IA 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. J. RES. 83 

To amend the War Powers Resolution to improve requirements and limitations 

in connection with authorizations for use of military force and narrowings 

and repeals of such authorizations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 24, 2020 

Mr. BROWN of Maryland submitted the following joint resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 

Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

To amend the War Powers Resolution to improve requirements and limitations in connection with authorizations 

for use of military force and narrowings and repeals 

of such authorizations, and for other purposes. 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This joint resolution may be cited as the ‘‘War Pow5 ers Reform Resolution’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. JOINT RESOLUTIONS AND BILLS AUTHORIZING, 

2 NARROWING, OR REPEALING USE OF MILI3 TARY FORCE. 

4 The War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.) 

5 is amended by inserting after section 5 the following new 

6 section: 

7 ‘‘JOINT RESOLUTIONS AND BILLS AUTHORIZING, 

8 NARROWING, OR REPEALING USE OF MILITARY FORCE

9 ‘‘SEC. 5A. (a) A joint resolution or bill introduced 

10 after the date of the enactment of this section pursuant 

11 to section 5(b) for a purpose specified in that section shall 

12 be eligible for expedited consideration in accordance with 

13 section 6(a) if the joint resolution or bill sets forth only 

14 the following: 

15 ‘‘(1) The specific strategic objective of the mili16 tary force authorized for use by the joint resolution 

17 or bill. 

18 ‘‘(2) A specification that the military force au19 thorized for use by the joint resolution or bill is nec20 essary, appropriate, and proportional to the purpose 

21 of the joint resolution or bill. 

22 ‘‘(3) A specific naming of the nations, organiza23 tions, or forces engaged in active hostilities against 

24 the United States, its territories or possessions, or 

25 United States Armed Forces against which use of 

26 military force is authorized by the joint resolution or 


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1 bill, which may not vest in or delegate to any official 

2 in the Executive Branch authority to specify any 

3 other nation, organization, or force against which 

4 use of military force is authorized by the joint reso5 lution or bill. 

6 ‘‘(4) A specification of the country or countries, 

7 or subdivision of a country or subdivisions of coun8 tries, in which military force is authorized for use by 

9 the joint resolution or bill, which may not vest in or 

10 delegate to any official in the Executive Branch au11 thority to specify any other country or subdivision of 

12 a country in which use of military force is author13 ized by the joint resolution or bill. 

14 ‘‘(5) A specification to a date certain of the du15 ration of the authorization for use of military force 

16 in the joint resolution or bill, which may not exceed 

17 two years from the date of the enactment of the 

18 joint resolution or bill. 

19 ‘‘(b) A joint resolution or bill introduced after the 

20 date of the enactment of this section to narrow a Joint 

21 Resolution or Act authorizing use of military force that 

22 is in effect on the date of the introduction of the joint 

23 resolution or bill shall be eligible for expedited consider24 ation in accordance with section 6(a) if the joint resolution 


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1 or bill sets forth only a narrowing or other limitation of 

2 the Joint Resolution or Act as follows: 

3 ‘‘(1) To narrow the specific strategic objective 

4 of the military force authorized by the Joint Resolu5 tion or Act. 

6 ‘‘(2) To strike one or more named nations, or7 ganizations, or forces against which use of military 

8 force is authorized by the Joint Resolution or Act, 

9 and to specify a date certain for the effective date 

10 of such strike. 

11 ‘‘(3) To strike one or more countries or subdivi12 sions of a country in which military force is author13 ized for use by the Joint Resolution or Act, and to 

14 specify a date certain for the effective date of such 

15 strike. 

16 ‘‘(4) To reduce the duration of the authoriza17 tion for use of military force in the Joint Resolution 

18 or Act to an earlier date certain specified in the 

19 joint resolution or bill. 

20 ‘‘(c) A joint resolution or bill introduced after the 

21 date of the enactment of this section only to repeal one 

22 or more Joint Resolutions or Acts authorizing use of mili23 tary force that is or are in effect on the date of the intro24 duction of the joint resolution or bill shall be eligible for 

25 expedited consideration in accordance with section 6(a). 


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1 ‘‘(d) A joint resolution or bill introduced as described 

2 in subsection (a) or (b) may also repeal any Joint Resolu3 tion or Act authorizing use of military force that is in ef4 fect on the date of the introduction of the joint resolution 

5 or bill without losing eligibility for expedited consideration 

6 in accordance with section 6(a) as otherwise provided in 

7 such subsection.’’. 

8 SEC. 3. EXPEDITED PROCEDURES FOR JOINT RESOLU9 TIONS AND BILLS AUTHORIZING, LIMITING, 

10 OR REPEALING USE OF MILITARY FORCE. 

11 Section 6(a) of the War Powers Resolution (50 

12 U.S.C. 1545(a)) is amended— 

13 (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(a)’’; 

14 (2) in paragraph (1), as designated by para15 graph (1) of this section— 

16 (A) by striking ‘‘introduced pursuant to 

17 section 5(b) at least thirty calendar days before 

18 the expiration of the sixty-day period specified 

19 in such section’’ and inserting ‘‘introduced pur20 suant to section 5(b) for purposes of section 

21 5A(a) at least thirty calendar days before the 

22 expiration of the sixty-day period specified in 

23 section 5(b)’’; and 


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1 (B) by striking ‘‘sixty-day period specified 

2 in such section’’ and inserting ‘‘sixty-day period 

3 specified in section 5(b)’’; and 

4 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

5 paragraph: 

6 ‘‘(2)(A) Any joint resolution or bill introduced pursu7 ant to subsection (b) or (c) of section 5A shall be referred 

8 to the committee provided for in paragraph (1), and such 

9 committee shall report one such joint resolution or bill, 

10 together with its recommendations, not later than twenty11 four calendar days before the expiration of the thirty-day 

12 period beginning on the date of the introduction of such 

13 joint resolution or bill, unless such House shall otherwise 

14 determine by the yeas and nays. 

15 ‘‘(B) In the case of any joint resolution or bill de16 scribed in subparagraph (A), any reference in this section 

17 to the sixty-day period specified in section 5(b) shall be 

18 deemed to refer instead to the thirty-day period beginning 

19 on the date of the introduction of such joint resolution 

20 or bill.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS IN CONTRAVENTION 

2 OF THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION OR 

3 OTHER APPLICABLE RESOLUTIONS AUTHOR4 IZING USE OF MILITARY FORCE. 

5 The War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.) 

6 is amended— 

7 (1) by redesignating sections 9 and 10 as sec8 tions 10 and 11, respectively; and 

9 (2) by inserting after section 8 the following 

10 new section 9: 

11 ‘‘LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS

12 ‘‘SEC. 9. Appropriated funds may not be obligated 

13 or expended for the introduction or use of United States 

14 Armed Forces into or in hostilities or situations where im15 minent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the 

16 circumstances in contravention of the provisions of this 

17 joint resolution, or another Joint Resolution or Act au18 thorizing such introduction or use (if applicable).’’. 

19 SEC. 5. JUSTIFICATION IN REQUESTS FOR AUTHORIZA20 TIONS FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE AND IN 

21 REPORTS ON USE OF MILITARY FORCE. 

22 Section 4 of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 

23 1543) is amended by adding at the end the following new 

24 subsection: 

25 ‘‘(d)(1) If in submitting a report under subsection (a) 

26 or in connection with an introduction of the United States 


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1 Armed Forces as described in that subsection the Presi2 dent also submits to Congress a request for an authoriza3 tion for use of the United States Armed Forces in the 

4 hostilities or situation concerned, the President shall in5 clude with such request a comprehensive justification for 

6 such request, including a justification for— 

7 ‘‘(A) the nations, organizations, and forces cov8 ered by such request; 

9 ‘‘(B) the countries and subdivisions of countries 

10 covered by such request; and 

11 ‘‘(C) the duration of the request. 

12 ‘‘(2) Each report under subsection (c) on the status 

13 of hostilities or a situation shall include a current com14 prehensive justification for use of the United States 

15 Armed Forces in the hostilities or situation, including a 

16 justification for— 

17 ‘‘(A) the continuing use of the United States 

18 Armed Forces against the particular nations, organi19 zations, and forces concerned; 

20 ‘‘(B) the continuing use of the United States 

21 Armed Forces in the particular countries and sub22 divisions of countries concerned; and 

23 ‘‘(C) the currently anticipated duration of the 

24 use of the United States Armed Forces in the hos25 tilities or situation. 


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1 ‘‘(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), any 

2 justification submitted pursuant to this subsection shall 

3 be in unclassified form to the greatest extent practicable, 

4 including in the specification of the countries or subdivi5 sions of countries concerned and in the duration or antici6 pated duration concerned, but may include a classified 

7 annex (and then only to the extent required to protect the 

8 national security interests of the United States). 

9 ‘‘(B) A request described in paragraph (1) shall list 

10 or specify the names of the nations, organizations, and 

11 forces covered by such request in unclassified form.’’. 

12 SEC. 6. REPEAL OF AUTHORIZATIONS FOR USE OF MILI13 TARY FORCE. 

14 (a) AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY

15 FORCE.—The Authorization for Use of Military Force 

16 (Public Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) is repealed. 

17 (b) AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE

18 AGAINST IRAQ RESOLUTION OF 2002.—The Authoriza19 tion for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 

20 2002 (Public law 107–243; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) is re21 pealed. 

22 (c) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR SAFE REMOVAL OF

23 ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES.—Notwithstanding 

24 the repeal by subsections (a) and (b) of the Resolutions 

25 referred to in such subsections, the President is authorVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:35 Jan 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HJ83.IH HJ83

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1 ized, during the 60-day period beginning on the date of 

2 the enactment of this joint resolution, to obligate and ex3 pend appropriated funds to safely remove United States 

4 Armed Forces from hostilities or situations in which use 

5 of United States Armed Forces is authorized by or con6 ducted pursuant to the Resolutions as of the date of the 

7 enactment of this joint resolution. 

Æ 


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