I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4208 

To authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces against the Islamic 

State of Iraq and the Levant. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 10, 2015 

Mr. RIGELL (for himself and Mr. WELCH) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces 

against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Authority for the Use 

5 of Military Force Against the Islamic State of Iraq and 

6 the Levant Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress makes the following findings: 

9 (1) The terrorist organization that has referred 

10 to itself as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 


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1 and various other names (in this resolution referred 

2 to as ‘‘ISIL’’) poses a grave threat to the people and 

3 territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria, regional sta4 bility, and the national security interests of the 

5 United States and its allies and partners. 

6 (2) ISIL holds significant territory in Iraq and 

7 Syria and has stated its intention to seize more ter8 ritory and demonstrated the capability to do so. 

9 (3) ISIL leaders have stated that they intend to 

10 conduct terrorist attacks internationally, including 

11 against the United States, its citizens, and interests. 

12 (4) ISIL has committed despicable acts of vio13 lence and mass executions against Muslims, regard14 less of sect, who do not subscribe to ISIL’s de15 praved, violent, and oppressive ideology. 

16 (5) ISIL has threatened genocide and com17 mitted vicious acts of violence against religious and 

18 ethnic minority groups, including Iraqi Christian, 

19 Yezidi, and Turkmen populations. 

20 (6) ISIL has targeted innocent women and girls 

21 with horrific acts of violence, including abduction, 

22 enslavement, torture, rape, and forced marriage. 

23 (7) ISIL is responsible for the deaths of inno24 cent United States citizens, including James Foley, 


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1 Steven Sotloff, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, and 

2 Kayla Mueller. 

3 (8) The United States is working with regional 

4 and global allies and partners to degrade and defeat 

5 ISIL, to cut off its funding, to stop the flow of for6 eign fighters to its ranks, and to support local com7 munities as they reject ISIL. 

8 (9) The announcement of the anti-ISIL Coali9 tion on September 5, 2014, during the NATO Sum10 mit in Wales, stated that ISIL poses a serious 

11 threat and should be countered by a broad inter12 national coalition. 

13 (10) The United States calls on its allies and 

14 partners, particularly in the Middle East and North 

15 Africa, to join the anti-ISIL Coalition and defeat 

16 this terrorist threat. 

17 (11) President Barack Obama, United States 

18 military leaders, and United States allies in the re19 gion have made clear that it is more effective to use 

20 the unique capabilities of the United States Govern21 ment to support regional partners instead of large22 scale deployments of United States ground forces in 

23 this mission. 


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1 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES 

2 ARMED FORCES. 

3 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The President is authorized to 

4 use the Armed Forces of the United States as the Presi5 dent determines necessary and appropriate against ISIL 

6 or associated persons or forces as defined in section 6. 

7 (b) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS.— 

8 (1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION.— 

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

10 Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1547(a)(1)), Congress de11 clares that this section is intended to constitute spe12 cific statutory authorization within the meaning of 

13 section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution (50 

14 U.S.C. 1544(b)). 

15 (2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIRE16 MENTS.—Nothing in this Act supersedes any re17 quirements of the War Powers Resolution (50 

18 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.). 

19 (c) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this authorization is 

20 to protect the lives of United States citizens and to provide 

21 military support to regional partners in their battle to de22 feat ISIL. The use of significant United States ground 

23 troops in combat against ISIL, except to protect the lives 

24 of United States citizens from imminent threat, is not con25 sistent with such purpose. 


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1 SEC. 4. DURATION OF AUTHORIZATION. 

2 The authorization for the use of military force under 

3 this Act shall terminate three years after the date of the 

4 enactment of this Act, unless reauthorized. 

5 SEC. 5. REPORTS. 

6 The President shall report to Congress at least once 

7 every six months on specific actions taken pursuant to this 

8 authorization. 

9 SEC. 6. ASSOCIATED PERSONS OR FORCES DEFINED. 

10 In this Act, the term ‘‘associated persons or 

11 forces’’— 

12 (1) means individuals and organizations fight13 ing for, on behalf of, or alongside ISIL or any close14 ly related successor entity in hostilities against the 

15 United States or its coalition partners; and 

16 (2) refers to any individual or organization that 

17 presents a direct threat to members of the United 

18 States Armed Forces, coalition partner forces, or 

19 forces trained by the coalition, in their fight against 

20 ISIL. 

21 SEC. 7. REPEAL OF AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY 

22 FORCE AGAINST IRAQ. 

23 The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against 

24 Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107–243; 116 Stat. 

25 1498; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) is hereby repealed. 


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1 SEC. 8. SOLE STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR MILITARY AC2 TION AGAINST ISIL. 

3 This authorization shall constitute the sole statutory 

4 authority for United States military action against the Is5 lamic State of Iraq and the Levant and associated persons 

6 or forces, and supersedes any prior authorization for the 

7 use of military force involving action against ISIL. 

Æ 


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