1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent to demand immediate Congressional oversight regarding recent Department of Defense policies under Secretary Pete Hegseth. By slashing recognized military religious affiliation codes from over 200 down to just 31, the Pentagon is actively restricting the religious freedom of the men and women who volunteer to defend our nation. These actions directly undermine the core values of our republic and our military: - The U.S. Constitution (Article VI): By narrowing the list to specific government-approved categories, the Department creates a functional religious test for our armed forces, directly violating the Constitution's mandate that no such test shall ever be required. - The Bill of Rights (First Amendment): Using taxpayer-funded federal resources to host exclusive, sectarian worship services within the Pentagon violates the Establishment Clause. The government must remain neutral, respecting the conscience of every service member. - The Treaty of Tripoli (1797): This treaty, ratified unanimously by the Senate, explicitly stated that our government "is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion". The Secretary's "Christian nation" rhetoric ignores this historical and legal precedent. - The Military Oath & Service Regulations: Every service member takes a solemn oath to support and defend the U.S. Constitution, which inherently guarantees freedom of conscience. Our military draws strength from volunteers of all beliefs and backgrounds—whether religious, spiritual, or secular. Forcing a top-down, government-mandated religious identity violates the spirit of that oath, alienates active-duty personnel, harms morale, and directly undermines military readiness. The United States is a nation built on religious freedom—which must include both the right to practice one's faith and freedom from state-sponsored religion. I demand that you take the following actions to hold the Department accountable: 1. Launch a Formal Congressional Inquiry: Demand that the Department of Defense provide the full justification and data used to strip over 180 faith and belief systems from military personnel records. 2. Committee Oversight: Request that the House and Senate Armed Services Committees hold hearings to investigate how these policy changes affect military readiness, recruitment, and the First Amendment rights of service members. 3. Budgetary Scrutiny: Utilize the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) process to ensure federal funds are not used to promote sectarian religious agendas or give state preference to specific religious worldviews within the military. Our military must remain a professional institution focused on national defense, not a vehicle for government-mandated religious engineering. I look forward to your response on how you will protect the constitutional rights of our service members.