Expressing the sense of the Senate on the letter of resignation of Secretary of Defense James Mattis and on the decision of President Trump to rapidly withdraw United States forces from Syria.

expresses its gratitude to Secretary of Defense James Mattis for his decades of honorable service to the United States in the United States Marine Corps and at the Department of Defense;

expresses strong support for United States alliances and partnerships with allies around the world;

expresses concern with President Trump’s decision to rapidly withdraw United States forces from Syria, a decision taken without consultation with Congress or our allies and partners and without apparent concern for our national and collective interests; and

believes that these decisions could further undermine United States leadership in the world, weaken our alliance and partnership structure, and make it harder to achieve a world more conducive to United States interests, including support for democracy.