BREAKING: House Republicans block Hegseth impeachment effort in 211 to 204 vote
House Republicans blocked a bid to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, voting 211 to 204 to refer the resolution to the Judiciary Committee. The move effectively ends the immediate effort, with outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie the sole Republican vote against the measure and the leading advocate for impeachment. Hegseth argued the proceedings undermine national security and threaten American warriors by signaling Congress’ willingness to veto lawful military actions. The outcome leaves the trajectory uncertain, with leadership and proponents signaling the fight may pause or shift focus while the issue lingers in Congress.
Dive Deeper:
The vote was 211 to 204 to refer the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee, effectively killing the effort at this stage.
Outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie was the only GOP member to vote against the measure and had led the impeachment push.
Massie had indicated he would not bring forth another resolution to impeach Hegseth, per CBS News, signaling a potential end to this cycle of action.
Hegseth defended the impeaching articles in a press conference, arguing the resolutions would demoralize troops and undermine the chain of command by politicizing lawful military operations.
The articles accused him of waging war on Iran without congressional approval, violating civilian-casualty protections, extrajudicial actions against drug boats, suppressing free speech, and illegally targeting Nicolas Maduro without authorization, amid broader Yemen operations.
Hegseth framed the move as a propaganda win for adversaries and a distraction from protecting American citizens, stating the U.S. should focus on defending the nation and rebuilding a capable military.
The coverage notes the measure’s path was halted in the immediate term, with lawmakers focusing on other priorities while the impeachment question remains unresolved.