IV 
107TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 518
Expressing the sense of Congress that the deployment of United States 
Armed Forces against Iraq without prior specific authorization by the 
United Nations Security Council and specific congressional authorization 
pursuant to a declaration of war would constitute a violation of the 
obligations of the United States under the United Nations Charter and 
a violation of the United States Constitution, respectively. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 14, 2002
Ms. CARSON of Indiana submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on International Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the deployment of 
United States Armed Forces against Iraq without prior 
specific authorization by the United Nations Security 
Council and specific congressional authorization pursuant 
to a declaration of war would constitute a violation of 
the obligations of the United States under the United 
Nations Charter and a violation of the United States 
Constitution, respectively.
Whereas the United States form of government was founded 
upon many principles, including the principle of ‘‘a de-
cent respect [for] the opinions of mankind’’;
•HCON 518 IH 
Whereas the United States, like most other countries, is a 
member of the United Nations by reason of being a party 
to the Charter of the United Nations (signed at San 
Francisco on June 26, 1945), an international treaty es-
tablishing the United Nations and setting forth the re-
sponsibilities and obligations of members of the United 
Nations; 
Whereas Article VI, clause 2 of the United States Constitu-
tion provides in part that ‘‘[t]his Constitution, and the 
Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursu-
ance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be 
made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be 
the supreme Law of the land’’; 
Whereas the United Nations Charter prohibits any member 
nation from initiating the use of force against any other 
nation in the absence of authorization from the United 
Nations Security Council unless such use of force is used 
for purposes of self-defense; 
Whereas violation by a member nation of this prohibition con-
tained in the United Nations Charter would constitute a 
violation of that nation’s obligations under the Charter 
and, with respect to such a violation by the United 
States, would constitute a violation of ‘‘the supreme 
Law’’ of the United States; 
Whereas Article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States 
Constitution provides Congress with the exclusive author-
ity to declare war; 
Whereas this authority to declare war cannot be delegated to 
any other branch of the United States Government ex-
cept by an amendment to the Constitution; and
•HCON 518 IH 
Whereas section 3(a) of the Authorization for Use of Military 
Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107–
243), enacted on October 16, 2002, which provides that 
‘‘[t]he President is authorized to use the Armed Forces 
of the United States as he determines to be necessary 
and appropriate in order to (1) defend the national secu-
rity of the United States against the continuing threat 
posed by Iraq; and (2) enforce all relevant United Na-
tions Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq’’, is an 
unconstitutional delegation by Congress to the President 
of the authority to determine whether the United States 
shall initiate war against Iraq: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the de-
ployment of United States Armed Forces against Iraq 
without prior specific authorization by the United Nations 
Security Council and specific congressional authorization 
pursuant to a declaration of war would constitute a viola-
tion of the obligations of the United States under the 
United Nations Charter and a violation of Article I, sec-
tion 8, clause 11 of the United States Constitution, respec-
tively.
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