Holding War Criminals Accountable

Floor Speech

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Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, the Uniform Code of Military Justice is clear. It requires servicemembers to obey lawful orders and to refuse illegal orders.

We can't order a servicemember to commit a crime. It is that simple. If someone is a servicemember, he can't follow an order that requires him to commit a crime.

Recently, my Democratic colleagues merely reminded our servicemembers of their lawful duty. The President's reaction was that these Democratic Members of Congress were traitors and should be hanged.

Fast-forward to last week, when we learned that Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the illegal killing of defenseless survivors of an attack on a boat in the Caribbean. This is what our colleagues were warning about.

Mr. Speaker, Secretary Hegseth and anyone else who commits war crimes must be held accountable. Secretary Hegseth has to go.

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