Bill
S.J.Res. 163 (119th): 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.
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.
Summary
Recorded summary
This joint resolution directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran unless Congress has enacted a declaration of war or an authorization to use military force for that purpose. It states that it does not prevent the United States from defending against an attack on the United States or its personnel or facilities in other nations.
Theological note: The measure concerns whether the use of the sword is restrained by lawful, accountable authority. Scripture assigns the civil sword to governing authorities (Romans 13:4), and the Reformed tradition's just war framework requires legitimate authority, just cause, and proportion. A resolution that requires congressional authorization before continued hostilities bears on constitutional accountability for war and on the protection of innocent life, while preserving defense against attack.
Scoring
How this bill is scored
- Tier: no Tier 1 record. A bill with no record cannot newly become Tier 1.
- Lane: de_escalation. Category: war_peace. Lane tag: prudential.
- Lane: unauthorized_hostilities. Category: war_peace. Lane tag: general equity.
- Lane: war_powers. Category: not stored. Lane tag: not stored.
- Tier 1 sign-off: no record. A bill with no record cannot newly become Tier 1.
- Stored polarity: good. A yea supports the bill. A nay is the penalized direction when the tag is scored as a protection. A yea on a credit tag is a credit.
- Roll 118: On the Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 163. Vote type: discharge.
- Polarity rationale: Reviewed enrichment (llm_import) polarity: The bill directly restrains military hostilities that lack congressional authorization, which tends to protect against unjust war and unaccountable use of force. It expressly preserves defensive action against attack, so it is a restraint rather than an advance of harm.
- Theological note: The measure concerns whether the use of the sword is restrained by lawful, accountable authority. Scripture assigns the civil sword to governing authorities (Romans 13:4), and the Reformed tradition's just war framework requires legitimate authority, just cause, and proportion. A resolution that requires congressional authorization before continued hostilities bears on constitutional accountability for war and on the protection of innocent life, while preserving defense against attack.
Debt and war Cloture and Tier 1 Procedural votes Scoring mechanics de escalation
Roll
Recorded votes
Roll 118 · May 13, 2026, 11:29 AM · On the Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 163 · Motion to Discharge Rejected (49-50)
Yea
- ALSOBROOKS, ANGELA
- BALDWIN, TAMMY
- BENNET, MICHAEL F.
- BLUMENTHAL, RICHARD
- BLUNT ROCHESTER, LISA
- BOOKER, CORY A.
- CANTWELL, MARIA
- COLLINS, SUSAN M.
- COONS, CHRISTOPHER A.
- CORTEZ MASTO, CATHERINE
- DUCKWORTH, L. TAMMY
- DURBIN, RICHARD J.
- GALLEGO, RUBEN
- GILLIBRAND, KIRSTEN
- HASSAN, MARGARET WOOD
- HEINRICH, MARTIN
- HICKENLOOPER, JOHN W.
- HIRONO, MAZIE K.
- KAINE, TIMOTHY MICHAEL
- KELLY, MARK
- KIM, ANDY
- KING, ANGUS S. JR.
- KLOBUCHAR, AMY
- LUJAN, BEN RAY
- MARKEY, EDWARD SEN.
- MERKLEY, JEFFREY ALAN
- MURKOWSKI, LISA
- MURPHY, CHRISTOPHER S
- MURRAY, PATTY
- OSSOFF, T. JONATHAN
- PADILLA, ALEX
- PAUL, RAND
- PETERS, GARY
- REED, JOHN F.
- ROSEN, JACKY
- SANDERS, BERNARD
- SCHATZ, BRIAN
- SCHIFF, ADAM
- SCHUMER, CHARLES E.
- SHAHEEN, JEANNE
- SLOTKIN, ELISSA
- SMITH, TINA
- VAN HOLLEN, CHRIS
- WARNER, MARK ROBERT
- WARNOCK, RAPHAEL
- WARREN, ELIZABETH
- WELCH, PETER
- WHITEHOUSE, SHELDON
- WYDEN, RONALD L.
Nay
- ARMSTRONG, ALAN
- BANKS, JAMES E. HON.
- BARRASSO, JOHN A
- BLACKBURN, MARSHA MRS.
- BOOZMAN, SEN. JOHN
- BRITT, KATIE BOYD
- BUDD, THEODORE P
- CAPITO, SHELLEY MOORE
- CASSIDY, WILLIAM M.
- CORNYN, JOHN SEN
- COTTON, THOMAS
- CRAMER, KEVIN MR.
- CRAPO, MICHAEL D
- CRUZ, RAFAEL EDWARD TED
- CURTIS, JOHN
- DAINES, STEVE
- ERNST, JONI K
- FETTERMAN, JOHN KARL
- FISCHER, DEBRA S.
- GRAHAM, LINDSEY O.
- GRASSLEY, CHARLES E
- HAGERTY, BILL
- HAWLEY, JOSHUA DAVID SEN
- HOEVEN, JOHN
- HUSTED, JON
- HYDE-SMITH, CINDY
- JOHNSON, RON HAROLD MR.
- JUSTICE, JAMES CONLEY II
- KENNEDY, JOHN NEELY
- LANKFORD, JAMES PAUL
- LEE, MIKE
- LUMMIS, CYNTHIA MARIE MRS.
- MARSHALL, ROGER W
- MCCONNELL, MITCH
- MCCORMICK, DAVE
- MOODY, ASHLEY
- MORAN, JERRY
- MORENO, BERNIE
- RISCH, JAMES E MR.
- ROUNDS, MIKE
- SCHMITT, ERIC
- SCOTT, RICK SEN
- SCOTT, TIMOTHY E.
- SHEEHY, TIM
- SULLIVAN, DAN
- THUNE, JOHN R.
- TILLIS, THOM R SEN
- TUBERVILLE, THOMAS H
- WICKER, ROGER SEN.
- YOUNG, TODD CHRISTOPHER