III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 741 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the letter of resignation of Secretary 

of Defense James Mattis and on the decision of President Trump to 

rapidly withdraw United States forces from Syria. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 22, 2018 

Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. COONS, Mr. REED, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. CARPER, and Mr. VAN HOLLEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the letter of resignation of Secretary of Defense James Mattis and on the 

decision of President Trump to rapidly withdraw United 

States forces from Syria. 

Whereas James Mattis served the United States with distinction over the course of a long career in the United States 

Marine Corps and as Secretary of Defense; 

Whereas the Senate concurs with the following sentiments expressed in the letter of resignation submitted by Secretary Mattis to President Trump: 

(1) The strength of the United States is inextricably 

linked to the strength of our system of alliances and 

partnerships. 


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•SRES 741 IS 

(2) The United States cannot protect our interests 

or serve as the indispensable nation in the free world 

without those alliances and partnerships. 

(3) Maintaining that system of alliances and partnerships requires that the United States demonstrate respect for our allies. 

(4) While the Armed Forces of the United States 

cannot serve as the world’s policeman, the United States 

must use all tools of American power to provide for the 

common defense, including providing effective leadership 

to our alliances. 

(5) Those alliances and partnerships have assisted 

the United States in increasing our national security, for 

example when all North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

(NATO) nations fought alongside the United States following the attacks of September 11, 2001, and when 74 

nations joined the effort to defeat the threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 

(6) The United States must demonstrate resolve and 

be unambiguous in our approach to countries whose strategic interests run counter to our own. 

(7) The Russian Federation and China wish to 

shape a world order consistent with their authoritarian 

model, allowing them to veto other nations’ economic, 

diplomatic, and security decisions, and to promote their 

own interests at the expense of other nations, the United 

States, and our allies. 

(8) The United States must do everything possible 

to advance a rules-based international order that is most 

conducive to our security, prosperity, and values, and our 

efforts in that regard are strengthened by the solidarity 

of our alliances. 


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•SRES 741 IS 

(9) United States military pressure has demonstrated considerable, but incomplete progress against 

global terrorist groups, particularly al Qaeda, the group 

responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks 

on the United States and the Islamic State of Iraq and 

Syria, who threaten the stability of the Middle East and 

the safety of the American people and the citizens of 

many of our closest allies; 

Whereas there are a small number of troops on the ground 

in Syria to train, equip, advise, and assist United States 

partners in the Syrian Democratic Forces fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria; 

Whereas the governments of the Russian Federation and Iran 

are fighting alongside the Assad regime against United 

States allies and interests; 

Whereas the abrupt decision of the President to remove all 

United States forces in Syria without consultation enables Iran and the Russian Federation to expand their 

influence and presence in Syria and beyond and threatens 

United States partners in Syria and Israel and other allies in the region; and 

Whereas the decision of the President to precipitously withdraw United States troops will leave the people of Syria 

even more vulnerable to violence from terrorist groups 

and provide time and space for al Qaeda and the Islamic 

State of Iraq and Syria to reconstitute and launch attacks against the United States and our allies: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses its gratitude to Secretary of De3 fense James Mattis for his decades of honorable 


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•SRES 741 IS 

1 service to the United States in the United States 

2 Marine Corps and at the Department of Defense; 

3 (2) expresses strong support for United States 

4 alliances and partnerships with allies around the 

5 world; 

6 (3) expresses concern with President Trump’s 

7 decision to rapidly withdraw United States forces 

8 from Syria, a decision taken without consultation 

9 with Congress or our allies and partners and without 

10 apparent concern for our national and collective in11 terests; and 

12 (4) believes that these decisions could further 

13 undermine United States leadership in the world, 

14 weaken our alliance and partnership structure, and 

15 make it harder to achieve a world more conducive to 

16 United States interests, including support for de17 mocracy. 

Æ 


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