A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.
Latest action · May 7, 2020 Failed of passage in Senate over veto by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 44. Record Vote Number: 84.
Progress
Where this resolution reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 9, 2020
- Passed SenateFeb 13, 2020
- Passed HouseMar 11, 2020
- To the PresidentMay 5, 2020
- VetoedMay 6, 2020
Summary
This joint resolution directs the President to terminate the use of U.S. Armed Forces for hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by a congressional declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force against Iran.
Recorded votes 5
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate 84 | On Overriding the Veto S.J.Res. 68 | Veto Sustained49–44 | May 7, 2020 |
| House 101 | On Passage | Passed227–186 | Mar 11, 2020 |
| House 100 | On Motion to Commit with Instructions | Failed198–212 | Mar 11, 2020 |
| Senate 52 | On the Joint Resolution S.J.Res. 68 | Joint Resolution Passed55–45 | Feb 13, 2020 |
| Senate 45 | On the Motion to Proceed S.J.Res. 68 | Motion to Proceed Agreed to51–45 | Feb 12, 2020 |
Cosponsors 31
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 9, 2020 to May 7, 2020; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-UT | Mike Lee | Original | Jan 9, 2020 |
| R-KY | Rand Paul | Original | Jan 9, 2020 |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Original | Jan 9, 2020 |
| I-ME | Angus S. King Jr. | Jan 13, 2020 | |
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Jan 13, 2020 | |
| D-RI | Jack Reed | Jan 13, 2020 | |
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | Jan 13, 2020 | |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Jan 13, 2020 | |
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Jan 14, 2020 | |
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Jan 14, 2020 | |
| D-AL | Doug Jones | Jan 14, 2020 | |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Jan 14, 2020 | |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Jan 14, 2020 | |
| R-ME | Susan M. Collins | Jan 14, 2020 | |
| D-IL | Tammy Duckworth | Jan 14, 2020 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Foreign Relations Committee | Referred Jan 9, 2020Discharged Feb 12, 2020 |
Actions 30
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 7, 2020Veto Message considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S2299, S2305-2308, S2311-2313)
- May 7, 2020Failed of passage in Senate over veto: Failed of passage in Senate over veto by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 44. Record Vote Number: 84.
- May 6, 2020Veto message received in Senate. Ordered held at the desk. (text: CR S2286-2287)
- May 6, 2020Vetoed by President.
- May 5, 2020Presented to President.
- Mar 11, 2020Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 891. (consideration: CR H1615-1622)
- Mar 11, 2020Rule provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 68, H.R. 2486 and H.R. 6172. Resolution provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 68, the Senate amendment to H.R. 2486, and H.R. 6172. For S.J. Res. 68, the resolution provides for 1 hour of debate and 1 motion to commit. For the Senate amendment to H.R. 2486, the question will be divided and each portion will have 1 hour of debate. H.R. 6172 will have 1 hour ofdebate and 1 motion to recommit with or without instructions.
- Mar 11, 2020DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on S.J. Res. 68.
- Mar 11, 2020The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
- Mar 11, 2020POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - Pursuant to clause 1(c) of rule 19, further proceedings on S.J. Res. 68 are postponed.
- Mar 11, 2020Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1637-1640)
- Mar 11, 2020Mr. McCaul moved to commit with instructions to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. (consideration: CR H1637-1638; text CR H1637-1638)
- Mar 11, 2020DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the McCaul motion to commit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to insert language pertaining to Qassem Soleimani.
- Mar 11, 2020The previous question on the motion to commit with instructions was ordered without objection.
- Mar 11, 2020On motion to commit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 198 - 212, 1 Present (Roll no. 100).
- Mar 11, 2020Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 227 - 186 (Roll no. 101). (text: CR H1616)
- Mar 11, 2020Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Mar 10, 2020Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 891 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 68, H.R. 2486 and H.R. 6172. Resolution provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 68, the Senate amendment to H.R. 2486, and H.R. 6172. For S.J. Res. 68, the resolution provides for 1 hour of debate and 1 motion to commit. For the Senate amendment to H.R. 2486, the question will be divided and each portion will have 1 hour of debate. H.R. 6172 will have 1 hour ofdebate and 1 motion to recommit with or without instructions.
- Feb 14, 2020Received in the House.
- Feb 14, 2020Held at the desk.
- Feb 13, 2020Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1051-1062)
- Feb 13, 2020Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 45. Record Vote Number: 52. (text: CR S1061-1062)
- Feb 13, 2020Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Feb 12, 2020Motion to discharge Senate Committee on Foreign Relations made.
- Feb 12, 2020Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Voice Vote. (Pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1546a).
- Feb 12, 2020Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 421.
- Feb 12, 2020Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 45. Record Vote Number: 45. (consideration: CR S1006-1012)
- Feb 12, 2020Measure laid before Senate by motion. (consideration: CR S1012-1015, S1018, S1021-1030, S1033-1036)
- Jan 9, 2020Introduced in Senate
- Jan 9, 2020Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
In the Congressional Record 10
Days the Record’s own index lists this resolution, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2300, S2302, S2305, S2308, S2311–S2313Recorded votes S2313override veto | James M. Inhofe R-OK, Jeff Merkley D-OR, Mitch McConnell R-KY, Richard J. Durbin D-IL, Robert Menendez D-NJ, Tim Kaine D-VA, Tom Udall D-NM | May 7, 2020 |
| Senate | Messages S2286, S2296Veto of S.J. Res. 68, Armed Forces Removal From Unauthorized Hostilities Against Iran: President Trump | — | May 6, 2020 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1599–H1613, H1615–H1622, H1637–H1640Text printed H1599, H1616Amendments H1612Motions H1637Recorded votes H1612, H1613, H1639consideration (H. Res. 891), previous questionMcCaul motion to commit (tribute to U.S. intelligence and military mission leading to death of Qasem Soleimani in Iraq) | Barbara Lee D-CA, Debbie Lesko R-AZ (amendment), Denver Riggleman R-VA, Eliot L. Engel D-NY, Gerald E. Connolly D-VA, Ilhan Omar D-MN, James P. McGovern D-MA, Kevin McCarthy R-CA, Lee M. Zeldin R-NY, Michael T. McCaul R-TX (motion), Michael Waltz R-FL, Mike Rogers R-AL, Pramila Jayapal D-WA, Rob Woodall R-GA, Seth Moulton D-MA, Steny H. Hoyer D-MD, Tom Cole R-OK | Mar 11, 2020 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S1621 | Robert Menendez D-NJ | Mar 9, 2020 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1520 | Steny H. Hoyer D-MD | Mar 5, 2020 |
Research
What has been written about this resolution: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
CRS reports 6
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this resolution or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 6
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47603 | War Powers Resolution: Expedited Procedures in the House and Senate | Report | Jun 24, 2025 |
| R47321 | Iran: Background and U.S. Policy | Report | May 22, 2025 |
| R48524 | Congress and the Scope of the President’s Article II Foreign Policy Authorities | Report | May 2, 2025 |
| RS21255 | Motions to Proceed to Consider Measures in the Senate: Who Offers Them? | Report | Oct 3, 2024 |
| R45795 | U.S.-Iran Conflict and Implications for U.S. Policy Archived | Report | May 8, 2020 |
Amendments 25
Amendments offered to this resolution.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 1299 | To provide that nothing in the resolution shall be construed to prevent the United States from defending itself from attack. | Mitch McConnell R-KY | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. |
| SA 1300 | To provide that nothing in the resolution shall be construed to prevent the United States from defending itself from attack. | Mitch McConnell R-KY | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. |
| SA 1301 | To amend the findings. | Ted Cruz R-TX | Amendment SA 1301 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 64 - 34. Record Vote Number: 46. |
| SA 1302 | To amend the findings. | Ted Cruz R-TX | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. |
| SA 1303 | To provide that nothing in the resolution may be construed as restricting missions related to force protection of United States aircraft, ships, or personnel. | Ted Cruz R-TX | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. |
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
Titles 1
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Feb 13, 2020Engrossed in Senate
- Feb 12, 2020Placed on Calendar Senate
- Jan 9, 2020Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this resolution on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
