Our servicemembers and their families deserve a Secretary of Defense who is competent, follows the law, and puts the force first. Pete Hegseth has failed on all three, over and over. Congress is now poised to make him answer for it.

In March 2025, Secretary Hegseth shared the timing and details of upcoming U.S. strikes in Yemen in a commercial Signal chat that accidentally included a journalist. He shared the same information in a second chat that included his wife and brother. The Pentagon’s Inspector General later found that he put U.S. troops at risk, broke Pentagon policy by using his personal phone, and failed to keep required records.

Secretary Hegseth also conducted an unprecedented purge of military leadership. Nearly 60 percent of the senior officers he has fired or sidelined are women or Black, even though they make up less than 20 percent of the general and flag officer ranks. He personally struck women and Black officers from Army and Navy promotion lists after promotion boards had already selected them, leaving a Navy one-star list with no women on it at all. He drove out transgender servicemembers who met every standard to serve. He fired the top uniformed lawyers of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. None of this made our military stronger. 

Then on February 28, 2026, U.S. forces went to war with Iran without any authorization from Congress. When the 60-day legal limit under the War Powers Resolution ran out, Hegseth kept going. When the House and Senate both voted in June to direct U.S. forces out of Iran, the first time in history both chambers have ever done that, he kept going. The human cost has been real. More than 20 U.S. servicemembers have lost their lives, along with thousands of civilians and non-combatants across the region. Military families have faced sudden deployments and disrupted care, and Americans living and working in the region have been put in harm’s way. The war continues to cost billions of dollars a week while the VA looks for ways to cut veterans’ benefits and health care.

On June 13, 2026, the Democrats Abroad Global VMF Caucus Steering Committee unanimously passed a resolution urging Congress to use all available powers to ensure full accountability, including impeachment and removal from office, for the officials most responsible for this unauthorized war, including Secretary Hegseth.

Now Congress has a chance to act. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has introduced eight articles of impeachment against Secretary Hegseth. Among other things, the articles charge that Hegseth:

• Waged war on Iran without congressional authorization and kept fighting after both the legal deadline and Congress’s direct order to stop.
• Dismantled the offices Congress required to prevent civilian casualties and fired the military lawyers responsible for independent legal review of combat operations.
• Ordered strikes on shipwrecked survivors at sea, which puts our own servicemembers at risk of the same treatment.
• Censured and threatened Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain and combat veteran, for telling troops they can refuse illegal orders, and argued in court that retired servicemembers have reduced free speech rights. 

These articles were filed by a Republican, and more Republicans are expected to join Rep. Massie. That tells you this isn’t about party or partisan politics. It’s about whether the person leading our military can be trusted to do the job and follow the law. Secretary Hegseth has shown us, again and again, that he cannot. Our servicemembers, their families, and our country deserve better.

Here’s what you can do right now:

1. Call your Representative today. We expect a House vote shortly, and the vote could come with very little notice. House leadership may try to kill the articles with a procedural “motion to table” so members never have to vote on the merits. Tell your Representative to vote NO on tabling and YES on impeachment.

Sample script for your Representative:

My name is [name] and I’m one of your constituents. I’m a [veteran / military spouse / military family member / American living overseas]. I’m calling to urge you to vote YES on the articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and NO on any motion to table them. From Signalgate, to firing qualified women, trans, and Black officers, to waging war on Iran without Congress’s approval and ignoring Congress when it voted to bring our troops home, he has shown he is unfit to lead our military. Please vote to hold him accountable.

2. Call your Senators and put them on notice. If the House impeaches, the Senate must still hold a trial to remove Hegseth unless he resigns. Your Senators need to know their constituents are watching and expect them to be ready to act. Even if the House doesn’t move, Senators can publicly call for Secretary Hegseth to step down and use their oversight power to demand answers.

Sample script for your Senators:

My name is [name] and I’m one of your constituents. I’m a [veteran / military spouse / military family member / American living overseas]. I’m calling about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The House may vote on articles of impeachment this week. If it does, I expect you to take the trial seriously and vote to remove him. Either way, I’m asking you to publicly call for his resignation and to use your oversight authority to hold him accountable for waging an unauthorized war, ignoring Congress, and purging qualified officers from our military.

3. Share this with your networks. Send it to the veterans, servicemembers, military families, and allies you know. This vote could happen fast, and many people won’t know it’s coming. Your share matters.

The Democrats Abroad Veterans and Military Families (VMF) Caucus connects U.S. veterans, active duty and reserve service members, DoD civilians, and military-connected families, caregivers, and survivors living overseas, along with our allies and supporters. We advocate for the issues that matter to our community, support get-out-the-vote efforts among military-connected Americans abroad, and make sure our voices are heard within Democrats Abroad and across the party. Founded in May 2019, we're part of a global network of Americans who believe this country has a sacred obligation to the people who serve it and to their loved ones.

Questions? Reach us at [email protected].