[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 265 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 265
Condemning the Trump administration for the use of an unauthorized
method of communicating highly sensitive or potentially classified
information regarding a United States military operation via the
messaging platform ``Signal''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2025
Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. Norton, Mr. Peters,
and Mr. Johnson of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and
in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and
Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning the Trump administration for the use of an unauthorized
method of communicating highly sensitive or potentially classified
information regarding a United States military operation via the
messaging platform ``Signal''.
Whereas Vice President J.D. Vance used an unauthorized method of communicating
highly sensitive or potentially classified information regarding a
United States military operation via the messaging platform ``Signal'';
Whereas the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth used an unauthorized method of
communicating highly sensitive or potentially classified information
regarding a United States military operation via the messaging platform
``Signal'';
Whereas the Secretary of State Marco Rubio used an unauthorized method of
communicating highly sensitive or potentially classified information
regarding a United States military operation via the messaging platform
``Signal'';
Whereas the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard used an unauthorized
method of communicating highly sensitive or potentially classified
information regarding a United States military operation via the
messaging platform ``Signal'';
Whereas Presidential Advisor Stephen Miller used an unauthorized method of
communicating highly sensitive or potentially classified information
regarding a United States military operation via the messaging platform
``Signal'';
Whereas the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Mike Walz
used an unauthorized method of communicating highly sensitive or
potentially classified information regarding a United States military
operation via the messaging platform ``Signal'';
Whereas the Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent used an unauthorized method
of communicating highly sensitive or potentially classified information
regarding a United States military operation via the messaging platform
``Signal'';
Whereas the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe used an
unauthorized method of communicating highly sensitive or potentially
classified information regarding a United States military operation via
the messaging platform ``Signal'';
Whereas the National Security Council official Brian McCormack used an
unauthorized method of communicating highly sensitive or potentially
classified information regarding a United States military operation via
the messaging platform ``Signal'';
Whereas the White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles used an unauthorized method
of communicating highly sensitive or potentially classified information
regarding a United States military operation via the messaging platform
``Signal'';
Whereas the National Security Council official Steve Witkoff used an
unauthorized method of communicating highly sensitive or potentially
classified information regarding a United States military operation via
the messaging platform ``Signal'';
Whereas members of the administration may not have properly documented highly
sensitive and potentially classified information in accordance with
chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33 of title 44, United States Code (commonly
known as the Federal Records Act), enacted in 1950;
Whereas foreign adversaries have previously accessed and consistently attempt to
access highly sensitive and classified information relevant to United
States National Security, such as China's successful 2024 attempt to
infiltrate the United States Treasury and Russia's targeting of United
States military plans and sensitive data, notably through operations
like Moonlight Maze and espionage activities such as the Arc Electronics
case, which include cyberattacks and illegal technology exports;
Whereas top members of the administration used a publicly available commercial
platform to form a ``small group'', communicate highly sensitive or
potentially classified information, and discuss openly their intentions,
at risk of access by foreign adversaries;
Whereas the administration has in prior instances violated Federal law and basic
guidance on handling of classified information, such as the President's
improper storage of classified documents at ``Mar-a-Lago''; and
Whereas members of the administration discussed highly classified information
regarding a United States military operation outside of a Sensitive
Compartmented Information Facility, also known as a SCIF: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the administration for risking our national
security by potentially exposing highly sensitive or
potentially classified information to United States foreign
adversaries like China and Russia, who have in the past have
successfully accessed highly sensitive and confidential
information pertaining to United States national interests;
(2) condemns the administration for putting American
servicemembers' lives at risk by discussing military operations
in an unsecured, unclassified setting and sharing this
information with at least one nongovernmental party;
(3) calls on the administration to review its procedures
and systems for the communication of classified information;
(4) calls on the administration to investigate all
communication methods being used by members of the
administration and ensure they are aligned with proper
procedure as it pertains to the communication of classified or
highly sensitive information;
(5) calls on the administration to initiate an
investigation to uncover if any members of the administration
violated any Federal laws regarding the communication of
classified information;
(6) calls on the administration to hold any and all members
of the administration accountable to the full extent of the law
if any Federal laws were violated by members of the
administration pertaining to the communication of classified
information;
(7) calls on the administration to investigate on how many
instances the National Security Council or any other relevant
executive branch officials has used the ``Signal'' messaging
service or any other messaging service application that has not
been approved for the transmission of highly sensitive or
classified information;
(8) calls on the administration to ensure all members of
the administration are communicating highly sensitive or
classified information inside a SCIF to ensure members of the
administration do not endanger United States National Security
by communicating classified information through improper
channels; and
(9) calls on the administration to inform all members of
the administration that the communication of classified
information outside of a SCIF, is strictly prohibited and that
any members of the administration found to violate this
procedure will be removed from office and subsequently be
punished in accordance with any and all applicable laws
pertaining to the communication of classified information.
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