I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 914 
To limit the use of funds to reduce the total number of members of the 
Armed Forces serving on active duty who are deployed to Syria, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 30, 2019 
Mr. MALINOWSKI (for himself, Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. GALLAGHER, 
Mr. KIM, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. ROSE of New York, and Mr. HURD of 
Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To limit the use of funds to reduce the total number of 
members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty 
who are deployed to Syria, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Responsible With-
drawal from Syria Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS TO REDUCE THE 
TOTAL 
NUMBER 
OF 
MEMBERS 
OF 
THE 
ARMED FORCES SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY 
WHO ARE DEPLOYED TO SYRIA. 
(a) LIMITATION.—None of the funds made available 
to the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2019 may 
be used to reduce the total number of members of the 
United States Armed Forces serving on active duty who 
are deployed to Syria below 1,500, unless and until the 
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Di-
rector of National Intelligence submit to the relevant con-
gressional committees a report that addresses the fol-
lowing: 
(1) The current strength and regenerative ca-
pacity of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), 
including an assessment of how many fighters ISIS 
fields in Syria and Iraq, the threat it continues to 
pose to the United States and its allies, its likely re-
action to the withdrawal of United States and coali-
tion forces, and of the operational risks involved 
with conducting counter-ISIS operations following a 
withdrawal. 
(2) The Administration’s military and political 
strategy for meeting any remaining threat from 
ISIS. 
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(3) The viability of the Syrian Democratic 
Forces (SDF) to remain a viable fighting force in 
the absence of a United States military presence in 
Syria. 
(4) Whether the Euphrates will remain the aer-
ial and land deconfliction line between United 
States-backed forces and Assad regime forces and 
their allies, and if so, how will the Administration 
ensure it will be respected. 
(5) Actions the Administration plans to take to 
ensure the safety of Syrian nationals who took part 
in or provided support to the coalition to defeat 
ISIS, including members of the SDF, and the form 
and amount of assistance the Administration plans 
to provide to the SDF following a withdrawal of 
United States and coalition forces. 
(6) The likelihood that the Assad regime and 
its allies, including Hezbollah and Iranian forces, 
will retake areas where United States personnel and 
Syrian allies have operated or created demilitarized 
zones, and the actions the Administration plans to 
take to ensure the safety, and prevent the exodus, 
of civilians living in those areas. 
(7) The actions the Administration plans to 
take to ensure the safety of civilians living in refugee 
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camps that may fall under the control of the Assad 
regime following withdrawal of United States forces, 
including Rubkan Camp, and to ensure access by 
humanitarian organizations to areas being vacated 
by United States forces and Syrian allies. 
(8) The expected windfall in oil revenue the 
Assad regime is likely to gain if the regime or its al-
lies retake areas currently held by United States-al-
lied groups. 
(9) The impact a withdrawal from Syria would 
have on Iranian power and influence in the Middle 
East, including an assessment of the current status 
of Iranian backed forces in Syria, whether with-
drawal is likely to make easier Iranian advanced 
weapon transfers to Syria and Lebanon, the impact 
on the security of Israel, the prospect of large scale 
conflict between Israel and Iran in Syria and Leb-
anon, and a strategy to counter any such threats. 
(10) The impact any United States withdrawal 
from Syria would have on Russian power and influ-
ence in the Middle East. 
(11) The impact any United States withdrawal 
from Syria would have on diplomatic efforts to end 
the Syrian conflict, and on United States influence 
on those efforts, including a statement of the Ad-
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ministration’s current diplomatic objectives in that 
process. 
(12) The commitments, if any, Turkey has ex-
tended with respect to fighting ISIS and refraining 
from military action against the Kurds following a 
withdrawal of United States forces. 
(13) The commitments, if any, Saudi Arabia or 
any coalition partners have made to assist in Syria’s 
reconstruction, including any plans to ensure that 
funding of these efforts are transparent and ac-
countable. 
(14) Any efforts the Administration plans to 
undertake to support legitimate, effective and demo-
cratic local governance in areas from which United 
States and coalition forces are withdrawing, to di-
minish the likelihood that extremist forces will re-
turn. 
(15) Any consultations that have taken place 
with coalition allies in Operation Inherent Resolve 
about withdrawal of forces from Syria, including 
how the governments of Israel, Jordan, Saudi Ara-
bia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Russia, Iran, 
the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Turkey 
and the Kurdistan Regional Government are likely 
to respond to any withdrawal. 
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(16) The assurances, if any, that religious and 
ethnic minority communities will be secure from 
ISIS threats. 
(b) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 
a classified annex. 
(c) WAIVER.—The Secretary of Defense may waive 
the limitation under subsection (a) if, upon advice of the 
relevant military commanders, the Secretary determines 
that the waiver is necessary due to an imminent and ex-
traordinary threat to members of the United States 
Armed Forces in Syria. 
(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 
may be construed to obstruct or prevent the normal rota-
tion of United States Armed Forces into and out of Syria. 
(e) RELEVANT CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘relevant congressional 
committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 
the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate. 
Æ 
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