1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I urge you to begin impeachment proceedings against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — and to investigate the role of the administration in authorizing a lethal campaign that may have placed U.S. service members in legal danger. American troops were put in legal jeopardy on September 2 in a boat strike off Venezuela. The Washington Post reported that Secretary Hegseth gave explicit instructions to “kill everyone” aboard a small vessel. A first strike left two survivors clinging to wreckage. A second strike — carried out under Hegseth’s authority — killed the survivors. Under U.S. military law and the laws of war, shipwrecked survivors who pose no immediate threat cannot by law be targeted. The Pentagon’s own Law of War Manual forbids any order “on the basis that there shall be no survivors.” The an administration ’s story has changed multiple times in one day, denial and the pronouncements placing the “blame” on someone else. Meanwhile, The Hill reported that service members are so concerned about potential illegal orders that military legal hotlines have seen a surge in calls. Many respected veterans in Congress — including Republicans — are speaking out strongly against these actions, including Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Sen. Mark Kelly, a decorated Navy combat pilot. Congress must remember that under the Constitution, the President is the Commander in Chief. Ultimately Trump authorized or oversaw this campaign. To uphold the Constitution and protect our service members, I urge you to support: 1. Impeachment proceedings against Secretary Pete Hegseth. 2. A full congressional investigation into Trump’s role in authorizing the campaign of boat strikes. 3. Immediate public release of the legal rationale for these operations. 4. A clear statement reaffirming that U.S. troops must never follow illegal orders — and will be supported when they uphold the law.