House Kills Massie Impeachment Effort Against Hegseth for This Congress with 211-204 Procedural Vote

The House of Representatives voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer a resolution containing eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee. The procedural motion, supported by Republican leadership, effectively ends the effort for the remainder of the 119th Congress. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who introduced the articles on Monday as a privileged resolution, was the only Republican to vote against the referral.

Massie, who lost his Republican primary earlier this year and will leave Congress in January, filed the measure after Democrats gained majorities in both chambers in the November 3 midterms. The articles accuse Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors related to the U.S. military campaign against Iran, which began February 28 without a congressional declaration of war or authorization under the War Powers Resolution. Additional charges address strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific alleged to be involved in drug trafficking, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, operations in Yemen, measures affecting civilian casualty safeguards, and actions involving Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.

Because the resolution was privileged, House rules required leadership to schedule a vote within two legislative days. Speaker Mike Johnson had previously described an impeachment proceeding during ongoing hostilities as a “terrible look” for U.S. allies and adversaries. Massie had stated that the resolution represented a narrower version of inquiries he expected Democrats to pursue after taking control in January.

Earlier Tuesday, Hegseth held a press conference at the Pentagon—his first in six months—addressing the articles. He described the effort as “a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment” timed for Massie’s final days in Congress and said it amounted to “sabotage” rather than oversight. Hegseth stated that the resolution “mocks the Constitution, they attack the chain of command, and they criminalize the warfighters who execute lawful orders.”

President Trump publicly supported Hegseth. In a Truth Social post during the briefing, Trump wrote that Hegseth “gets an ‘A’ PLUS, PLUS, PLUS for his defense against a disgruntled, angry, defeated, former Congressman, Thomas Massie, a TOTAL LOSER!” Trump has previously said he will stand by Hegseth and has credited the secretary with improved military recruitment and the outcomes of operations in Venezuela and Iran. Vice President JD Vance separately described the impeachment push as “a ridiculous show that stands in for actual policymaking.”

The referral to the Judiciary Committee means the current Republican majority will not advance the articles to a floor vote on the merits before the Congress ends. Democrats are expected to control the House and Senate beginning in January, which would allow them to reintroduce or expand upon similar measures. Hegseth has said he intends to remain in his position through the end of the current presidential term.