Press Releases

Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Ranking of the Subcommittee on the Military and Foreign Affairs, Rep. Stephen Lynch, and Rep. Robert Garcia led Committee Democrats in sending a letter to Chairman Comer demanding the Committee uphold its duty to conduct real oversight and schedule a hearing with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.  Today’s letter follows this week’s report in The Atlantic that several members of the National Security Council and the White House Cabinet participated in a highly sensitive group chat on the Signal messaging application regarding a military operation in Yemen, which included a journalist not authorized to receive that information.

“I am attaching hereto a letter addressed to the National Security Adviser, Director of National Intelligence, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Secretaries of the Treasury, Defense, and State, and the Vice President demanding an immediate briefing on this matter.  We urge you to join us in this critical demand,” wrote the Members. “We also urge you to schedule hearing immediately with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to allow the Committee to assess the extent of the harm to American national security interests as a result of this shocking and reckless unauthorized disclosure of highly sensitive and potentially classified information.”

A former national security official who has worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations has observed with respect to the Signal breach that “[c]ommunicating sensitive, operational information in this manner increases the likelihood of inappropriate disclosure which places military personnel at risk,” and raises questions about violation of federal law governing the safeguarding and retention of government information.  

“Given the grave threat to American national security from these unsecured communications, as well as your repeatedly stated concern for the protection of classified information, we trust that you will enthusiastically join us in demanding immediate answers from the Trump Administration and will publicly announce your intention to hold a hearing in the near future to evaluate the harm resulting from the Signal chat,” the Members concluded. 

Click here to read the letter to Chairman Comer.