Title: Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities in or against Iran.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This concurrent resolution directs the President to terminate the use of U.S. Armed Forces in hostilities against Iran unless (1) Congress has declared war or specifically authorized such use in statute, or (2) such use is necessary and appropriate to defend against an imminent armed attack upon the United States.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 83 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 83

  Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers 
Resolution to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage 
                   in hostilities in or against Iran.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 8, 2020

    Ms. Slotkin (for herself, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Cisneros, Mr. 
 Gallego, Mr. Bera, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Clay, Mr. Allred, Mr. Larsen of 
  Washington, Ms. Spanberger, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Johnson of 
Georgia, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Speier, Mr. Higgins of New York, Ms. 
Adams, Ms. Houlahan, Ms. Omar, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Brown of 
    Maryland, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Engel, Mr. Ted Lieu of 
   California, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Cox of California, Mr. Takano, Ms. 
Escobar, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Levin of California, Ms. Castor of Florida, 
 Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Sires, Ms. Wild, Ms. Garcia of 
 Texas, Miss Rice of New York, Mr. Langevin, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Serrano, 
 Mr. Keating, Ms. Haaland, Mr. Crow, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Schrader, Mr. 
Beyer, Ms. Brownley of California, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Sherrill, 
  Mr. Soto, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Thompson of California, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. 
   Malinowski, Ms. Wexton, Mr. Kildee, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Cooper, Ms. 
  Eshoo, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Morelle, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Danny K. Davis of 
Illinois, Ms. Waters, Mr. Cartwright, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. 
 Pascrell, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Himes, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. 
  Kilmer, Mr. Welch, Ms. Norton, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. 
McEachin, Ms. Matsui, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Trone, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Casten of 
Illinois, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of 
New York, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Kind, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. DelBene, Mr. 
Visclosky, Ms. Porter, Mr. Case, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Harder of California, 
   Mr. Correa, Mr. Neal, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Suozzi, Ms. Kuster of New 
 Hampshire, Mr. Pappas, Ms. Shalala, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. 
    Huffman, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. 
 Frankel, Ms. Meng, Mr. Norcross, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Johnson of Texas, 
Ms. DeGette, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. 
  Stanton, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. 
 DeFazio, Mrs. Trahan, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. 
Schneider, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Carson 
 of Indiana, Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Lowey, and Ms. 
   Jayapal) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers 
Resolution to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage 
                   in hostilities in or against Iran.

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

SECTION 1. TERMINATION OF USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES TO ENGAGE 
              IN HOSTILITIES IN OR AGAINST IRAN.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Government of Iran is a leading state sponsor of 
        terrorism and engages in a range of destabilizing activities 
        across the Middle East. Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was 
        the lead architect of much of Iran's destabilizing activities 
        throughout the world.
            (2) The United States has an inherent right to self-defense 
        against imminent armed attacks. The United States maintains the 
        right to ensure the safety of diplomatic personnel serving 
        abroad.
            (3) In matters of imminent armed attacks, the executive 
        branch should indicate to Congress why military action was 
        necessary within a certain window of opportunity, the possible 
        harm that missing the window would cause, and why the action 
        was likely to prevent future disastrous attacks against the 
        United States.
            (4) The United States has national interests in preserving 
        its partnership with Iraq and other countries in the region, 
        including by--
                    (A) combating terrorists, including the Islamic 
                State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS);
                    (B) preventing Iran from achieving a nuclear 
                weapons capability; and
                    (C) supporting the people of Iraq, Iran, and other 
                countries throughout the Middle East who demand an end 
                to government corruption and violations of basic human 
                rights.
            (5) Over the past eight months, in response to rising 
        tensions with Iran, the United States has introduced over 
        15,000 additional forces into the Middle East. The killing of 
        Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, as well as Iran's ballistic 
        missile attack on Iraqi bases, risks significant escalation in 
        hostilities between the United States and Iran.
            (6) When the United States uses military force, the 
        American people and members of the United States Armed Forces 
        deserve a credible explanation regarding such use of military 
        force.
            (7) The War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.) 
        requires the President to consult with Congress ``in every 
        possible instance'' before introducing United States Armed 
        Forces into hostilities.
            (8) Congress has not authorized the President to use 
        military force against Iran.
    (b) Termination.--Pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers 
Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)), Congress hereby directs the President 
to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage in 
hostilities in or against Iran or any part of its government or 
military, unless--
            (1) Congress has declared war or enacted specific statutory 
        authorization for such use of the Armed Forces; or
            (2) such use of the Armed Forces is necessary and 
        appropriate to defend against an imminent armed attack upon the 
        United States, its territories or possessions, or its Armed 
        Forces, consistent with the requirements of the War Powers 
        Resolution.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed--
            (1) to prevent the President from using military force 
        against al Qaeda or associated forces;
            (2) to limit the obligations of the executive branch set 
        forth in the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.);
            (3) to affect the provisions of an Act or joint resolution 
        of Congress specifically authorizing the use of United States 
        Armed Forces to engage in hostilities against Iran or any part 
        of its government or military that is enacted after the date of 
        the adoption of this concurrent resolution;
            (4) to prevent the use of necessary and appropriate 
        military force to defend United States allies and partners if 
        authorized by Congress consistent with the requirements of the 
        War Powers Resolution; or
            (5) to authorize the use of military force.
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