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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 951 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 951

   Impeaching Lloyd James Austin III, Secretary of Defense, for high 
                        crimes and misdemeanors.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 2024

Mr. Rosendale submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Impeaching Lloyd James Austin III, Secretary of Defense, for high 
                        crimes and misdemeanors.

    Resolved, That Lloyd James Austin III, Secretary of Defense, is 
impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following 
articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:
     Article of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives 
of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people 
of the United States of America, against Lloyd James Austin III, 
Secretary of Defense, in maintenance and support of its impeachment 
against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.
    Article 1.--Lloyd James Austin III, in his conduct as Secretary of 
Defense, has acted contrary to the trust and duty of an Officer of the 
United States and has degraded the honor of the United States by 
providing aid to its enemies:
    Secretary Austin took an oath to support and defend the 
Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and 
domestic, when he was sworn in as Secretary of Defense on January 22, 
2021.
    Secretary Austin failed to uphold his oath of office when he 
allowed a Chinese high-altitude balloon to fly over North American 
airspace unimpeded from January 28 to February 4, 2023:
            (1) Secretary Austin's failure to demolish or obstruct the 
        balloon when it was first detected resulted in the balloon 
        hovering over Malmstrom Air Force base, which is one of three 
        U.S. military sites that houses intercontinental ballistic 
        missiles.
            (2) Secretary Austin failed to meet the duties of his 
        office by either willfully ignoring available reports or 
        failing to investigate the properties of an enemy balloon over 
        U.S. military bases: in the months following the incident it 
        was widely reported that the balloon had the ability to capture 
        images and transmit signals despite initial statements from the 
        Pentagon. Whether Secretary Austin knowingly or unknowingly 
        allowed an enemy to collect data on U.S. military bases, his 
        conduct proves him unfit for Office and shows a dereliction of 
        duty.
            (3) Despite the balloon being tracked by the Pentagon when 
        it entered Montana air space on January 31, 2023, Secretary 
        Austin did not order the balloon to be intercepted. Moreover, 
        Secretary Austin did not organize a briefing for Members of 
        Congress until the presence of a Chinese balloon was publicly 
        reported and Secretary Austin has never spoken directly to the 
        American people impacted.
            (4) In the months to come, under the direction of Secretary 
        Austin, Pentagon officials lied to the American people about 
        the incident and the dangers posed to the United States. It was 
        reported in December of 2023 that the Chinese balloon used a 
        U.S. internet service provider to transmit data and that the 
        Biden Administration intended to stay silent had American 
        citizens not reported the balloon.
    As a result of Secretary Austin's failure to act, an enemy of the 
United States was allowed to access and transmit data and images, 
threatening American national security.
    Secretary Austin showed a dereliction of duty by failing to 
promptly investigate, disclose, and eliminate a clear and present 
threat to the United States.
    Secretary Austin acted contrary to the trust and duty of the Office 
of Secretary of Defense in endangering American national security and 
speaking dishonestly. Secretary Austin repeated falsehoods not to 
protect U.S. interests, as they had already been compromised, but to 
mislead the American people.
    Secretary Austin has degraded the honor of the United States by 
making its sensitive military data available to our enemies with 
severely delayed recourse.
    In all this, Secretary Austin has shown himself unfit for the 
Office of the Secretary of Defense. In endangering U.S. national 
security and lying to the American people, he has violated his oath of 
office and committed high crimes and misdemeanors.
    Wherefore, Secretary Lloyd James Austin III, by such conduct, 
warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and 
disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or 
profit under the United States.
                                 <all>
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