US House Blocks Impeachment Bid Against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

The Vote

US lawmakers on Capitol Hill have blocked an attempt to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 to refer the impeachment articles to the House Judiciary Committee, which effectively kills the effort led by Republican congressman Thomas Massie. All Republicans except Massie voted for the referral. More than a dozen members missed the ballot, including 11 Democrats and seven Republicans. Several absent Democrats blamed traffic issues in Washington, while others cited health procedures, home-state events, or personal emergencies.

Charges and Defence

Massie accused Hegseth of breaking the law by waging a war in Iran for over 90 days without approval from Congress. The eight articles of impeachment also blamed Hegseth for overseeing extrajudicial killings in US campaigns against boats in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Hegseth dismissed the drive as a political stunt, calling it a farce and sabotage that endangered national security. President Donald Trump celebrated the result on Truth Social, writing that the effort had miserably failed and praising victories in Venezuela and Iran alongside high military recruitment numbers.

Context

Impeachment is a formal process where the legislative branch can charge and try a government official for serious misconduct. While the current Republican-led Congress has shelved this attempt, political control of both chambers will shift to the opposition Democratic Party in January following recent midterm elections.