,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #abe  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #c1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,jones introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs  ,a     
,,bill  ,to provide for congressional   
oversight of ,united ,states agreements 
with the ,government of ,afghanistan4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,congressional ,oversight of    
,afghanistan ,agreements ,act of #bjac4 
#b4 ,findings ,congress makes the       
following findings3  7#a7 ,president    
,barack ,obama has announced an         
,enduring ,strategic ,partnership       
,agreement between the ,united ,states  
of ,america and the ,islamic ,republic  
of ,afghanistan1 with the goal of       
concluding a final agreement between the
 ,united ,states and ,afghanistan by    
,may #b1 #bjac4  7#b7 ,the ,agreement   
envisions commitments that directly     
affect the national security of the     
,united ,states1 including a commitment 

to assist ,afghanistan to deter threats 
against its sovereignty1 security1 and  
territorial integrity4  7#c7 ,the       
,agreement fails to make clear the      
future basing structure of ,united      
,states forces in ,afghanistan4  7#d7   
,the ,agreement fails to specify the    
future mission profile of ,united       
,states forces in ,afghanistan1 the     
future number of ,united ,states forces 
deployed to ,afghanistan1 and the length
 of deployments for ,united ,states     
forces in ,afghanistan4  7#e7 ,the      
,agreement fails to specify the extent  
to which ,united ,states military       
personnel and government contractors    
will be accountable under the laws of   
,afghanistan4  7#f7 ,congress is a      
co-equal branch of government and as    
such the extension of long-term ,united 
,states security commitments to         
,afghanistan that obligates or requires 
the appropriation of ,united ,states    
funds requires the full participation   
and consent of ,congress4  7#g7 ,under  

the ,constitution1 legislative approval 
of an international agreement can take  
the form either of approval of a treaty 
by two-thirds of the ,senate under      
article ,,ii or authorization of the    
agreement by a simple majority of both  
houses of ,congress under article ,i4   
7#h7 ,past presidential practice with   
regard to international agreements other
 than treaties has been regulated by    
,department of ,state guidelines that   
call for due consideration of the extent
 to which the agreement involves        
commitments or risks affecting the      
nation as a whole1whether the agreement 
can be given effect without the         
enactment of subsequent legislation by  
the ,congress1 and the preference of the
 ,congress4  #c4 ,conclusion of         
bilateral agreement without             
congressional approval  7a7 ,report on  
justification for denying congressional 
role in concluding agreement  7#a7 ,in  
general ,not later than #fj days after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 

the ,legal ,advisor to the ,secretary of
 ,state shall submit to ,congress an    
unclassified report providing the       
justification for the decision of the   
,president to deny ,congress its        
constitutionally protected role by      
concluding an agreement on the future of
 the security relationship between the  
,united ,states and ,afghanistan as an  
executive agreement4  7#b7 ,legal       
analysis of constitutional authority    
required ,the report required under     
paragraph 7#a7 shall include a legal    
analysis of the constitutional powers   
asserted by the ,president in concluding
 that such an agreement does not require
 approval by ,congress4  7b7 ,sense of  
congress ,it is the sense of ,congress  
that any bilateral agreement between the
 ,united ,states and ,afghanistan       
involving commitments or risks affecting
 the nation as a whole1 including a     
,bilateral ,security ,agreement1 that is
 not a treaty approved by two-thirds of 
the ,senate under ,article ,,ii of the  

,constitution or authorized by          
legislation does not have the force of  
law4  7c7 ,prohibition on use of funds  
,to carry out certain agreements ,no    
funds may be authorized or appropriated 
to carry out any bilateral agreement    
between the ,united ,states and         
,afghanistan involving commitments or   
risks affecting the nation as a whole1  
including a ,bilateral ,security        
,agreement1 that is not a treaty        
approved by two-thirds of the ,senate   
under ,article ,,ii of the ,constitution
 or authorized by legislation passed by 
both houses of ,congress4