IIA 

119TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 6 

Directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in 

Syria that have not been authorized by Congress. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 23, 2025 

Mr. PAUL introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from 

hostilities in Syria that have not been authorized by 

Congress. 

Whereas Congress has the sole power to declare war under 

the War Powers Clause of section 8 of article I of the 

Constitution of the United States; 

Whereas the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public 

Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) against the perpetrators of the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, which 

was enacted on September 18, 2001, and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 

2002 (Public Law 107–243; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note), which 

was enacted on October 16, 2002, do not serve as specific 

statutory authorizations for the use of force against 

Syria; 


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Whereas, on December 19, 2024, the Department of Defense 

announced that there are approximately 2,000 members 

of the United States Armed Forces deployed to Syria, 

1,100 more than previously reported; 

Whereas United States military operations in Syria began on 

September 22, 2014, over 13 years after the September 

11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with Operation Inherent Resolve targeting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria 

(ISIS); 

Whereas United States forces in Syria have targeted numerous entities, including the Syrian Armed Forces and proSyrian Government forces, numerous terrorist organizations including ISIS, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, 

Iranian-backed militias, the Russian-backed Wagner private military company, and the Armed Forces of Turkey; 

Whereas, on October 30, 2015, the Obama administration deployed boots on the ground, announcing that up to 50 

United States special operations forces would be deployed 

to Syria; 

Whereas, on April 25, 2016, the Obama administration announced that an additional 250 United States special operations forces would be deployed to Syria; 

Whereas, on December 6, 2017, the Pentagon revealed that 

there were about 2,000 members of the United States 

Armed Forces deployed in Syria, 1,500 more than previously reported; 

Whereas, since 2016, United States Armed Forces have targeted personnel, platforms, and facilities of the Syrian 

Armed Forces or forces allied with the Government of 

Syria on at least 11 occasions, including on April 7, 

2017, when United States forces fired 59 Tomahawk 


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cruise missiles at Shayrat Airbase controlled by the Government of Syria. Syrian government officials indicated 

the strike killed 16 people, including seven military personnel; 

Whereas, on February 7, 2018, United States Armed Forces 

in Syria killed hundreds of Russians who were part of the 

Russian-backed Wagner private military company; 

Whereas, on April 12, 2018, CIA Director Mike Pompeo told 

the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, ‘‘In 

Syria, now, a handful of weeks ago, the Russians met 

their match. A couple hundred Russians were killed.’’; 

Whereas, on December 19, 2018, President Donald J. Trump 

ordered the withdrawal of all United States military 

forces from Syria, a policy that was not implemented; 

Whereas, on February 28, 2019, President Trump declared 

that ‘‘100 percent’’ of the Islamic State caliphate had 

been defeated, therefore achieving the objective of Operation Inherent Resolve; 

Whereas United States and Turkish forces have fired on one 

another in Syria, as evidenced by the Pentagon reporting 

on October 11, 2019, that United States troops in northern Syria came under artillery fire from Turkish armed 

forces and former United States Special Presidential 

Envoy for the anti-ISIS coalition Brett McGurk stating, 

‘‘Turkish forces have fired on a declared U.S. military 

outpost in northern Syria. Turkey knows all of our locations down to the precise grid coordinate.’’; 

Whereas, on October 6, 2019, President Trump ordered the 

withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from northern 

Syria; 


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Whereas United States forces in Syria are regularly attacked 

by Iranian-backed militias resulting in casualties; 

Whereas, on February 25, 2021, United States Armed 

Forces conducted airstrikes in eastern Syria against facilities used by Iran-backed militias in response to attacks against United States and allied personnel in Iraq 

that killed a Filipino contractor and injured a National 

Guardsman and four United States contractors; 

Whereas, on June 27, 2021, United States Armed Forces 

conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria 

in response to drone attacks against United States personnel and facilities in Iraq; 

Whereas, on August 24, 2022, United States Armed Forces 

conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Deir 

al Zour, Syria, in response to attacks on a United States 

base in northeastern Syria that injured three United 

States soldiers; 

Whereas, on March 24, 2023, United States Armed Forces 

conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria 

in response to an attack in northeast Syria that killed a 

United States contractor and injured five United States 

soldiers and another United States contractor; 

Whereas, on October 5, 2023, a United States F–16 aircraft 

shot down an armed Turkish drone operating in northeastern Syria, and the drone was reported to have come 

within 500 yards of United States troops; 

Whereas, since October 17, 2023, United States Armed 

Forces in Syria and Iraq have been attacked at least 52 

times, with 28 attacks in Syria and 24 attacks in Iraq, 

resulting in at least 56 members of the United States 


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Armed Forces being injured and at least 25 sustaining 

traumatic brain injuries; 

Whereas, on October 26, 2023, United States Armed Forces 

conducted airstrikes against a weapons storage facility 

and an ammunition storage facility used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian-backed militias in Abu Kamal, Syria; 

Whereas, on November 8, 2023, United States Armed Forces 

conducted airstrikes against a weapons storage facility 

used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and 

Iranian-backed militias in Maysalun, Syria; 

Whereas, on November 12, 2023, United States Armed 

Forces conducted airstrikes against a training facility 

and a safe house used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary 

Guard Corps and Iranian-backed militias in Abu Kamal 

and Mayadin, Syria; 

Whereas, on February 2, 2024, United States Armed Forces 

conducted more than 85 airstrikes against Iran’s Islamic 

Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated militia groups 

across seven locations in Syria and Iraq; 

Whereas, on November 12, 2024, United States Armed 

Forces conducted airstrikes against a weapons storage 

and logistics headquarters facility used by Iranian-backed 

militias in Syria; 

Whereas, on December 8, 2024, opposition groups led by 

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a United States-designated foreign terrorist organization, overthrew the Syrian regime 

of Bashar al-Assad, ending more than 53 years of alAssad family rule; 


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Whereas, on December 9, 2024, the Kurdish-led Syrian 

Democratic Forces shot down a United States Air Force 

MQ–9 Reaper drone in northern Syria; 

Whereas, on December 10, 2024, United States Armed 

Forces conducted airstrikes on some 75 ISIS targets in 

Syria; 

Whereas, the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime presents 

an acute period of volatility, with 2,000 United States 

troops deployed in Syria facing significant risk, as is evident by regularly occurring attacks, and facing an imminent threat of wider hostilities involving them in Syria; 

Whereas, eleven members of the United States Armed Forces 

died in combat-related and non-combat related events in 

Syria during Operation Inherent Resolve: SSGT Austin 

Bieren, SCPO Scott Dayton, MSG Jonathan Dunbar, 

CW2 Jonathan Farmer, 1SG Casey Hart, SCPO Shannon Kent, SPC Antonio Moore, SGT Bryan Mount, SPC 

Etienne Murphy, SPC Alex Ram, and PFC Michael 

Thomason; 

Whereas section 8(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 

U.S.C. 1547(c)) defines the ‘‘introduction of United 

States Armed Forces’’ to include ‘‘the assignment of 

members of such Armed Forces to command, coordinate, 

participate in the movement of, or accompany the regular 

or irregular military forces of any foreign country or government when such military forces are engaged, or there 

exists an imminent threat that such forces will become 

engaged, in hostilities,’’ and activities that the United 

States Armed Forces have conducted in Syria fall within 

such definition, as is evidenced by United States support 

of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the Syrian 


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Democratic Forces (SDF), the Free Syrian Army (FSA), 

and other regular and irregular military forces; 

Whereas the United States Armed Forces have been introduced into active or imminent hostilities within the meaning of section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (50 

U.S.C. 1543(a)), and activities that the United States 

Armed Forces have conducted in Syria fall within such 

definition, as evidenced by strikes on the Syrian Armed 

Forces and pro-Syrian Government forces, various terrorist organizations including ISIS, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Iranian-backed militias, the Russianbacked Wagner private military company, and the armed 

forces of Turkey; 

Whereas section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 

U.S.C. 1544(c)) states that ‘‘at any time that United 

States Armed Forces are engaged in hostilities outside 

the territory of the United States, its possessions and territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory 

authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the Congress so directs’’; and 

Whereas section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a) 

provides that ‘‘[a]ny 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 procedures of section 601(b) of the International 

Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 

1976’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES 

2 FROM HOSTILITIES IN SYRIA THAT HAVE NOT 

3 BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS. 

4 Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State 

5 Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 

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

7 section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance 

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

9 329; 90 Stat. 765), Congress hereby directs the President 

10 to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in 

11 or affecting Syria by not later than the date that is 30 

12 days after the date of the adoption of this joint resolution 

13 (unless the President requests and Congress authorizes a 

14 later date), and unless and until a declaration of war or 

15 specific authorization for such use of United States Armed 

16 Forces has been enacted. 

17 SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING AUTHORIZA18 TIONS FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE. 

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

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

21 resolution may be construed as authorizing the use of mili22 tary force. 

Æ 


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