whereas, on November 12, 2023, United States Armed
Forces conducted airstrikes against a training facility
and a safe house used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps and Iranian-backed militias in Abu Kamal
and Mayadin, Syria;
Whereas, on February 2, 2024, United States Armed Forces
conducted more than 85 airstrikes against Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated militia groups
across seven locations in Syria and Iraq;
Whereas, on November 12, 2024, United States Armed
Forces conducted airstrikes against a weapons storage
and logistics headquarters facility used by Iranian-backed
militias in Syria;
Whereas, on December 8, 2024, opposition groups led by
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a United States-designated for-
eign terrorist organization, overthrew the Syrian regime
of Bashar al-Assad, ending more than 53 years of al-
Assad family rule;
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Whereas, on December 9, 2024, the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces shot down a United States Air Force
MQ–9 Reaper drone in northern Syria;
Whereas, on December 10, 2024, United States Armed
Forces conducted airstrikes on some 75 ISIS targets in
Syria;
Whereas, the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime presents
an acute period of volatility, with 2,000 United States
troops deployed in Syria facing significant risk, as is evi-
dent by regularly occurring attacks, and facing an immi-
nent threat of wider hostilities involving them in Syria;
Whereas, eleven members of the United States Armed Forces
died in combat-related and non-combat related events in
Syria during Operation Inherent Resolve: SSGT Austin
Bieren, SCPO Scott Dayton, MSG Jonathan Dunbar,
CW2 Jonathan Farmer, 1SG Casey Hart, SCPO Shan-
non Kent, SPC Antonio Moore, SGT Bryan Mount, SPC
Etienne Murphy, SPC Alex Ram, and PFC Michael
Thomason;
Whereas section 8(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50
U.S.C. 1547(c)) defines the ‘‘introduction of United
States Armed Forces’’ to include ‘‘the assignment of
members of such Armed Forces to command, coordinate,
participate in the movement of, or accompany the regular
or irregular military forces of any foreign country or gov-
ernment when such military forces are engaged, or there
exists an imminent threat that such forces will become
engaged, in hostilities,’’ and activities that the United
States Armed Forces have conducted in Syria fall within
such definition, as is evidenced by United States support
of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the Syrian
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Democratic Forces (SDF), the Free Syrian Army (FSA),
and other regular and irregular military forces;
Whereas the United States Armed Forces have been intro-
duced into active or imminent hostilities within the mean-
ing of section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (50
U.S.C. 1543(a)), and activities that the United States
Armed Forces have conducted in Syria fall within such
definition, as evidenced by strikes on the Syrian Armed
Forces and pro-Syrian Government forces, various ter-
rorist organizations including ISIS, Iran’s Islamic Revo-
lutionary Guard, Iranian-backed militias, the Russian-
backed Wagner private military company, and the armed
forces of Turkey;
Whereas section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50
U.S.C. 1544(c)) states that ‘‘at any time that United
States Armed Forces are engaged in hostilities outside
the territory of the United States, its possessions and ter-
ritories without a declaration of war or specific statutory
authorization, such forces shall be removed by the Presi-
dent if the Congress so directs’’; and
Whereas section 1013 of the Department of State Authoriza-
tion Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a)
provides that ‘‘[a]ny joint resolution or bill [to require]
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 procedures of section 601(b) of the International
Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of
1976’’: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives1
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
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SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES 1
FROM HOSTILITIES IN SYRIA THAT HAVE NOT 2
BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS. 3
Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State 4
Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 5
U.S.C. 1546a) and in accordance with the provisions of 6
section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance 7
and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (Public Law 94– 8
329; 90 Stat. 765), Congress hereby directs the President 9
to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in 10
or affecting Syria by not later than the date that is 30 11
days after the date of the adoption of this joint resolution 12
(unless the President requests and Congress authorizes a 13
later date), and unless and until a declaration of war or 14
specific authorization for such use of United States Armed 15
Forces has been enacted. 16
SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING AUTHORIZA-17
TIONS FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE. 18
Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers 19
Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1547(a)(1)), nothing in this joint 20
resolution may be construed as authorizing the use of mili-21
tary force. 22
Æ
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