Constitutional Authorities Resolution

This Joint Resolution may be cited as the " Constitutional Authorities Resolution" . Congress finds the following: Article I, section 8, of the Constitution of the United States grants Congress the sole power to declare war. President George Washington, in a letter to William Moultrie dated August 28, 1793, wrote that "[t]he constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure" . Alexander Hamilton wrote in Examination Number 1 of the Hamilton Papers, dated December 17, 1801, that "" . Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East and a pernicious troublemaker in Iraq and Afghanistan. Missile tests by Iran have led to escalating tensions with Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the United Nations. Iran has threatened to shutdown crucial maritime lines of communication, putting United States and international naval assets, as well as global energy assets, at risk. Since 1979, Iran has been ruled by Islamic theocrats who use the Quran to justify the suppression of domestic political freedom and the denial of civil and human rights. A war with Iran would also endanger United States assets, personnel, and foreign policy objectives throughout the region, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel. On June 22, 2018, President Trump tweeted that Iran "[w]ill suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before" . A May 5, 2019, statement from National Security Advisor Ambassador John Bolton said that any attack on America or its allies, by Iran or its proxies, "will be met with unrelenting force" . Loose talk of war and belligerent rhetoric increases the risk of miscalculation by either side and unsettles United States allies. It is the sense of Congress that specific congressional approval is required, and has not been provided as of the date of the enactment of this joint resolution, to authorize the United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities within the sovereign Islamic Republic of Iran. Prior to the introduction of the Armed Forces into the sovereign Islamic Republic of Iran, the President shall submit to Congress a report, in classified or unclassified form, that includesâ€” the circumstances necessitating the introduction of the Armed Forces; the constitutional and legislative authority under which such introduction took place; and the estimated scope and duration of the hostilities or involvement.

Summary: Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the American people and Congress do not support the use of the U.S. Armed Forces in, or directed at, Syria; and (2) there are not overriding imminent U.S. national security interests at stake and Congress will not fund any military action taken in contradiction to this joint resolution. Prohibits the use of funds available to any U.S. government department or agency for the use of force in, or directed at, Syria by the U.S. Armed Forces unless a subsequent Act of Congress specifically authorizes such use of force or there is an attack or imminent attack on the United States, its territories or possessions, or the U.S. Armed Forces.