This joint resolution directs President Biden to withdraw all U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in Syria within 30 days of its passage, unless Congress passes a specific authorization for military operations there. The bill, introduced by Senator Rand Paul in November 2023, argues that the roughly 900 American troops currently deployed in Syria are engaged in military hostilities without formal congressional approval, violating the constitutional requirement that only Congress can authorize war. The resolution details that U.S. forces in Syria have conducted airstrikes and military operations against various targets including ISIS, Iranian-backed militias, and Syrian government forces since 2014, but contends that previous authorizations for military force related to 9/11 and Iraq do not legally cover these Syria operations. Nine American service members have been killed and over 50 have been injured in attacks in Syria and Iraq since October 2023, according to the bill's findings. The resolution invokes the War Powers Resolution to require the President to end these operations unless Congress explicitly authorizes them, giving lawmakers a structured process to either formally approve continued military involvement or mandate a pullout.
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