IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 2 
To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against the Islamic 
State of Iraq and the Levant and its associated forces. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2017 
Mr. COLE submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against 
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and its associ-
ated forces. 
Whereas the terrorist organization referred to as the Islamic 
State of Iraq and the Levant and various other names (in 
this concurrent resolution referred to as ‘‘ISIL’’) has 
been systematically targeting, kidnapping, and killing in-
nocent men, women, and children throughout Iraq and 
Syria, continues to expand its terror influence, and is re-
sponsible for recent attacks in Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, 
and France; 
Whereas foreign fighters, undeterred by the more than 60 na-
tion coalition operating against ISIL, continue to join the 
ranks of ISIL with the goal of establishing a caliphate; 
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Whereas, on June 19, 2014, President Barack Obama stated 
that ‘‘ISIL poses a threat to the Iraqi people, to the re-
gion and to U.S. interests’’; 
Whereas, on August 19, 2014, ISIL released a video of the 
beheading of an American journalist, James Foley, and 
threatened to kill more Americans; 
Whereas, on September 2, 2014, ISIL released a second 
video, of the beheading of an Israeli-American journalist, 
Steven Sotloff, and again threatened to kill more; 
Whereas a Central Intelligence Agency assessment in Sep-
tember 2014 estimated that ISIL can muster as many as 
31,500 fighters in Syria and Iraq alone; 
Whereas, on November 16, 2014, ISIL released yet another 
video of militant ‘‘Jihadi John’’ standing over the severed 
head of former Army Ranger Peter Kassig; 
Whereas Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler, a member of a 
United States Special Forces operations team, was killed 
during a daring raid on an ISIL stronghold in Iraq to 
rescue 70 prisoners who were slated to be executed; 
Whereas American hostage Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old fe-
male, was kidnapped and repeatedly raped for almost 18 
months by the leader of ISIL, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; 
Whereas, on November 13, 2015, ISIL carried out a coordi-
nated attack on Paris, France, killing more than 129 
people from at least 14 different countries, including 
American student Nohemi Gonzalez; 
Whereas, on November 16, 2015, Central Intelligence Agency 
Director Brennan warned, following ISIL’s horrific ter-
rorist in Paris, that the attack was likely ‘‘not the only 
operation that ISIL has in the pipeline’’; 
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Whereas, on August 18, 2014, Pope Francis said that the 
international community would be justified in stopping 
ISIL; 
Whereas, on August 21, 2014, former Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff General Dempsey stated that ISIL ‘‘has 
an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will 
eventually have to be defeated’’; 
Whereas, on September 16, 2014, former Secretary of De-
fense Hagel testified before the Committee on Armed 
Services of the Senate that ‘‘if left unchecked, ISIL will 
directly threaten our homeland and our allies’’; 
Whereas, on September 17, 2014, during a hearing of the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, Secretary 
of State Kerry stated that ‘‘ISIL must be defeated. Pe-
riod. End of story’’; 
Whereas, on March 13, 2015, Central Intelligence Agency Di-
rector Brennan stated that ‘‘ISIL is well-armed and well- 
financed. Its fighters are disciplined, committed, and bat-
tle-hardened. Left unchecked, the group would pose a se-
rious danger not only to Syria and Iraq, but to the wider 
region beyond, including the threat of attacks in the 
homelands of the United States and our partners’’; 
Whereas, on July 23, 2015, Federal Bureau of Investigation 
Director Comey stated that ‘‘[t]he threat that ISIL pre-
sents to the United States is very different in kind, in 
type, in degree than al Qaeda. ISIL is not your parent’s 
al Qaeda, it’s a very different model. And by virtue of 
that model, it’s currently the threat that we are worried 
about in the homeland most of all’’; 
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Whereas, on November 16, 2015, following the attacks on 
Paris, France, ISIL released a video threatening to 
‘‘strike America at its center in Washington’’; 
Whereas, on November 17, 2015, former Central Intelligence 
Agency Director Panetta warned that countering the 
threat posed by ISIL ‘‘isn’t about containment. It is 
about defeating ISIS. I think if there’s anything we 
ought to understand from these last events [in Paris], it’s 
that we have to go to war against this brutal enemy’’; 
Whereas after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, 
Congress authorized the use of military force against al 
Qaeda; 
Whereas ISIL poses a direct threat to the United States 
homeland that is equal to or greater than the threat 
posed by al Qaeda prior to the terrorist attacks of Sep-
tember 11, 2001; and 
Whereas, although nothing in this concurrent resolution lim-
its the authorities of the President under article 2 of the 
Constitution of the United States, Justice Robert H. 
Jackson wrote in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Saw-
yer, 343 U.S. 579 (1952) that ‘‘[w]hen the President 
acts pursuant to an express or implied authorization of 
Congress, his authority is at its maximum, for it includes 
all that he possesses in his own right plus all that Con-
gress can delegate’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This concurrent resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Au-
thorization for Use of Military Force Against the Islamic 
State of Iraq and the Levant and its Associated Forces’’. 
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES 
ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 
use all necessary and appropriate force in order to defend 
the national security of the United States against the con-
tinuing threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the 
Levant, its associated forces, organizations, and persons, 
and any successor organizations. 
(b) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) SPECIFIC
STATUTORY
AUTHORIZATION.— 
Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers 
Resolution, Congress declares that this section is in-
tended to constitute specific statutory authorization 
within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Pow-
ers Resolution. 
(2) 
APPLICABILITY
OF
OTHER
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Nothing in this concurrent resolution 
supercedes any requirement of the War Powers Res-
olution. 
SEC. 3. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) REPORTS.—The President shall, at least once 
every 60 days, submit to Congress a report on matters 
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relevant to this concurrent resolution, including actions 
taken pursuant to the exercise of authority granted in sec-
tion 2. 
(b) SINGLE CONSOLIDATED REPORT.—To the extent 
that the submission of any report described in subsection 
(a) coincides with the submission of any other report on 
matters relevant to this concurrent resolution otherwise 
required to be submitted to Congress pursuant to the re-
porting requirements of the War Powers Resolution, all 
such reports may be submitted as a single consolidated 
report to Congress. 
Æ 
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