Responding to Signal Chat Leak

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in disbelief at the troubling stories in ``The Atlantic'' magazine of classified attack plans carelessly leaked by the U.S. Department of Defense in a reckless and dangerous fashion.

Congress must conduct a fully independent investigation with public and private congressional hearings. The highest national security and intelligence leaders of our Nation put American's servicemembers' lives at high risk.

All responsible must be held fully accountable, including through removal or resignation from their positions. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director Radcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Gabbard, Secretary of State Rubio, National Security Advisor Waltz, Chief of Staff Wiles, and Vice President Vance were among those involved in the plans Hegseth shared against DOD policy on a Signal group chat on unsecured, nongovernment devices vulnerable to espionage.

Hegseth failed to notice that the group chat included a news editor and reporter with no security clearance. Only Lady Luck graced our Nation as their haphazard approach to war didn't result in the death of American servicemembers who could have ended up at the bottom of the Red Sea or over foreign soil. Their reckless leak risked American lives and our security.

Mr. Speaker, as our Marine Corps uncle would say: Shape up.

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