116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 7 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from 

hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been 

authorized by Congress. 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress makes the following findings: 

5 (1) Congress has the sole power to declare war 

6 under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United 

7 States Constitution. 

8 (2) Congress has not declared war with respect 

9 to, or provided a specific statutory authorization for, 

10 the conflict between military forces led by Saudi 

11 Arabia, including forces from the United Arab Emir12 ates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, 

13 Senegal, and Sudan (the Saudi-led coalition), 

14 against the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, in 

15 the Republic of Yemen. 
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1 (3) Since March 2015, members of the United 

2 States Armed Forces have been introduced into hos3 tilities between the Saudi-led coalition and the 

4 Houthis, including providing to the Saudi-led coali5 tion aerial targeting assistance, intelligence sharing, 

6 and mid-flight aerial refueling. 

7 (4) The United States has established a Joint 

8 Combined Planning Cell with Saudi Arabia, in which 

9 members of the United States Armed Forces assist 

10 in aerial targeting and help to coordinate military 

11 and intelligence activities. 

12 (5) In December 2017, Secretary of Defense 

13 James N. Mattis stated, ‘‘We have gone in to be 

14 very—to be helpful where we can in identifying how 

15 you do target analysis and how you make certain 

16 you hit the right thing.’’. 

17 (6) The conflict between the Saudi-led coalition 

18 and the Houthis constitutes, within the meaning of 

19 section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (50 

20 U.S.C. 1543(a)), either hostilities or a situation 

21 where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly 

22 indicated by the circumstances into which United 

23 States Armed Forces have been introduced. 

24 (7) Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution 

25 (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)) states that ‘‘at any time that 
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1 United States Armed Forces are engaged in hos2 tilities outside the territory of the United States, its 

3 possessions and territories without a declaration of 

4 war or specific statutory authorization, such forces 

5 shall be removed by the President if the Congress so 

6 directs’’. 

7 (8) Section 8(c) of the War Powers Resolution 

8 (50 U.S.C. 1547(c)) defines the introduction of 

9 United States Armed Forces to include ‘‘the assign10 ment of members of such armed forces to command, 

11 coordinate, participate in the movement of, or ac12 company the regular or irregular military forces of 

13 any foreign country or government when such mili14 tary forces are engaged, or there exists an imminent 

15 threat that such forces will become engaged, in hos16 tilities,’’ and activities that the United States is con17 ducting in support of the Saudi-led coalition, includ18 ing aerial refueling and targeting assistance, fall 

19 within this definition. 

20 (9) Section 1013 of the Department of State 

21 Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 

22 U.S.C. 1546a) provides that any joint resolution or 

23 bill to require the removal of United States Armed 

24 Forces engaged in hostilities without a declaration of 

25 war or specific statutory authorization shall be con-
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1 sidered in accordance with the expedited procedures 

2 of section 601(b) of the International Security and 

3 Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (Public Law 94– 

4 329; 90 Stat. 765). 

5 (10) No specific statutory authorization for the 

6 use of United States Armed Forces with respect to 

7 the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the 

8 Houthis in Yemen has been enacted, and no provi9 sion of law explicitly authorizes the provision of tar10 geting assistance or of midair refueling services to 

11 warplanes of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emir12 ates that are engaged in such conflict. 

13 SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES 

14 FROM HOSTILITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF 

15 YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED 

16 BY CONGRESS. 

17 Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State 

18 Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 

19 U.S.C. 1546a) and in accordance with the provisions of 

20 section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance 

21 and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (Public Law 94– 

22 329; 90 Stat. 765), Congress hereby directs the President 

23 to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in 

24 or affecting the Republic of Yemen, except United States 

25 Armed Forces engaged in operations directed at al Qaeda 
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1 or associated forces, by not later than the date that is 

2 30 days after the date of the enactment of this joint reso3 lution (unless the President requests and Congress author4 izes a later date), and unless and until a declaration of 

5 war or specific authorization for such use of United States 

6 Armed Forces has been enacted. For purposes of this reso7 lution, in this section, the term ‘‘hostilities’’ includes in8 flight refueling of non-United States aircraft conducting 

9 missions as part of the ongoing civil war in Yemen. 

10 SEC. 3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING CONTINUED 

11 MILITARY OPERATIONS AND COOPERATION 

12 WITH ISRAEL. 

13 Nothing in this joint resolution shall be construed to 

14 influence or disrupt any military operations and coopera15 tion with Israel. 

16 SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING INTEL17 LIGENCE SHARING. 

18 Nothing in this joint resolution may be construed to 

19 influence or disrupt any intelligence, counterintelligence, 

20 or investigative activities relating to threats in or ema21 nating from Yemen conducted by, or in conjunction with, 

22 the United States Government involving— 

23 (1) the collection of intelligence; 

24 (2) the analysis of intelligence; or 
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1 (3) the sharing of intelligence between the 

2 United States and any coalition partner if the Presi3 dent determines such sharing is appropriate and in 

4 the national security interests of the United States. 

5 SEC. 5. REPORT ON RISKS POSED BY CEASING SAUDI ARA6 BIA SUPPORT OPERATIONS. 

7 Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact8 ment of this joint resolution, the President shall submit 

9 to Congress a report assessing the risks posed to United 

10 States citizens and the civilian population of Saudi Arabia 

11 and the risk of regional humanitarian crises if the United 

12 States were to cease support operations with respect to 

13 the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the 

14 Houthis in Yemen. 

15 SEC. 6. REPORT ON INCREASED RISK OF TERRORIST AT16 TACKS TO UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES 

17 ABROAD, ALLIES, AND THE CONTINENTAL 

18 UNITED STATES IF SAUDI ARABIA CEASES 

19 YEMEN-RELATED INTELLIGENCE SHARING 

20 WITH THE UNITED STATES. 

21 Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact22 ment of this joint resolution, the President shall submit 

23 to Congress a report assessing the increased risk of ter24 rorist attacks on United States Armed Forces abroad, al25 lies, and to the continental United States if the Govern-
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1 ment of Saudi Arabia were to cease Yemen-related intel2 ligence sharing with the United States. 

3 SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING NO AUTHOR4 IZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE. 

5 Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers 

6 Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1547(a)(1)), nothing in this joint 

7 resolution may be construed as authorizing the use of mili8 tary force. 

Passed the Senate March 13, 2019. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 7 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

To direct the removal of United States Armed 

that have not been authorized by Congress. Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen