SJRES 185 — 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/185
Congress.gov subjects: Conflicts and wars; Congressional oversight; Congressional-executive branch relations; Iran; Middle East; 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 185 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 2026-04-27 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. 185 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 27, 2026 Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Schiff , Mr. Schumer , Mr. Booker , Ms. Duckworth , 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 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 (including the enforcement of a naval blockade) 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 the Islamic Republic of 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 resolution 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 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; and (3) assisting partner countries who have been attacked by Iran since February 28, 2026, and other nations— (A) in intercepting 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 would tell the President to pull U.S. forces out of any fighting in or against Iran that Congress never clearly okayed.
The basic idea is straightforward. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. This measure says Congress has not declared war on Iran and has not passed a specific law allowing force there. So it directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from those hostilities. Under the rules it cites, even something like a naval blockade would count as hostilities.
It is not a total hands-off rule. The U.S. could still defend itself, its people, and its facilities if attacked. It could still share intelligence. And it could still help partner countries that Iran or its proxies have attacked since February 28, 2026—by helping intercept strikes or by sending defensive gear. What it would block is keeping forces in unauthorized hostilities against Iran without a new green light from Congress.
Service members and families tied to any Iran-related missions would feel this most directly. So would anyone watching the long tug-of-war between Congress and the White House over who gets to decide when America uses 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 removal of U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities with Iran, narrowing overseas military involvement; Nay keeps current executive flexibility to sustain those operations without a new AUMF or declaration. |
| Defense & National Security | Status quo / reject this change | Force structure and readiness funding | Yea limits ongoing military hostilities against Iran unless Congress authorizes them; Nay preserves operational freedom to keep forces engaged as a readiness and national-security posture choice. Mapping is imperfect because the catalog lacks a dedicated war-powers pole. |