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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 6 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

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;
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 pro-Syrian 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 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;
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 
        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 al-Assad 
        family rule;
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 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 
        Russian-backed 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
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN 
              SYRIA THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS.

    Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization 
Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a) and in accordance 
with the provisions of section 601(b) of the International Security 
Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-329; 90 
Stat. 765), Congress hereby directs the President to remove United 
States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting Syria by not later 
than the date that is 30 days after the date of the adoption of this 
joint resolution (unless the President requests and Congress authorizes 
a later date), and unless and until a declaration of war or specific 
authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces has been 
enacted.

SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING AUTHORIZATIONS FOR USE OF 
              MILITARY FORCE.

    Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution (50 
U.S.C. 1547(a)(1)), nothing in this joint resolution may be construed 
as authorizing the use of military force.
                                 <all>
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