House shields Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth from impeachment push
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The House voted 211-204 to block a resolution to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, stopping the measure before it could reach the Judiciary Committee.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday to block a resolution to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth from advancing to the Judiciary Committee, shielding him from formal scrutiny for now. The defeat derailed a bid by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, who authored the eight-article impeachment proposal, to force Congress to confront allegations surrounding Hegseth's conduct.
Massie's articles accuse Hegseth of waging war against Iran without congressional authorization, abusing Pentagon power, and ordering strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that Massie described as "extrajudicial killings." The resolution also alleges that Hegseth moved to suppress free speech after a dispute with Democratic Senator Mark Kelly.
At a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth dismissed the effort as "a farce, and it’s a stunt, and everybody knows it," and labeled the accusations "slander" and "sabotage." President Donald Trump later posted on TRUTH Social praising Hegseth as a "Great American Patriot" and giving him an "A" grade.
Vice President JD Vance said Hegseth had "obviously not" committed impeachable offenses. Republicans still hold a House majority for now, but Democrats are expected to take control of both chambers in January, which would give them the power to restart impeachment proceedings. Massie will leave Congress after losing his Republican primary to a Trump-backed challenger.