SJRES 104 — Congress 119
A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.
Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/104
Congress.gov subjects: International Affairs
Issues impacted: Defense & National Security (ai, high), Foreign Policy & Sanctions (ai, high)
Official bill text (stored)
Plain-text extraction from Congress.gov text formats. Canonical source remains the official URL above. Full text is prioritized for bills with roll-call votes.
94 SJ 104 IS: To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. U.S. Senate 2026-01-29 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. IIA 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. J. RES. 104 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 29, 2026 Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Paul ) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations JOINT RESOLUTION To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. 1. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Congress has the sole power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States Constitution. (2) The President has a constitutional responsibility to take actions to defend the United States, its territories, its possessions, citizens, service members, and diplomats from attack. (3) Congress has not declared war upon Iran or any person or organization within Iran, nor enacted a specific statutory authorization for the use of military force within or against Iran. (4) The use of military force within or against Iran constitutes the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities within the meaning of section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution ( 50 U.S.C. 1543(a) ). (5) Section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 ( 50 U.S.C. 1546a ) provides that any joint resolution or bill requiring the removal of United States Armed Forces from imminent engagement in hostilities without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization shall be considered in accordance with the expedited procedures under section 601(b) of the International Security and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 ( Public Law 94–329 ). 2. Removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran (a) Removal Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 ( 50 U.S.C. 1546a ), and in accordance with section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 ( Public Law 94–329 ), Congress hereby directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force. (b) Rule of construction Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent the United States from— (1) defending against an attack on the United States or its personnel or facilities in other nations; (2) collecting, analyzing, or sharing intelligence, including with the State of Israel and other nations and international organizations as appropriate, related to threats from Iran or its proxies; or (3) assisting Israel and other nations— (A) in taking defensive measures to protect their territory from retaliatory attacks by Iran or its proxies; or (B) by providing defensive materiel support for such defensive measures.
Plain-English summary
Confidence: high · Complexity: moderate · Model: grok-4.5
This joint resolution is Congress telling the President: pull U.S. troops out of fighting in or against Iran unless lawmakers have clearly said yes.
It reminds everyone that only Congress can declare war, and it hasn’t done that for Iran—or passed a specific law green-lighting force there. So it directs the President to remove the Armed Forces from those hostilities. That’s the War Powers idea in plain talk: no open-ended combat without a clear okay from Congress.
It still leaves some doors open. The U.S. can defend itself, its people, or its facilities if attacked. It can keep gathering and sharing intelligence, including with Israel and others. And it can help Israel and other countries with defensive steps and defensive gear against Iran or groups tied to Iran.
For most folks, this is about whether U.S. troops stay in unauthorized combat with Iran—not taxes or programs at home. In the Senate, a try to pull it out of committee for a full vote failed 47–53, so it didn’t move that way.
Related issues
How a vote maps to positions
Impartial mapping: which issue position a Yea vs Nay advances. When a bill has multiple floor votes, each roll can have its own mapping. Bill-level entries (no roll listed) apply as a default when a roll has no specific map. Used for legislator alignment.
All rolls (bill default)
| Issue | Yea advances | Nay advances | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign Policy & Sanctions | Restraint and limited overseas commitments | Status quo / reject this change | Yea orders removal from unauthorized hostilities with Iran and limits new overseas combat without Congress; Nay rejects that mandate and keeps the prior posture. |
| Defense & National Security | Reduce defense outlays or scope | Status quo / reject this change | Yea narrows unauthorized combat operations against Iran; Nay opposes that removal directive. Catalog fit is imperfect (scope of ops, not topline budget), but this is the closest pair. |