211-204 House Vote Shielding Defense Chief Pete Hegseth Kills Impeachment Motion
The US House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday to refer eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively shelving the effort. The procedural decision provides a temporary reprieve for military leadership, defense analysts, and lawmakers tracking US military operations in the Middle East and Latin America before a Democratic-majority Congress convenes in January.
Republican-Led Procedural Maneuver Halts Vote After Democratic Absences
Outgoing Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced the resolution, charging Hegseth with illegally directing military operations in Iran and Yemen, ordering strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea, and launching an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. No other House Republicans joined Massie’s effort. Eleven Democrats missed the roll call, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Spokesperson Ian Krager stated Pelosi was in San Francisco for an annual event honoring veterans, adding that she would have voted against referring the measure to committee.
The referral to the Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee effectively prevents a direct floor vote on the articles. However, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated leadership would discuss whether to initiate new impeachment proceedings once Democrats take control of the chamber next year.
If impeached, Hegseth would be the first defense secretary in US history to face the measure, with the last civilian military chief impeached being Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.
