,,iia  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,j4 ,,res4 #fc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate 
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,january  
#c1 #bjbj,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself and   
,mr4 ,durbin7 introduced the following  
joint resolution2 which was read twice  
and referred to the ,committee on       
,foreign ,relations  ,,joint            
,,resolution  ,to direct the removal of 
,united ,states ,armed ,forces from     
hostilities against the ,islamic        
,republic of ,iran that have not been   
authorized by ,congress4  #a4 ,findings 
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,congress has the sole power to    
declare war under article ,i1 section   
#h1 clause #aa of the ,united ,states   
,constitution4  7#b7 ,congress has not  
yet declared war upon1 nor enacted a    
specific statutory authorization for use
 of military force against1 the ,islamic
 ,republic of ,iran4 ,the #bjja         
,authorization for ,use of ,military    
,force 7,public ,law #ajg-dj2 #ej       
,u4,s4,c4 #aeda note7 against the       

perpetrators of the #i_/aa attack and   
the ,authorization for ,use of ,military
 ,force ,against ,iraq ,resolution of   
#bjjb 7,public ,law #ajg-bdc2 #ej       
,u4,s4,c4 #aeda note7 do not serve as a 
specific statutory authorization for war
 against ,iran1 and neither authorize   
any such action4 ,the ,trump            
,administration has acknowledged that   
neither act is specific statutory       
authorization for military action       
against ,iran4  7#c7 ,president ,donald 
,j4 ,trump understands that ,congress   
has not authorized war with ,iran and   
has stated that he has the authority to 
initiate such military action without   
first going to ,congress1 as reported in
 ,the ,hill on ,june #bd1 #bjai4  7#d7  
,the conflict between the ,united       
,states and the ,islamic ,republic of   
,iran constitutes1 within the meaning of
 section #d7;a7 of the ,war ,powers     
,resolution 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #aedc7;a771  
either hostilities or a situation where 
imminent involvement in hostilities is  

clearly indicated by the circumstances  
into which ,united ,states ,armed       
,forces have been introduced4  7#e7     
,section #e7;c7 of the ,war ,powers     
,resolution 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #aedd7;c77   
states that at any time that ,united    
,states ,armed ,forces are engaged in   
hostilities outside the territory of the
 ,united ,states1 its possessions and   
territories without a declaration of war
 or specific statutory authorization1   
such forces shall be removed by the     
,president if the ,congress so directs4 
7#f7 ,section #h7;c7 of the ,war ,powers
 ,resolution 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #aedg7;c77  
defines the introduction of the ,united 
,states ,armed ,forces to include the   
assignment of members of such armed     
forces to command1 coordinate1          
participate in the movement of1 or      
accompany the regular or irregular      
forces of any foreign country or        
government when such military forces are
 engaged1 or there exists an imminent   
threat that such forces will become     

engaged in1 hostilities4  7#g7 ,the     
,united ,states ,armed ,forces have been
 introduced into hostilities1 as defined
 by the ,war ,powers ,resolution1       
against ,iran4  7#h7 ,department of     
,defense officials have been warning for
 more than a year that the ,trump       
,administration maximum pressure        
campaign against ,iran1 which has       
included economic1 diplomatic and       
military pressure1 is raising the risk  
of retaliation against ,united ,states  
troops and personnel4 ,the cycle of     
escalating back-and-forth violence      
between ,iran and its proxies and the   
,united ,states and its allies have     
proven their warnings correct4  7#i7    
,the question of whether ,united ,states
 forces should be engaged in armed      
conflict against ,iran should only be   
made following a full briefing to       
,congress and the ,american public of   
the issues at stake1 a public debate in 
,congress1 and a congressional vote as  
contemplated by the ,constitution4 ,the 

absence of such a deliberative approach 
is deeply unfair to members of the      
,united ,states ,armed ,forces and other
 ,americans whose lives are at risk in  
the event of hostilities between the    
,united ,states and ,iran4  7#aj7       
,section #ajac of the ,department of    
,state ,authorization ,act1 ,fiscal     
,years #aihd and #aihe 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4   
#aedf;a7 provides that any 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       
expedited procedures of section #fja7;b7
 of the ,international ,security and    
,arms ,export ,control ,act of #aigf4   
#b4 ,removal of ,united ,states ,forces 
from ,hostilities against the ,islamic  
,republic of ,iran  7a7 ,removal of     
forces ,pursuant to section #ajac of the
 ,department of ,state ,authorization   
,act1 ,fiscal ,years #aihd and #aihe    

7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #aedf;a71 and in         
accordance with the provisions of       
section #fja7;b7 of the ,international  
,security ,assistance and ,arms ,export 
,control ,act of #aigf1 ,congress hereby
 directs the ,president to remove       
,united ,states ,armed ,forces from     
hostilities against the ,islamic        
,republic of ,iran or any part of its   
government or military1 by not later    
than the date that is #cj days after the
 date of the enactment of this joint    
resolution unless explicitly authorized 
by a declaration of war or specific     
authorization for use of military force4
  7b7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in 
this section shall be construed to      
prevent the ,united ,states from        
defending itself from imminent attack4