[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 6 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
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
January 23, 2025
Mr. Paul introduced 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 perpetrators of the terror attacks on
September 11, 2001, which was enacted on September 18, 2001, and the
Authorization 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;
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 Resolve targeting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS);
Whereas United States forces in Syria have targeted numerous entities, including
the Syrian Armed Forces and pro-Syrian Government forces, numerous
terrorist organizations including ISIS, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary
Guard, Iranian-backed militias, the Russian-backed Wagner private
military company, and the Armed Forces of Turkey;
Whereas, on October 30, 2015, the Obama administration deployed 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 announced that an
additional 250 United States special operations 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 previously reported;
Whereas, since 2016, United States Armed Forces have targeted 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 cruise
missiles at Shayrat Airbase controlled by the Government of Syria.
Syrian government officials indicated the strike killed 16 people,
including seven military personnel;
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 Operation 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 northern 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 locations down to the precise grid coordinate.'';
Whereas, on October 6, 2019, President Trump ordered the withdrawal of United
States Armed Forces from northern Syria;
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 facilities used by Iran-backed militias in
response to attacks 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 personnel 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 northeastern 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
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 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian-backed
militias 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 foreign terrorist organization, overthrew the
Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, ending more than 53 years of al-Assad
family rule;
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 evident by regularly occurring attacks, and
facing an imminent 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 Shannon 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 government 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 Democratic Forces (SDF), the Free Syrian Army
(FSA), and other regular and irregular military forces;
Whereas the United States Armed Forces have been introduced into active or
imminent hostilities within the meaning 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 terrorist organizations including ISIS,
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary 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 territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory
authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the
Congress so directs''; and
Whereas section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization 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 Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN
SYRIA THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS.
Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization
Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a) and in accordance
with the provisions of section 601(b) of the International Security
Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-329; 90
Stat. 765), Congress hereby directs the President to remove United
States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting Syria by not later
than the date that is 30 days after the date of the adoption of this
joint resolution (unless the President requests and Congress authorizes
a later date), and unless and until a declaration of war or specific
authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces has been
enacted.
SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING AUTHORIZATIONS FOR USE OF
MILITARY FORCE.
Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution (50
U.S.C. 1547(a)(1)), nothing in this joint resolution may be construed
as authorizing the use of military force.
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