WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted Tuesday night to send articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to committee, effectively shelving the effort for the remainder of the congressional session.
The procedural move halts an impeachment bid brought forward by outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie. Sending the measure to committee ensures it will remain stalled until the current Congress concludes in early January, the New York Post reported.
Broad Allegations Across Foreign Operations
Massie filed the resolution with multiple charges centered on overseas military actions and constitutional limits on executive power. The articles included three separate counts regarding the war in Iran, as well as accusations related to unauthorized military strikes on Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen. Lawmakers have criticized the administration for bypassing Congress without consultation under the War Powers Act prior to launching strikes in Iran and Venezuela, according to the New York Post.
The charges also cited a mission targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, an alleged disregard for legal statutes designed to limit civilian deaths, and allegations of free speech violations involving Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat. In addition, Massie accused the defense chief of overseeing “extrajudicial killings” tied to operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels.
Eugene Fidell, a military law lecturer at Yale Law School and co-founder of the National Institute of Military Justice, told PBS News that strikes on suspected smuggling craft raised serious legal hazards. Fidell noted that victims of the boat strikes “now count way over 200” and contended the strikes lacked justification under laws of armed conflict. He also told the outlet that cabinet officials cannot avoid personal accountability simply by following executive directions, comparing the defense to historical cases where military officials attempted to deflect responsibility.
White House Rallies Behind Defense Chief
Before the vote on Tuesday, Hegseth pushed back against the charges during a Pentagon news conference, characterizing the impeachment bid as “not patriotism. This is sabotage.”
“As for the articles themselves — Iran, the cartels, Maduro, Yemen — every one was a lawful operation ordered by the Commander-in-Chief, then ordered by myself, notified to Congress, and executed by American warriors who did their jobs,” Hegseth said, as reported by the New York Post.
President Donald Trump quickly defended his cabinet member on social media, posting on Truth Social that Hegseth earned an “‘A’ PLUS, PLUS, PLUS” for opposing Massie. Vice President JD Vance similarly dismissed the impeachment drive, asserting that legislative critics were upset because Hegseth took on the military bureaucracy, rearranged senior leadership and shifted U.S. forces away from European posts. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also defended Hegseth, saying the defense secretary carried out lawful and effective directives from the commander in chief.
Future Battle Awaits in the Next Congress
While the House vote successfully ended the current push, the reprieve for the Pentagon leader appears brief. Democrats captured the House majority in the November elections and are scheduled to take formal control of the legislative chamber in January. Democratic leaders have stated that pursuing Hegseth’s impeachment will serve as an immediate legislative priority once the new session convenes.
