WASHINGTON, United States — Republicans in the US House of Representatives have blocked an attempt to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Lawmakers voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, to refer the impeachment resolution to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively preventing the charges from advancing.
The resolution was introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. It accused Hegseth of violating federal law and constitutional limits on military operations in Iran, Yemen, Venezuela, and the Caribbean.
Massie was the only Republican to oppose the motion to refer the charges to committee. All 203 Democrats who participated in the vote also opposed it.
The outcome allows Hegseth to remain in office without facing an impeachment vote in the current Congress.
Republicans Unite to Block Impeachment
The vote followed an effort by Massie to force the House to consider eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth.
According to the official House voting record, 210 Republicans and one independent supported sending the resolution to committee.
Massie joined Democrats in voting against the procedural move.
Another 18 lawmakers did not participate.
Massie had introduced the resolution under a parliamentary procedure that required House leaders to act within two legislative days.
Republican leaders chose to refer the measure to the Judiciary Committee rather than allow a direct vote on impeachment.
The decision effectively ends the attempt to impeach Hegseth before the current congressional term expires.
Massie, a longstanding critic of President Donald Trump, maintained that the defence secretary had repeatedly exceeded his legal authority.
“Somebody’s got to put their foot down and say, are we going to follow the laws that are on the books? Are we going to follow the Constitution?” Massie told reporters.
Eight Charges Involve Iran War and Military Operations
Massie’s impeachment resolution accused Hegseth of misconduct relating to several American military operations.
Four of the eight articles concerned the war against Iran.
The charges alleged that Hegseth had participated in military operations without congressional authorisation, continued hostilities beyond statutory time limits, disregarded congressional directives, and failed to comply with laws intended to reduce civilian casualties.
Massie also accused the defence secretary of authorising unlawful military strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Another article concerned the American military operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power.
The resolution alleged that Hegseth had ordered the seizure of Maduro without lawful authority.
Additional charges accused him of conducting unauthorised operations in Yemen and retaliating against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.
Kelly had participated in a video encouraging American service members to refuse unlawful military orders.
In a statement accompanying the resolution, Massie accused Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 and abusing his authority as defence secretary.
The allegations have not been established through impeachment proceedings or a judicial ruling.
Hegseth Denies Wrongdoing
Hours before the House vote, Hegseth held a news conference at the Pentagon to defend his conduct.
He rejected the impeachment allegations and said the military operations cited in the resolution had been lawful.
“It’s a farce, and it’s a stunt and everybody knows it,” Hegseth said.
He accused his critics of attempting to turn disagreements over military policy into grounds for removing him from office.
The defence secretary maintained that American operations against Iran, suspected drug traffickers, and the Venezuelan government had been undertaken under lawful authority.
He also compared the impeachment attempt against him with the two impeachment proceedings brought against Trump during his first presidential term.
Hegseth said he remained committed to carrying out the president’s military policies.
Trump has publicly defended his defence secretary and opposed the impeachment effort.
The White House also urged Republican lawmakers to reject Massie’s resolution.
Some Republicans Criticise Hegseth but Oppose Impeachment
Although the House vote largely followed party lines, some Republican lawmakers acknowledged disagreements with Hegseth’s management of the Pentagon.
Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, a former Air Force officer who is leaving Congress, said he had concerns about some of the defence secretary’s decisions.
However, Bacon said he did not support Massie’s impeachment resolution.
“I don’t really align with the impeachment itself,” Bacon told reporters before the vote.
He suggested that concerns about the dismissal of senior military officers and the handling of congressional appropriations deserved further examination.
Representative Darrell Issa of California also opposed impeachment.
Issa argued that the allegations against Hegseth did not amount to the constitutional standard required for impeachment.
He also questioned whether the Senate would convict Hegseth if the House approved the charges.
A conviction in the Senate would require a two-thirds majority.
Democrats Could Renew Impeachment Effort
The House vote comes one week after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
Democratic leaders have indicated that they intend to investigate Hegseth’s conduct when the new Congress convenes in January.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has previously expressed support for removing the defence secretary.
According to NBC News, Jeffries said Democrats would “run Pete Hegseth out of town” after assuming control of Congress.
The next Congress could introduce new impeachment proceedings or conduct investigations into the military operations cited in Massie’s resolution.
Massie, who lost his Republican primary after clashing with Trump, will leave Congress when his current term expires.
His impeachment initiative had previously been delayed in September when Republican leaders ended the House’s voting schedule ahead of the midterm elections.
The latest vote prevents his resolution from proceeding to a direct impeachment vote in the current congressional session.
Hegseth remains defence secretary, while the allegations raised by Massie have not been adjudicated.
