IA 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. J. RES. 125 

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

organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (‘‘ISIL’’). 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014 

Mr. SCHIFF introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against 

the terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and the 

Levant (‘‘ISIL’’). 

Whereas for months Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 

(‘‘ISIL’’) has been engaged in an almost unchecked campaign of murder and mayhem across a broad swath of 

Iraq and Syria that has killed thousands of innocent people and terrorized millions; 

Whereas ISIL has brought under its control large areas of 

Iraq and Syria and announced on June 29, 2014, the establishment of a new caliphate; 

Whereas in its conduct of military operations, its treatment 

of personnel captured on the battlefield, and its behavior 

towards civilians in areas under its control, ISIL has 


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shown a level of brutality and depravity that shocks the 

conscience; 

Whereas ISIL brutally murdered two American journalists 

and a British aid worker and has threatened the lives of 

other western hostages; 

Whereas the threat posed by the recruitment of ISIL fighters 

in the United States and Europe and the prospect of 

these fighters returning to the United States or allied 

countries jeopardizes the security of the United States 

and its allies; 

Whereas ISIL poses an unusual and extraordinary threat to 

the national security and foreign policy of the United 

States and if left unchecked will be the locus of plots to 

attack our homeland; 

Whereas the rise of ISIL, the continuing threat posed by al 

Qaeda, and the pending redeployment of United States 

combat troops from Afghanistan highlight the need to reexamine and harmonize the legal authorities under which 

the President is authorized to take offensive military action; and 

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution 

to take action to protect the United States and its citizens from imminent threat or attack but Congress alone 

holds the power to declare war: Now, therefore, be it 

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 ‘‘Authoriza5 tion for Use of Military Force Against ISIL Resolution’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES 

2 ARMED FORCES. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 

4 use the Armed Forces of the United States against the 

5 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (‘‘ISIL’’). 

6 (b) GEOGRAPHICAL LIMITATION.—The authority 

7 granted in subsection (a) shall be confined to the territory 

8 of the Republic of Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic. The 

9 limitation of this subsection shall not apply to the Armed 

10 Forces of the United States engaged in training of indige11 nous Syrian or regional military forces for the purpose of 

12 combating ISIL. 

13 (c) NO AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF GROUND

14 FORCES IN COMBAT.—The authority granted in sub15 section (a) does not include the authority for the deploy16 ment of ground forces in a combat role. For purposes of 

17 this subsection, ‘‘ground forces in a combat role’’ does not 

18 include special operations forces or other forces that may 

19 be deployed in a training, advisory, or intelligence capac20 ity. 

21 (d) TERMINATION.—The authority granted in sub22 section (a) shall terminate on the date that is 18 months 

23 after the date of the enactment of this joint resolution. 

24 (e) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS.— 

25 (1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION.— 

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


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1 Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is 

2 intended to constitute specific statutory authoriza3 tion within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War 

4 Powers Resolution. 

5 (2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIRE6 MENTS.—Nothing in this joint resolution supersedes 

7 any requirement of the War Powers Resolution. 

8 SEC. 3. REPEAL OF PRIOR AUTHORIZATIONS FOR USE OF 

9 UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES. 

10 (a) REPEAL.—The following provisions of law are 

11 hereby repealed: 

12 (1) The Authorization for Use of Military Force 

13 Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107– 

14 243; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note). 

15 (2) The Authorization for Use of Military Force 

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

17 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The repeal made by sub18 section (a)(2) shall be effective as of the date that is 18 

19 months after the date of the enactment of this joint resolu20 tion. 

21 SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, at least once 

23 every 60 days after the date of the enactment of this joint 

24 resolution, submit to the Speaker of the House of Rep25 resentatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 


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1 a report on matters relevant to this joint resolution, in2 cluding actions taken pursuant to the exercise of authority 

3 granted in section 2 and the status of planning for efforts 

4 that are expected to be required over the next 60 days. 

5 (b) CONSOLIDATION.—To the extent that the submis6 sion of any report required in subsection (a) coincides with 

7 the submissions of any other report on matters relevant 

8 to this joint resolution otherwise required to be submitted 

9 to Congress pursuant to the reporting requirements of the 

10 War Powers Resolution, all such reports may be submitted 

11 as a single consolidated report to the Speaker of the 

12 House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 

13 of the Senate. 

Æ 


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