1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment explicitly prohibits the federal government from establishing or endorsing a state religion. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to use taxpayer-funded, official Department channels to integrate specific religious texts into official military operations—most recently with a nationwide recruiting tour explicitly named after a Bible verse. On September 19, Secretary Hegseth launched what the Department officially branded the "Send Me Tour" at Texas A&M University. Addressing military cadets, the Secretary cited the Book of Isaiah—"Whom shall I send? ... Here am I, send me"—before leading cadets in chants and framing military readiness around specific religious scripture. Official Department media channels subsequently posted the scripture in promotional materials to market the recruiting initiative. A national recruiting campaign built around specific sectarian texts and executed through official military channels is not a personal expression of faith—it is the state sponsoring one religious tradition over all others, funded by taxpayers of every faith and none. This initiative reflects a documented pattern of unconstitutional conduct within the Department: - Unlawful Use of Appropriated Communications Resources: Deploying official Department public affairs accounts, staff, and travel budgets to promote a religiously branded recruiting initiative violates federal standards regarding neutral public communications. - Systemic Institutional Restructuring: This campaign follows Pentagon-hosted worship services, public misattributions of scripture during official ceremonies, and structural changes to the Chaplain Corps that replace official rank displays with religious affiliation identifiers. - Coercion in the Military Chain of Command: More than 100 service member complaints detailing improper religious framing imposed on military operations and personnel have already been submitted to the congressional record. Service members and citizens are entitled to an armed forces leadership that respects constitutional boundaries and does not use tax dollars or the chain of command to advance a specific religious doctrine. I urge you to take three immediate oversight actions: 1. Direct an IG and GAO Financial Audit: Request that the Department of Defense Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office investigate whether federal funds and official communications channels were unlawfully used to produce and promote a religiously branded recruitment campaign. 2. Convene Bicameral Oversight Hearings: Require Secretary Hegseth to testify before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees regarding the Department's use of official channels for religious messaging and recent chaplaincy restructurings. 3. Investigate Chain-of-Command Coercion: Direct a formal Inspector General review into all service member complaints entered into the congressional record regarding religious coercion within military units. Congress must enforce constitutional boundaries, protect the neutral integrity of our armed forces, and halt the misuse of public funds. I ask that you exercise Article I oversight immediately.