IV 

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. 

1 Resolved, That Lloyd James Austin III, Secretary of 

2 Defense, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors 

3 and that the following articles of impeachment be exhib4 ited to the United States Senate: 

5 Article of impeachment exhibited by the House of 

6 Representatives of the United States of America in the 

7 name of itself and of the people of the United States of 

8 America, against Lloyd James Austin III, Secretary of 

9 Defense, in maintenance and support of its impeachment 

10 against him for high crimes and misdemeanors. 


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•HRES 951 IH 

1 Article 1.—Lloyd James Austin III, in his conduct 

2 as Secretary of Defense, has acted contrary to the trust 

3 and duty of an Officer of the United States and has de4 graded the honor of the United States by providing aid 

5 to its enemies: 

6 Secretary Austin took an oath to support and defend 

7 the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, 

8 foreign and domestic, when he was sworn in as Secretary 

9 of Defense on January 22, 2021. 

10 Secretary Austin failed to uphold his oath of office 

11 when he allowed a Chinese high-altitude balloon to fly over 

12 North American airspace unimpeded from January 28 to 

13 February 4, 2023: 

14 (1) Secretary Austin’s failure to demolish or ob15 struct the balloon when it was first detected resulted 

16 in the balloon hovering over Malmstrom Air Force 

17 base, which is one of three U.S. military sites that 

18 houses intercontinental ballistic missiles. 

19 (2) Secretary Austin failed to meet the duties 

20 of his office by either willfully ignoring available re21 ports or failing to investigate the properties of an 

22 enemy balloon over U.S. military bases: in the 

23 months following the incident it was widely reported 

24 that the balloon had the ability to capture images 

25 and transmit signals despite initial statements from 


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•HRES 951 IH 

1 the Pentagon. Whether Secretary Austin knowingly 

2 or unknowingly allowed an enemy to collect data on 

3 U.S. military bases, his conduct proves him unfit for 

4 Office and shows a dereliction of duty. 

5 (3) Despite the balloon being tracked by the 

6 Pentagon when it entered Montana air space on 

7 January 31, 2023, Secretary Austin did not order 

8 the balloon to be intercepted. Moreover, Secretary 

9 Austin did not organize a briefing for Members of 

10 Congress until the presence of a Chinese balloon was 

11 publicly reported and Secretary Austin has never 

12 spoken directly to the American people impacted. 

13 (4) In the months to come, under the direction 

14 of Secretary Austin, Pentagon officials lied to the 

15 American people about the incident and the dangers 

16 posed to the United States. It was reported in De17 cember of 2023 that the Chinese balloon used a U.S. 

18 internet service provider to transmit data and that 

19 the Biden Administration intended to stay silent had 

20 American citizens not reported the balloon. 

21 As a result of Secretary Austin’s failure to act, an 

22 enemy of the United States was allowed to access and 

23 transmit data and images, threatening American national 

24 security. 


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•HRES 951 IH 

1 Secretary Austin showed a dereliction of duty by fail2 ing to promptly investigate, disclose, and eliminate a clear 

3 and present threat to the United States. 

4 Secretary Austin acted contrary to the trust and duty 

5 of the Office of Secretary of Defense in endangering 

6 American national security and speaking dishonestly. Sec7 retary Austin repeated falsehoods not to protect U.S. in8 terests, as they had already been compromised, but to mis9 lead the American people. 

10 Secretary Austin has degraded the honor of the 

11 United States by making its sensitive military data avail12 able to our enemies with severely delayed recourse. 

13 In all this, Secretary Austin has shown himself unfit 

14 for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In endangering 

15 U.S. national security and lying to the American people, 

16 he has violated his oath of office and committed high 

17 crimes and misdemeanors. 

18 Wherefore, Secretary Lloyd James Austin III, by 

19 such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal 

20 from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any of21 fice of honor, trust, or profit under the United States. 

Æ 


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