SJRES 114 — 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/114
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 114 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 2026-03-05 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. 114 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 5, 2026 Ms. Baldwin 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 and its territories, possessions, citizens, servicemembers, 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) On February 28, 2026, President Trump ordered the United States Armed Forces to conduct air strikes inside Iran’s territory, declaring that the strikes would be massive and ongoing and describing the circumstances as war , without congressional authorization. (5) This 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) ). (6) 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 partner countries who have been attacked by Iran since February 28, 2026, and other nations and international organizations as appropriate, related to threats from Iran or its proxies; or (3) assisting partner countries who have been attacked by Iran since February 28, 2026, and other nations— (A) in intercepting retaliatory attacks upon their territory 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 to pull U.S. forces out of fighting in or against Iran unless lawmakers clearly vote to allow it.
It points out that only Congress can declare war, and that Congress has not declared war on Iran or passed a specific law green-lighting force there. It treats the February 28, 2026 air strikes inside Iran as “hostilities” under the War Powers rules—the long-standing setup that is supposed to keep Congress in the loop when troops go into combat. The core order is straightforward: remove U.S. Armed Forces from those hostilities unless Congress authorizes them with a declaration of war or a specific use-of-force law.
It still leaves room for self-defense if the U.S., its people, or its facilities get attacked. It also allows intelligence work and help for partner countries Iran has hit since those strikes—things like helping intercept retaliatory attacks or sending defensive gear. It is not a blank check to expand the fight; it is a stop-unless-Congress-says-yes instruction.
Service members, their families, and anyone watching U.S.–Iran tensions would feel this most. The full text is on Congress.gov if you want the exact wording.
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 tightens congressional control over that fight; Nay keeps the prior posture allowing continued operations without a new war declaration or AUMF. |
| Defense & National Security | Reduce defense outlays or scope | Status quo / reject this change | Yea narrows the scope of U.S. armed involvement against Iran absent explicit authorization; Nay rejects that limit and prefers leaving current military operations unconstrained by this removal directive. |