SJRES 163 — 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/163
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 163 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 2026-04-13 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. 163 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 13, 2026 Mr. Merkley 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) 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 ; 90 Stat. 765), 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 defense from 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 would tell the President to pull U.S. forces out of any fighting in or against Iran that Congress never clearly approved.
Congress notes it alone has the power to declare war, and it hasn’t done that for Iran—or passed a specific law allowing force there. So the measure orders the Armed Forces out of those hostilities unless Congress later says yes with a war declaration or a clear use-of-force law. It leans on older war-powers rules that can speed up a vote on getting troops out of unauthorized fights.
It still leaves room for self-defense and backup help. The U.S. could still defend against an attack on America or its people and facilities abroad. It could share intelligence, including with partners Iran has hit since late February 2026. And it could help those partners stop incoming attacks or send them defensive gear for that kind of protection.
Who’d notice? Service members and families tied to any Iran-related operations, plus anyone watching how much leeway the White House has to use force without a new vote in Congress.
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 directs removal of U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities with Iran; Nay keeps the prior posture without that statutory pullback. |
| Defense & National Security | Reduce defense outlays or scope | Status quo / reject this change | Yea narrows the operational scope of U.S. force use against Iran absent new authorization; Nay rejects that limit on current military posture. |