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119th CONGRESS
1st Session |
Denouncing dangerous and seditious rhetoric by Members of Congress and expressing condemnation of Senator Mark Kelly, Senator Elissa Slotkin, Representative Jason Crow, Representative Christopher Deluzio, Representative Maggie Goodlander, and Representative Chrissy Houlahan for attempting to sow disallegiance amongst members of the United States military and intelligence community and encouraging them to act against the Commander in Chief and President of the United States and violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Mr. Zinke (for himself, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida, Mr. McGuire, Mr. Clyde, Mr. Van Orden, Mr. Bergman, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Jackson of Texas, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mrs. Biggs of South Carolina, Mr. Self, Mr. Smucker, Mr. Crane, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Messmer, Mr. Fine, Mr. Collins, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Baird, Mr. Allen, Mr. Sessions, and Mr. Rutherford) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 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
Denouncing dangerous and seditious rhetoric by Members of Congress and expressing condemnation of Senator Mark Kelly, Senator Elissa Slotkin, Representative Jason Crow, Representative Christopher Deluzio, Representative Maggie Goodlander, and Representative Chrissy Houlahan for attempting to sow disallegiance amongst members of the United States military and intelligence community and encouraging them to act against the Commander in Chief and President of the United States and violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Whereas a bedrock principle of the Constitution of the United States is the President’s power and solemn responsibility to serve as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces;
Whereas the President’s power to direct the Armed Forces is embedded under article II, section 2 of the Constitution;
Whereas it is a crime subject to court-martial for a member of the Armed Forces to knowingly fail to obey lawful orders or regulations or to become derelict in the performance of their duties under section 892 of title 10, United States Code (article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)), which forbids a “failure to obey order[s] or regulation[s]”;
Whereas Congress, which holds the power to declare war, was so concerned that the chain of command could be undermined by individuals encouraging disloyalty by members of the military that it made it a Federal crime to advise, counsel, urge, or in any manner cause or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military;
Whereas, in a video posted on November 18, 2025, and widely disseminated across social media and the news, the aforementioned Members of Congress urged the military and intelligence communities to defy “illegal” orders, insinuating, without evidence, that the administration has been issuing these types of orders;
Whereas UCMJ case law has held that orders are presumed lawful, outside of those obviously unlawful, and are “disobeyed at the peril of the subordinate”, without consideration to the “person’s conscience, religion, or personal philosophy”;
Whereas the Members of Congress are fully aware and recognize due to their own experiences in the military and intelligence community that the chain of command is sacrosanct and essential to the efficient and successful functioning of these institutions and yet claimed in the video that they “have [a servicemember’s] back” if they disobey an order they independently deem to be unlawful;
Whereas, when asked for proof of unlawful orders made by the Commander in Chief, Senator Slotkin stated that she was “not aware of things that are illegal”, as well as others in the recorded video who also stated similar admissions with regard to orders issued by the Commander in Chief;
Whereas the Members of Congress, without any proof or basis in fact, claimed that the Trump administration is “pitting the military and intelligence community against American citizens”;
Whereas Senator Slotkin even went so far as introducing legislation in the Senate to limit the power of the President to deploy troops to protect and defend cities under siege by narcotraffickers, drugs, and violence, despite at the same time admitting that she was not aware of any illegal orders issued by President Trump;
Whereas the Members of Congress claimed, once again without any evidence or proof, that American trust in the military is at risk, a message which erodes confidence and respect for these hallowed institutions;
Whereas the Members of Congress, all of whom took an oath themselves to defend and uphold the Constitution, encouraged members of the military and intelligence community to undermine their own oaths by refusing “illegal” orders, without citing any evidence that any orders emanating from the administration are anything except lawful and directed toward protecting the United States and its citizens; and
Whereas the Members of Congress insinuated that the Trump administration is threatening Americans which is seriously damaging rhetoric that places American citizens at odds with the government entrusted to protect them: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives denounces the dangerous and seditious rhetoric spewing from these six Members of Congress that has led to an environment placing troops and their loved ones at risk of harm, compromising and undermining the national security of the United States and the peaceful coexistence and respect deserved by our brave men and women serving in the military and the intelligence community.