US House blocks impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

An effort in the United States House of Representatives to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has failed on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers voted by a margin of 211 to 204 to refer the impeachment articles to the House Judiciary Committee, a maneuver that effectively ends the current attempt by dissident Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

The resolution accused the cabinet official of waging war on Iran without congressional authorization. All voting Republicans, with the exception of Massie, supported referring the measure to the Republican-led committee rather than allowing the resolution to proceed directly on the House floor. More than a dozen members missed the vote, with multiple Democrats attributing their absences to traffic issues.

During his first Pentagon news briefing in six months, Hegseth dismissed the impeachment push as a farce and sabotage. The initiative was widely viewed as a long shot that would have required multiple Republicans to break ranks against President Donald Trump. However, political dynamics are scheduled to shift in January when the Democratic Party takes control of both chambers of Congress following midterm election outcomes.

Following the vote, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that the matter is ongoing, remarking that the outcome represents a beginning rather than a conclusion. Meanwhile, President Trump celebrated the result on social media, describing the effort as a failure and pointing to military recruitment numbers and actions in Iran and Venezuela.

Because the current congressional term has only a short period remaining, referring the measure to a committee halts the immediate legislative process. Whether similar efforts will resume after the new congressional session begins remains a focal point for lawmakers as party control prepares to transition.