Politics
House Sends Hegseth Impeachment Articles to Committee, Effectively Killing Floor Vote
A 211-204 vote referred Rep. Thomas Massie's impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to committee, short-circuiting a full House vote and virtually guaranteeing the effort dies before Congress adjourns. Hegseth called Massie a 'disgruntled and defeated congressman' and said he would repeat the military operations at issue 'tomorrow.'
The House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to send articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to committee, a procedural move that effectively ends the effort and prevents a full floor vote on whether to remove him from office.
The resolution was filed by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who reintroduced the articles on Monday. The maneuver all but ensures the measure will not be taken up before the current session of Congress expires, delivering an unexpected reprieve to Hegseth, who had been facing a possible House impeachment vote as early as Wednesday.
Massie accused Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors tied to the war with Iran and U.S. strikes against Iran and on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. The resolution also cited the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without congressional authorization and an effort to punish Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., over a video in which Kelly told service members they can refuse illegal orders.
Speaking at a rare Pentagon press conference on Tuesday, Hegseth defended the operations and dismissed Massie in personal terms, calling him a "disgruntled and defeated congressman."
"I stand behind every one of these operations," Hegseth said. "I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow."
President Trump backed Hegseth a day earlier during an impromptu briefing at the White House. "I'll stand by him," Trump said. "He won two wars. He was in charge. We all won."
It was Massie's second attempt to force a vote on removing Hegseth. He first sought to bring an impeachment resolution to the floor before the midterm elections, prompting Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to call an early recess to avoid the vote. That resolution expired, leading Massie to reintroduce it this week.
While the impeachment push appears quelled for now, Hegseth's troubles on Capitol Hill are not over. Democrats have promised vigorous investigations into his Pentagon once they assume the majority in January. Whether they will mount another impeachment effort remains unclear, but Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become the next Speaker, said in an interview last week of Hegseth: "He's got to go."
The vote underscores the extent to which congressional Republicans remain unwilling to break with the president over his defense secretary, even as questions about the legal basis for military action abroad continue to mount. For Democrats preparing to take control of the House, the episode offers both a rallying point and a preview of the oversight battles ahead.