This resolution demands the President and Secretary of State swiftly transmit all records related to Houthi strikes and the disclosure of confidential information to a journalist via the Signal application.
Gregory Meeks
Representative
NY-5
This resolution is an official request demanding the President and the Secretary of State immediately transmit all records related to strikes against the Houthis in Yemen and the disclosure of confidential information to a journalist. Specifically, it seeks documents created on or after January 20, 2025, concerning sensitive communications, including Signal chats involving a journalist, and the legal justification for the military actions. Congress requires these documents, which may include AI transcripts and meeting notes, within 14 days of the resolution's passage.
Congress Demands Signal Chats, AI Transcripts on Houthi Strikes Within 14 Days: The Push for Executive Branch Secrets
This resolution is Congress putting the President and the Secretary of State on the clock, demanding they hand over a massive collection of sensitive documents within just 14 days. The core demand is transparency—specifically, on the U.S. military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, which have been ongoing since January 20, 2025.
The Digital Receipt for War Planning
Congress isn't just asking for formal memos; they want the digital receipts. This resolution specifically targets communications channels that are usually kept far away from public or even Congressional view. They are demanding the full transcript of a specific Signal group chat—a secure messaging app—that included a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, and discussed highly sensitive war plans. This goes beyond standard oversight, forcing the Executive Branch to reveal how top officials discuss and coordinate national security decisions on commercial, encrypted apps. The resolution also demands any records, including those generated by large language models (AI chats), related to the strikes, the legal justification used, and the coordination with allies. This is essentially an attempt to pull back the curtain on the most sensitive, behind-the-scenes decision-making process.
Why This Matters to Everyone Else
For most people, the immediate reaction might be, “Why should I care about Congress reading Signal chats?” The answer lies in accountability and the security of our national defense. When officials allegedly use commercial apps to discuss classified military actions with a journalist, it raises serious questions about security protocols. This resolution is Congress’s way of forcing an investigation into that potential security breach, ensuring that the people responsible for keeping us safe aren't compromising operational security through casual digital communication. If high-level military planning is vulnerable to leaks or poor security practices, it affects the safety of service members and the effectiveness of U.S. foreign policy.
The Executive Branch Under the Gun
This resolution puts the President and the Secretary of State in a tough spot. They have only two weeks to comply with a request that covers highly classified information, including details about coordination with foreign allies. Releasing this information could create diplomatic friction, as other countries might not want their involvement in military actions made public. Furthermore, the demand for all records related to the strikes, including internal legal justifications, forces the Executive Branch to choose between protecting potentially classified operational secrets and complying with Congressional oversight. For the busy people juggling jobs and life, this legislative fight represents a fundamental tension: the need for government transparency versus the need for the Executive Branch to conduct sensitive national security operations without revealing the playbook to adversaries—or to the political opposition.