House Leadership: Hegseth Impeachment Effort Shelved
A 211-204 vote sends eight articles of impeachment against the Defense Secretary to committee, effectively ending the process until the next Congress.
By Natalia Costa ·
House Republicans voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer a resolution to committee, a procedural move that halts the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth until the next Congress. The resolution, introduced by outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), contained eight articles of impeachment accusing the Pentagon chief of constitutional violations during military operations.
Massie, who lost his primary to former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, had reintroduced the articles on the House floor the previous day. He cited Hegseth’s role in the Iran war, the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Three of the articles specifically addressed the Iran conflict, which Massie argued proceeded without congressional authorization.
The Kentucky Republican also claimed Hegseth dismantled internal safeguards meant to distinguish civilian targets from military objectives. In a separate article, Massie labeled the Secretary the executioner behind deadly boat strikes that killed at least 244 alleged narco-terrorists. A sixth article alleged Hegseth retaliated against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) by initiating disciplinary procedures over Kelly’s statements regarding illegal orders.
During a press conference, Massie stated the articles did not accuse Hegseth of job ineffectiveness. He noted the Secretary was highly effective in operations that included the killing of schoolchildren in Iran and extrajudicial killings. Massie said he would have requested separate votes on each article if the House had moved past the procedural vote.
Hegseth responded sharply during his first Pentagon press conference in over six months. He described Massie as a disgruntled and defeated congressman driven by ego and resentment. The Defense Secretary called the impeachment effort a farce and a stunt, noting that no secretary of war or defense had ever been impeached for carrying out lawful and successful military operations.
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other administration officials supported Hegseth, describing the impeachment push as absurd. Trump assigned Hegseth an A-plus grade following the briefing. Hegseth’s aides highlighted recent achievements on social media, including increased recruitment numbers, the elimination of ISIS leader Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, and higher pay for troops in hostile environments.
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, called the effort petty and partisan. He urged Congress to focus on passing appropriations bills to support military readiness. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and other Democratic leaders supported the resolution but told members the vote was a matter of conscience.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), the outgoing chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said the party did not pressure rank-and-file members to vote for the measure. Aguilar, who is expected to become majority whip, indicated that Democrats would prioritize oversight in the next Congress when they hold majorities in both chambers. He stated that formal impeachment discussions are not currently underway.
