Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Authorization for Use of Military Force and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 do not provide legal justification for war with Iran.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that specified authorizations for the use of military force do not provide legal justification for war with Iran.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 819 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 819

     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
 Authorization for Use of Military Force and the Authorization for Use 
of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 do not provide legal 
                    justification for war with Iran.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 30, 2020

 Mr. Curtis submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
 Authorization for Use of Military Force and the Authorization for Use 
of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 do not provide legal 
                    justification for war with Iran.

Whereas, on May 12, 2019, four commercial ships were damaged in the Gulf of 
        Oman, two of which were registered in Saudi Arabia, one in Norway, and 
        one in the United Arab Emirates;
Whereas, on June 13, 2019, two oil tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz 
        by Iran;
Whereas, on June 20, 2019, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down a 
        United States RQ-4A Global Hawk BAMS-D surveillance drone;
Whereas, on September 14, 2019, Iran attacked two major oil facilities in Saudi 
        Arabia, leading to the largest price increase in oil in 30 years;
Whereas throughout these escalations, President Trump acted with immense 
        restraint;
Whereas in the last two months of 2019, Iranian-backed militias attacked United 
        States troops in Iraq, eventually resulting in the death of one United 
        States contractor and injuring four soldiers;
Whereas between December 31, 2019, and January 1, 2019, Iranian-backed groups 
        stormed the United States Embassy in Iraq, leaving embassy officials 
        fearing for their safety and forcing the United States to dispatch 
        hundreds of troops to deescalate the situation;
Whereas the Government of Iran is a leading state sponsor of terrorism and 
        engages in a range of destabilizing activities across the Middle East 
        and throughout the world;
Whereas Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was the lead architect of much of 
        Iran's destabilizing activities;
Whereas, on January 2, 2019, President Trump authorized a precision strike that 
        killed Qassem Soleimani;
Whereas Soleimani was plotting imminent attacks on United States diplomats and 
        military personnel; and
Whereas the United States has an inherent right to self-defense against imminent 
        armed attacks and maintains the right to ensure the safety of diplomatic 
        personnel serving abroad: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40; 50 
U.S.C. 1541 note) and the Authorization for Use of Military Force 
Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243; 50 U.S.C. 1541 
note) do not provide legal justification for war with Iran.
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