IA 

107TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. J. RES. 114

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 2, 2002

Mr. HASTERT (for himself and Mr. GEPHARDT) introduced the following joint 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

JOINT RESOLUTION

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against 

Iraq.

Whereas in 1990 in response to Iraq’s war of aggression 

against and illegal occupation of Kuwait, the United 

States forged a coalition of nations to liberate Kuwait 

and its people in order to defend the national security of 

the United States and enforce United Nations Security 

Council resolutions relating to Iraq; 

Whereas after the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, Iraq entered 

into a United Nations sponsored cease-fire agreement 

pursuant to which Iraq unequivocally agreed, among 

other things, to eliminate its nuclear, biological, and 

chemical weapons programs and the means to deliver and 

develop them, and to end its support for international 

terrorism; 
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Whereas the efforts of international weapons inspectors, 

United States intelligence agencies, and Iraqi defectors 

led to the discovery that Iraq had large stockpiles of 

chemical weapons and a large scale biological weapons 

program, and that Iraq had an advanced nuclear weapons development program that was much closer to producing a nuclear weapon than intelligence reporting had 

previously indicated; 

Whereas Iraq, in direct and flagrant violation of the ceasefire, attempted to thwart the efforts of weapons inspectors to identify and destroy Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction stockpiles and development capabilities, which 

finally resulted in the withdrawal of inspectors from Iraq 

on October 31, 1998; 

Whereas in 1998 Congress concluded that Iraq’s continuing 

weapons of mass destruction programs threatened vital 

United States interests and international peace and security, declared Iraq to be in ‘‘material and unacceptable 

breach of its international obligations’’ and urged the 

President ‘‘to take appropriate action, in accordance with 

the Constitution and relevant laws of the United States, 

to bring Iraq into compliance with its international obligations’’ (Public Law 105–235); 

Whereas Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national 

security of the United States and international peace and 

security in the Persian Gulf region and remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations by, among other things, continuing to possess and 

develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking a nuclear weapons capability, 

and supporting and harboring terrorist organizations; 
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Whereas Iraq persists in violating resolutions of the United 

Nations Security Council by continuing to engage in brutal repression of its civilian population thereby threatening international peace and security in the region, by 

refusing to release, repatriate, or account for non-Iraqi 

citizens wrongfully detained by Iraq, including an American serviceman, and by failing to return property wrongfully seized by Iraq from Kuwait; 

Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its capability and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction 

against other nations and its own people; 

Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its continuing hostility toward, and willingness to attack, the 

United States, including by attempting in 1993 to assassinate former President Bush and by firing on many 

thousands of occasions on United States and Coalition 

Armed Forces engaged in enforcing the resolutions of the 

United Nations Security Council; 

Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, 

and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq; 

Whereas Iraq continues to aid and harbor other international 

terrorist organizations, including organizations that 

threaten the lives and safety of American citizens; 

Whereas the attacks on the United States of September 11, 

2001, underscored the gravity of the threat posed by the 

acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by international terrorist organizations; 

Whereas Iraq’s demonstrated capability and willingness to 

use weapons of mass destruction, the risk that the cur-
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rent Iraqi regime will either employ those weapons to 

launch a surprise attack against the United States or its 

Armed Forces or provide them to international terrorists 

who would do so, and the extreme magnitude of harm 

that would result to the United States and its citizens 

from such an attack, combine to justify action by the 

United States to defend itself; 

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 authorizes the use of all necessary means to enforce United 

Nations Security Council Resolution 660 and subsequent 

relevant resolutions and to compel Iraq to cease certain 

activities that threaten international peace and security, 

including the development of weapons of mass destruction and refusal or obstruction of United Nations weapons inspections in violation of United Nations Security 

Council Resolution 687, repression of its civilian population in violation of United Nations Security Council 

Resolution 688, and threatening its neighbors or United 

Nations operations in Iraq in violation of United Nations 

Security Council Resolution 949; 

Whereas Congress in the Authorization for Use of Military 

Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102–1) has 

authorized the President ‘‘to use United States Armed 

Forces pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 (1990) in order to achieve implementation of 

Security Council Resolutions 660, 661, 662, 664, 665, 

666, 667, 669, 670, 674, and 677’’; 

Whereas in December 1991, Congress expressed its sense 

that it ‘‘supports the use of all necessary means to 

achieve the goals of United Nations Security Council 

Resolution 687 as being consistent with the Authorization of Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution 
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(Public Law 102–1),’’ that Iraq’s repression of its civilian 

population violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 and ‘‘constitutes a continuing threat to the 

peace, security, and stability of the Persian Gulf region,’’ 

and that Congress, ‘‘supports the use of all necessary 

means to achieve the goals of United Nations Security 

Council Resolution 688’’; 

Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act (Public Law 105–338) expressed the sense of Congress that it should be the policy 

of the United States to support efforts to remove from 

power the current Iraqi regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime; 

Whereas on September 12, 2002, President Bush committed 

the United States to ‘‘work with the United Nations Security Council to meet our common challenge’’ posed by 

Iraq and to ‘‘work for the necessary resolutions,’’ while 

also making clear that ‘‘the Security Council resolutions 

will be enforced, and the just demands of peace and security will be met, or action will be unavoidable’’; 

Whereas the United States is determined to prosecute the 

war on terrorism and Iraq’s ongoing support for international terrorist groups combined with its development 

of weapons of mass destruction in direct violation of its 

obligations under the 1991 cease-fire and other United 

Nations Security Council resolutions make clear that it is 

in the national security interests of the United States 

and in furtherance of the war on terrorism that 

allrelevant United Nations Security Council resolutions 

be enforced, including through the use of force if necessary; 

Whereas Congress has taken steps to pursue vigorously the 

war on terrorism through the provision of authorities and 
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funding requested by the President to take the necessary 

actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the 

terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or 

harbored such persons or organizations; 

Whereas the President and Congress are determined to continue to take all appropriate actions against international 

terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, 

committed or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on 

September 11, 2001, or harbored such persons or organizations; 

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution 

to take action in order to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States, as Congress 

recognized in the joint resolution on Authorization for 

Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40); and 

Whereas it is in the national security of the United States 

to restore international peace and security to the Persian 

Gulf region: 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 the Use of Military Force Against Iraq’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR UNITED STATES DIPLOMATIC EF2 FORTS. 

3 The Congress of the United States supports the ef4 forts by the President to—

5 (1) strictly enforce through the United Nations 

6 Security Council all relevant Security Council resolu7 tions applicable to Iraq and encourages him in those 

8 efforts; and 

9 (2) obtain prompt and decisive action by the 

10 Security Council to ensure that Iraq abandons its 

11 strategy of delay, evasion and noncompliance and 

12 promptly and strictly complies with all relevant Se13 curity Council resolutions. 

14 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES 

15 ARMED FORCES. 

16 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The President is authorized to 

17 use the Armed Forces of the United States as he deter18 mines to be necessary and appropriate in order to—

19 (1) defend the national security of the United 

20 States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; 

21 and 

22 (2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security 

23 Council resolutions regarding Iraq. 

24 (b) PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION.—In connection 

25 with the exercise of the authority granted in subsection 

26 (a) to use force the President shall, prior to such exercise 
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1 or as soon thereafter as may be feasible, but no later than 

2 48 hours after exercising such authority, make available 

3 to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 

4 President pro tempore of the Senate his determination 

5 that—

6 (1) reliance by the United States on further 

7 diplomatic or other peaceful means alone either (A) 

8 will not adequately protect the national security of 

9 the United States against the continuing threat 

10 posed by Iraq or (B) is not likely to lead to enforce11 ment of all relevant United Nations Security Council 

12 resolutions regarding Iraq; and 

13 (2) acting pursuant to this resolution is con14 sistent with the United States and other countries 

15 continuing to take the necessary actions against 

16 international terrorists and terrorist organizations, 

17 including those nations, organizations or persons 

18 who planned, authorized, committed or aided the 

19 terrorists attacks that occurred on September 11, 

20 2001. 

21 (c) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS.—

22 (1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION.—

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

24 Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is 

25 intended to constitute specific statutory authoriza-
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1 tion within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War 

2 Powers Resolution. 

3 (2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIRE4 MENTS.—Nothing in this resolution supersedes any 

5 requirement of the War Powers Resolution. 

6 SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

7 (a) The President shall, at least once every 60 days, 

8 submit to the Congress a report on matters relevant to 

9 this joint resolution, including actions taken pursuant to 

10 the exercise of authority granted in section 3 and the sta11 tus of planning for efforts that are expected to be required 

12 after such actions are completed, including those actions 

13 described in section 7 of Public Law 105–338 (the Iraq 

14 Liberation Act of 1998). 

15 (b) To the extent that the submission of any report 

16 described in subsection (a) coincides with the submission 

17 of any other report on matters relevant to this joint resolu18 tion otherwise required to be submitted to Congress pursu19 ant to the reporting requirements of Public Law 93–148 

20 (the War Powers Resolution), all such reports may be sub21 mitted as a single consolidated report to the Congress. 

22 (c) To the extent that the information required by 

23 section 3 of Public Law 102–1 is included in the report 

24 required by this section, such report shall be considered 
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1 as meeting the requirements of section 3 of Public Law 

2 102–1.

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