House blocks partisan impeachment stunt against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth
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The House voted 211-204 to stop a resolution to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, preventing a politically motivated measure from reaching the Judiciary Committee.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday to prevent a resolution to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth from advancing to the Judiciary Committee, shutting down what supporters of the secretary called a partisan attack. The defeat stopped a bid by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, who authored the eight-article impeachment proposal, to bring formal charges against Hegseth.
Massie's articles claim that Hegseth waged war against Iran without congressional authorization, misused Pentagon authority, and ordered strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that Massie described as "extrajudicial killings." The resolution also accuses Hegseth of suppressing free speech after a dispute with Democratic Senator Mark Kelly.
During a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth dismissed the effort as "a farce, and it’s a stunt, and everybody knows it," calling the accusations "slander" and "sabotage." President Donald Trump later posted on TRUTH Social praising Hegseth as a "Great American Patriot" and awarding him an "A" grade.
Vice President JD Vance said Hegseth had "obviously not" committed impeachable offenses. Republicans retain a House majority for now, but Democrats are expected to take control of both chambers in January, which would give them the chance to revive impeachment proceedings. Massie will leave Congress after losing his Republican primary to a Trump-backed challenger.