A joint resolution directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Ukraine that have not been authorized by Congress.
This bill is a Senate joint resolution introduced Jan 23, 2025 by Senator Rand Paul. It declares that United States Armed Forces must be removed from hostilities in Ukraine that have not been authorized by Congress. The resolution invokes the War Powers framework and specific U.S. statutes to require the President to remove all U.S. forces from such hostilities within 30 days of adoption (unless the President seeks and Congress approves a later date). It also states that nothing in the resolution should be interpreted as authorizing the use of military force. In short, if enacted, the measure would compel a withdrawal of U.S. troops involved in Ukraine-related hostilities unless Congress later approves a declaration of war or other specific authorization. The bill relies on procedural mechanisms from older statutes (Department of State Authorization Act, FY 1984–1985, and the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976) to set the process for this directive. It frames recent U.S. support to Ukraine—military aid, intelligence sharing, and the use of weapons like ATACMS—as actions that have brought U.S. forces into hostilities, and it uses this to justify a mandatory withdrawal unless Congress acts to authorize continued involvement.
Key Points
- 1Directs the President to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting Ukraine within 30 days after adoption, unless the President requests and Congress approves a later date, and unless a declaration of war or specific authorization has been enacted.
- 2Uses and cites specific statutory procedures (Department of State Authorization Act, FY 1984–1985; International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976) to authorize Congress-directed action and to determine how the resolution is to be considered.
- 3Explicitly states that nothing in the joint resolution authorizes the use of military force.
- 4Defines or relies on existing provisions to treat U.S. involvement in Ukraine—such as intelligence coordination, special-operations security cooperation, and the use of weapons like ATACMS—as “introduction of United States Armed Forces” into hostilities.
- 5The bill is introduced in the Senate (S.J. Res. 5) with sponsor listed as Mr. Paul (Rand Paul); it seeks to set a binding timetable for withdrawal unless Congress later acts to authorize continued engagement.