The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives voted 211-204 on Tuesday evening to refer eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, halting a push by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democrats to remove the Pentagon chief over the war in Iran.
According to The Guardian, the near party-line procedural motion prevented a final floor vote on Wednesday. Massie, a Kentucky Republican, was the only GOP lawmaker to vote alongside all participating Democrats against referring the resolution to committee. Seven Republicans and 11 Democrats missed Tuesday’s vote, CBS News reported.
The 211-204 tally protects Hegseth from removal during the lame-duck session of Congress and leaves him in command of the Pentagon and ongoing U.S. military operations in Iran. However, the procedural move may only delay a second impeachment push. Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate in the November 2026 midterm elections and will hold the majority needed to revive proceedings when the new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027.
Hegseth Denounces Push at Pentagon Briefing
Hours before the House vote on Tuesday morning, Hegseth held his first Pentagon news conference in six months to rebuke the resolution. Speaking to reporters, the defense secretary framed the effort as an attack on American service members that undermined military operations in real time.
“This is not patriotism. This is sabotage,” Hegseth said during the briefing, as reported by the Associated Press. He argued that he had committed none of the high crimes required under the U.S. Constitution for removal and attributed the push to policy disagreements.
Taking direct aim at Massie, Hegseth added: “What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight. And it’s not accountability. It’s a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment.”
President Donald Trump rallied Republican lawmakers behind the defense secretary ahead of the vote, writing on social media on Monday: “Pete Hegseth should be praised, not Impeached. Congress, stand up for Pete!!!” After the White House legislative affairs team contacted Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee, GOP lawmakers largely stood by Hegseth. Following Tuesday evening’s vote, Trump celebrated the outcome as the “EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot.” House Speaker Mike Johnson also dismissed Massie’s resolution before the vote as a political gambit for attention.
Background on the Eight Impeachment Articles
As background, Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment on Monday, starting a 48-hour legislative clock for the House to act on the privileged resolution. The measure spans more than 30 pages and focuses primarily on the war in Iran, while also citing Hegseth’s role in military actions in Yemen and fatal boat strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels near Venezuelan waters. Massie, who is leaving Congress in January after losing his primary to a Trump-backed opponent, alleged in the resolution that Hegseth knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders.
Defending the measure on social media, Massie wrote: “The law requires our military to withdraw from hostilities within 60 days if Congress does not authorise the activity. [The Iran war] has been underway for 256 days. Congress has not authorised it. Hegseth is breaking the law.”
Tuesday’s vote occurred as congressional Republicans contend with sweeping midterm losses that some party members have blamed on the war in Iran and a resulting surge in gas prices. Following those defeats, House Republicans elected Rep. Jim Jordan as their incoming minority leader on Tuesday, while Senate Republicans reelected Sen. John Thune as their leader. Only two Cabinet secretaries in U.S. history have ever been impeached: War Secretary William Belknap in 1876 and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Democrats Signal Renewed Push in January
Democratic leaders in both chambers backed Massie’s resolution on Tuesday. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become House speaker when Democrats take control in January, accused Hegseth of abusing his power and undermining national security. After Republicans referred the measure to committee, Jeffries told reporters: “This is not the end of it. It’s just the beginning.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also endorsed the impeachment effort and said Hegseth should stand trial in the Senate if impeached. “Hegseth is already trying to hide behind our troops, falsely claiming that Congress disapproves of our courageous servicemembers even though we have fought to bring them home for months,” Schumer said in a Tuesday statement.
While most Republicans opposed Massie’s resolution on Iran, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told CNN that he questioned Massie’s reasoning on the Iran conflict but believed Hegseth deserved impeachment for withholding aid to Ukraine and forcing out or blocking promotions for roughly 80 senior military officers.
Massie said on Tuesday that he will not introduce another impeachment resolution before his term ends in January, but plans to force a House vote on a separate war powers resolution concerning Iran. Any renewed impeachment effort will fall to the incoming Democratic majority when the new Congress takes office on January 3, 2027.