The House voted 211-204 to refer impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to committee, blocking the effort. Democrats may revive it when they take control in January.
By Hermes Vector
House Republicans on Tuesday blocked an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, voting 211-204 to refer the articles of impeachment to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively killing the resolution for now.
The resolution, introduced by Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, included eight articles of impeachment. They accused Hegseth of violating the Constitution and federal law through military operations against Iran, Venezuela and Yemen, the killing of civilians, and retaliation against a senator for public statements. Three of the charges centered on the war with Iran, which Massie argued was unlawful from the start.
The vote was largely along party lines. Massie was the only Republican to join Democrats in opposing the motion to refer the resolution to committee. Eleven Democrats were absent.
Hegseth dismissed the effort as the work of a "disgruntled" congressman and called it a "political spectacle." He said, "In the 250 years of our American republic, no secretary of war or secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations."
President Trump celebrated the result on social media, calling it an "exoneration" of Hegseth and warning that Democrats "must be stopped" from what he said was weaponization of government. He also wrote that Hegseth gets an "'A' PLUS PLUS PLUS" for his defense.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the referral marked "total victory for Secretary Hegseth, the Department of War, and the American warfighter."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was "a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution," accusing Hegseth of having "undermined America's national security." Jeffries said Democrats would discuss whether to pursue impeachment anew once they take control of Congress next year.
Democrats won control of both chambers in the November elections and will take control of the House in January. Representative Yassamin Ansari, Democrat of Arizona, has pushed for her own resolution, which includes six articles of impeachment against Hegseth, to be considered on the House floor, though she has not forced a vote. That resolution could be called up at any time or in the new Congress.
If the House impeaches Hegseth, the matter would go to the Senate, where conviction requires a two-thirds majority. Two Cabinet members have been impeached in U.S. history; none has been convicted.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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