S.J.Res. 83 — A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities that have not been authorized by Congress.

This section states nine congressional findings, including that Congress holds the sole power to declare war; Congress has not declared war or enacted a specific statutory authorization for use of military force against organizations designated on or after February 20, 2025, as foreign terrorist organizations or specially designated global terrorists, states in which they operate, or non-state organizations engaged in drug trafficking; such designations do not authorize presidential use of force; no armed attack on the United States has occurred by those entities; and U.S. military strikes on vessels on September 2, 2025, and September 15, 2025, constitute hostilities or situations of imminent hostilities under the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1543(a)). The section further finds that Congress has not received sufficient information regarding those strikes; expedited procedures apply to resolutions requiring removal of unauthorized forces; Congress is resolved to provide resources against drug trafficking and will consider presidential requests for more; and on September 4, 2025, the President notified Congress of the September 2 strike and potential further operations of unknown scope and duration.

This section invokes expedited congressional consideration procedures under section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a) to direct the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities against (1) any organization designated on or after February 20, 2025, as a foreign terrorist organization or specially designated global terrorist; (2) any state in which such entities operate; or (3) any non-state organization engaged in the promotion, trafficking, and distribution of illegal drugs and related activities, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force. This section states that nothing in the directive precludes U.S. defense against an armed attack or imminent threat thereof or the use of Armed Forces to support civil authorities in authorized counternarcotics operations and clarifies that drug trafficking does not constitute such an attack.