# 119-sjres-163: 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.

119-sjres-163, 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., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status in_committee (as of 2026-05-15).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sjres-163
- As of: 2026-05-15
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-sjres-163
- Congress: 119
- Title: 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.
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-04-13
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 11
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-05-15

## Summary

**Congressional control over war powers.** This joint resolution would require the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran unless Congress issues a declaration of war or a specific authorization for the use of military force. - Congress: Reasserts Article I power by conditioning U.S. hostilities with Iran on an explicit declaration of war or a separate authorization for use of military force. - The President and Pentagon: Limits the executive branch's ability to keep forces engaged in hostilities against Iran without congressional approval, while preserving the ability to defend the United States or U.S. personnel from attack. - Service members and families: Forces engaged in hostilities with Iran would be withdrawn unless Congress authorizes continued action, which could shorten or end current combat deployments. - Partner countries and intelligence sharing: Permits collecting and sharing intelligence and assisting partner nations attacked by Iran since Feb 28, 2026, including intercepting retaliatory attacks and providing defensive materiel support.

## Cosponsors (11)

- Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-04-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2026-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-05-13T11:29:00.000Z | senate | On the Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 163 | Motion to Discharge Rejected | 49 | 50 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- Limit U.S. military action against Iran: benefit, high. This bill would direct the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran unless Congress approves use of force by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force. The removal would be carried out under War Powers procedures in existing law…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act
- 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-sjres-163 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/163)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2295)
- [119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852)
- [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sjres-163 (as of 2026-05-15).