Congresswoman McCollum Statement On House Republican Vote to Block Impeachment of Defense Secretary Hegseth

"Today, House Republicans voted to refer articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee instead of allowing a vote on the floor. This vote is another attempt by Republicans to shield Secretary Hegseth from the accountability Americans deserve. Since Hegseth's nomination by President Trump, I have stated concerns that he was ill-prepared and not fit to serve as Secretary of Defense, and questioned Trump's judgement in nominating him. Sadly, these concerns were justified.

"Mr. Hegseth swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, he has willfully disregarded his responsibility to faithfully execute the laws of the United States. His removal is long overdue, but Republicans have once again refused to hold him accountable. Less than three months after his confirmation by the U.S. Senate, I called on Secretary Hegseth to resign for mishandling classified information when he shared war plans on a phone messaging application. His tenure has been marked by chaos and cruelty, which impacts our servicemembers most directly.

"Secretary Hegseth's prosecution of the War in Iran is clearly in contravention of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Congress has neither declared war, nor passed statutory authorization, and the United States was not attacked by Iran. Secretary Hegseth's actions have left our servicemembers dangerously vulnerable and placed the United States in an expanding regional conflict. Hegseth has systemically dismantled the office and systems designed to mitigate civilian harm in hostilities, and that he stated were "stupid rules of engagement." His willful disregard for U.S. laws is a clear demonstration that he is unfit to serve. His reckless actions have contributed to the horrific killing of civilians in Iran, including at least 120 children. Secretary Hegseth does not get to choose which parts of U.S. law he wants to follow.

"From the beginning, I've said that Secretary Hegseth was unfit to lead our men and women in uniform. As Secretary of Defense, he has made America less safe through his chaos and gross incompetence. Republican's refusal to stand up for our Constitution and the rule of law is disgusting. When Democrats take the majority in the 120^th Congress, we will hold Secretary Hegseth accountable for his illegal actions."