SJRES 184 — 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/184
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.
119 SJ 184 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 2026-04-16 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. 184 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 16 (legislative day, April 14), 2026 Mr. Schiff (for himself, Mr. Kaine , Mr. Murphy , Mr. Booker , Mr. Kim , Mr. Merkley , and 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, 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 President notified Congress on March 2, 2026, pursuant to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, of the initiation of military force against Iran on February 28, 2026. The notification stated that it is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary. As such, United States forces remain postured to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners, and ensure the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ceases being a threat to the United States, its allies, and the international community. . (5) Pursuant to the War Powers Resolution ( 50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq. ), the President must terminate any use of United States Armed Forces within 60 days of providing initial notification to Congress, unless Congress has declared war or has enacted a specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces, has extended by law such 60-day period, or is physically unable to meet as a result of an armed attack upon the United States, none of which has occurred with respect to the current hostilities in and against Iran. (6) Under the War Powers Resolution, the President may extend the presence of the Armed Forces for not more than an additional 30 days if the President determines and certifies to the Congress in writing that unavoidable military necessity respecting the safety of United States Armed Forces requires the continued use of such armed forces in the course of bringing about a prompt removal of such forces . (7) The 60-day period following the President’s notification to Congress on March 2, 2026, ends on May 1, 2026. (8) 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) ). (9) 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 United States partners and allies, and international organizations as appropriate, related to defending against threats from Iran or its proxies; (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; or (4) providing assistance for the security, departure, and evacuation to United States citizens affected by the hostilities.
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 fighting in or against Iran unless Congress has clearly said yes to that fight.
Here’s the plain version. Only Congress can declare war, and it hasn’t declared war on Iran or passed a specific law green-lighting force there. The President told Congress on March 2, 2026, that U.S. military action against Iran started February 28. Under the War Powers Resolution—the old rulebook for when a president needs Congress on board—unauthorized fighting is supposed to wind down on a set clock. This measure would order those forces removed from hostilities with Iran.
It still leaves real room to act. The U.S. could still defend against attacks on America or its people and facilities abroad, share intelligence (including with Israel and partners), help Israel and other countries with defensive protection and gear, and get U.S. citizens out safely.
Troops and families tied to those operations would feel it most. So would anyone watching how much say Congress gets when the country uses military force.
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 withdrawal from unauthorized hostilities with Iran; Nay keeps the current military posture without that congressional removal order. |
| Defense & National Security | Reduce defense outlays or scope | Status quo / reject this change | Yea narrows the scope of U.S. force use against Iran absent a new war declaration or AUMF; Nay rejects that withdrawal directive. |