00:00Secretary Hegseth abused the powers of his high office through the following means.
00:05Executing an unlawful order to commence hostilities despite the absence of a declaration of war,
00:11specific statutory authorization, or a national emergency created by an attack upon the United
00:17States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.
00:22And continuing to employ the personnel and resources of the Department of Defense in
00:27those hostilities after their unlawful initiation and in the continued absence of any subsequent
00:34declaration of war or specific statutory authorization by Congress.
00:41Through these actions, Secretary Hegseth knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders to
00:48initiate war against a foreign nation, notwithstanding the absence of congressional authorization and
00:53attack upon the United States giving rise to the national emergency contemplated by law,
00:58or an imminent threat requiring immediate defensive action, thereby substituting unlawful executive
01:05action for the constitutional and statutory judgment of Congress.
01:10In all of this, Secretary Hegseth has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as Secretary
01:16of Defense and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and
01:22justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States of America.
01:29Wherefore, Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will
01:36remain a threat to the Constitution, if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly
01:42incompatible with his duties and the rule of law. Peter Brian Hegseth thus warrants impeachment and trial,
01:49removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit
01:56under the United States.
01:58The purpose is a gentleman from Kentucky. Seek recognition.
02:01Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Clause 2A1 of Rule 9, I seek recognition to give notice of my intent to raise
02:09a
02:09question of the privileges of the House.
02:14The gentleman will proceed.
02:16The form of the resolution is as follows.
02:20Impeaching Peter Brian Hegseth, Secretary of Defense for High Crimes and Misdemeanors,
02:26resolved that Peter Brian Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, also referred to as Secretary of War by the
02:33Administration, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles
02:39of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate. Articles of impeachment exhibited by the
02:46House of Representatives of the United States of America, in the name of itself and of the people
02:53of the United States of America, against Peter Brian Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, in maintenance
02:59and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors. Article I, waging war
03:06in contravention of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Section 2C. The Constitution provides that the
03:14House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment, and that civil officers of the United
03:20States, including the Secretary of Defense, shall be removed from office on impeachment for and
03:26conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. In his conduct, while Secretary of
03:34Defense Peter Brian Hegseth, in violation of his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the
03:40United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed,
03:48especially with regard to the Commission of War, has abused the powers of the Department of Defense, in that
03:55the Declare War Clause of the United States Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 11,
04:02vests in Congress the exclusive initiatory powers of war, while the Military Administrative and Clemency Clause of the
04:10United States Constitution, Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, establishes the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the
04:18Armed Forces, and vests in him operational control over wars lawfully authorized by Congress. In an
04:26effort to statutorily delineate the circumstances under which the President may introduce United States
04:32Armed Forces into hostilities absent Congressional authorization, the 93rd Congress of the United States
04:40enacted into law House Joint Resolution 542, the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Public Law 93-148,
04:52by overriding the veto of President Richard Nixon. Peter Brian Hegseth, in his capacity as Secretary of Defense,
05:01has executed unlawful orders in contravention of Section 2, C of the War Powers Resolution of 1973,
05:10Section 1541, C of Title 50, United States Code. Section 2, C provides that the constitutional powers of the
05:19President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent
05:27involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances are exercised only pursuant to,
05:35one, a declaration of war, two, specific statutory authorization, or three, a national emergency created by an
05:44attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces. The War Powers Resolution further
05:53expressly provides that nothing contained therein shall be construed as granting any authority to the
05:59President or to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities which the President would not
06:06otherwise possess in the absence of the resolution. Accordingly, the reporting and termination procedures
06:13subsequently established by the resolution do not themselves constitute affirmative statutory authorization to
06:20commence hostilities. Rather, the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities must
06:26rest upon one of the authorities or circumstances identified in Section 2, C in order for a conflict to
06:34be considered lawful. With respect to the United States Armed Forces being introduced into hostilities in the
06:40Islamic Republic of Iran, on February 28, 2026, Secretary Hegseth directed and caused United States Armed Forces to be
06:50introduced into hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Notwithstanding that, Congress had not declared war
06:58against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Congress had not enacted any specific statutory authorization for the
07:06introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and no national
07:14emergency had been created by an attack by the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the United States, its territories, or
07:22possessions, or its armed forces. Furthermore, no imminent attack upon the United States, its territories, or
07:30possessions, or its armed forces existed, as affirmed in the March 17, 2026 resignation letter of Joe Kent, then
07:38director of the National Counterterrorism Center, in which he stated, quote, I cannot in good conscience
07:46support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, unquote. The introduction of
07:54United States Armed Forces into hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran therefore satisfied none of the
08:01circumstances expressly identified in Section 2C of the War Powers Resolution and was undertaken from its
08:09inception without congressional authorization or independent Article II authority, thereby rendering both the
08:17initial introduction of the United States Armed Forces into hostilities and all subsequent actions taken
08:23thereafter unlawful. Secretary Hegseth nevertheless knowingly executed and implemented the order to commence such hostilities,
08:34employing the powers, personnel, weapons, and resources of the Department of Defense.
