Sponsors (10)
The resolution reduces U.S. offensive involvement and increases congressional oversight and transparency to protect service members and constrain unilateral action, but it limits presidential flexibility, creates legal/operational ambiguities, and may shift risks onto partners.
Congress and U.S. service members: U.S. forces will be withdrawn from offensive hostilities against Iran unless Congress authorizes force, reinforcing congressional War Powers oversight and making extended combat operations subject to legislative debate.
U.S. personnel and facilities abroad: The bill preserves the Executive Branch's authority to use force defensively to protect the United States, its personnel, and diplomatic facilities, maintaining a legal basis for protection against imminent attacks.
Allied partners, intelligence community, and U.S. citizens abroad: The measure permits continued intelligence collection/sharing and the provision of defensive materiel, assistance, evacuations, and interceptions for partners and Americans attacked since Feb 28, 2026, supporting situational awareness and protection without committing U.S. forces to offensive hostilities.
U.S. national security decisionmaking and taxpayers: The restriction on offensive U.S. military action could limit the President's ability to respond rapidly with U.S. forces to escalating threats from Iran, potentially delaying military action when speed matters.
Military commanders, federal employees, and courts: Maintaining exceptions for defense, intelligence, materiel, and evacuations creates ambiguity about what counts as 'hostilities,' risking legal disputes and operational uncertainty for commanders in the field.
Military personnel and operational planners: The resolution may heighten political friction between Congress and the President, complicating command decisions and long-term military planning and oversight.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the President to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress declares war or specifically authorizes force, with limited exceptions.
Directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran unless Congress has declared war or specifically authorized the use of force. It finds that U.S. military actions beginning February 28, 2026 (Operation Epic Fury) introduced U.S. forces into hostilities with Iran and invokes statutory War Powers procedures to require removal. The measure lists narrow exceptions that are not treated as ‘‘hostilities’’ for removal purposes, such as defending the United States or U.S. personnel, certain intelligence activities, limited assistance to partners attacked by Iran since February 28, 2026, and evacuation or security assistance for U.S. citizens.
Official title: 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.
Introduced April 13, 2026 by Christopher Van Hollen · Last progress April 13, 2026