US House blocks bid to impeach Hegseth
Thestandard · 6 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Republican-controlled US House on Tuesday blocked an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by voting to send the resolution to the House Judiciary Committee rather than proceed directly to a full impeachment vote. The 211-204 procedural result came after the White House formally opposed the push and Hegseth publicly denounced it as a political stunt at a Pentagon news conference in Washington.
Key Points
- The House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, effectively halting the effort for now.
- Representative Thomas Massie, an outgoing Kentucky Republican, introduced the articles on Monday, accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 over Iran and other hostilities.
- The articles alleged Hegseth illegally ordered military action in Iran and Yemen, attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea, and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January
- At a Pentagon press briefing on Tuesday morning in Washington, Hegseth called the impeachment drive a “farce” and “stunt,” while President Donald Trump praised his defense of the record.
- The White House urged Congress to stall the resolution through committee referral, calling it a weaponized and politically motivated effort that would consume House and Senate floor time.
Why It Matters
The failed push does not end the issue, because Democrats are expected to hold more than 250 seats when the new Congress takes office in January after flipping more than 40 seats in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. For Hong Kong readers tracking US policy and security decisions, the episode points to continued political conflict in Washington over war powers, military action and the direction of the Trump administration’s defense agenda.