1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent to urge immediate congressional oversight of the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), and to call for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to be compelled to testify before Congress regarding his handling of this crisis. Given the severity of what has come to light, I also believe Congress should pursue his impeachment. The Abraham Lincoln has now been deployed for more than 260 days, including roughly nine months at sea and five consecutive months of continuous combat operations against Iran, without the extended port relief that any modern carrier deployment should include. Families of the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard have gone public with accounts of deteriorating and, in some cases, dangerous conditions: rationed meals reduced to small portions of rice and flatbread, shortages of basic hygiene supplies like soap, toothpaste, and deodorant, mold in shower facilities, broken toilets, and intermittent hot water. Veterans with family aboard have also reported wear-related damage to the flight deck, which the Navy disputes. Most alarming are the reports of a mental health crisis onboard, including exhaustion severe enough that families fear it could cause fatal mistakes, and multiple reported attempts by servicemembers to jump from the ship. Family members raised these concerns directly with the Acting Secretary of the Navy and other officials at a town hall, describing a crew stretched past its limits with no announced return date. Secretary Hegseth has publicly dismissed these accounts as false, even as multiple independent outlets, Navy families, and members of Congress have corroborated them. That response is unacceptable. Our servicemembers and their families deserve transparency and accountability, not denial. I am asking you to: 1. Demand that Secretary Hegseth testify before the appropriate congressional committee(s) to answer for the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and his public statements dismissing credible reports from military families. 2. Support a formal investigation into the deployment length, supply chain failures, and mental health support (or lack thereof) for the Lincoln’s crew. 3. Pursue impeachment proceedings against Secretary Hegseth given the scope of this failure and his refusal to acknowledge it. These are servicemembers risking their lives in a combat zone. They and their families deserve a Congress that holds the Department of Defense accountable. I urge you to act. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your response.