Republicans in the US House of Representatives blocked an effort to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, voting 211 to 204 to refer the resolution to the House Judiciary Committee. The move prevented an immediate vote on eight articles of impeachment covering his handling of the war in Iran and other US military operations.
Republicans hold together on referral
Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky who led the impeachment effort, was the only member of his party to vote against the referral. All 203 Democrats who voted opposed it, while one independent joined 210 Republicans in sending the measure to committee.
Hegseth dismissed the impeachment bid as a ‘farce’ and a ‘stunt’ at a Pentagon press conference before the vote. President Donald Trump backed his defence secretary and welcomed the outcome. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell described the referral as a victory for Hegseth.
Iran war at centre of allegations
Massie’s resolution alleges that Hegseth helped wage war against Iran without congressional authorisation and continued military operations after Congress approved a war powers resolution in June. It also accuses him of weakening safeguards intended to reduce civilian casualties, citing a US strike on a primary school in Minab, Iran.
Other articles challenge US strikes on vessels suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, the operation that captured then Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, and a bombing campaign in Yemen. The resolution also accuses Hegseth of retaliating against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy pilot who appeared in a video urging service members to refuse unlawful orders.
Democrats could revive the effort in January
The vote came one week after Democrats won control of both chambers in the midterm elections. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become speaker when the new Congress convenes in January, backed the resolution and accused Hegseth of abusing his power.
A Democratic House majority could bring impeachment to a vote in the new Congress. Removing Hegseth would then require a conviction in the Senate, where the Constitution sets a threshold of two-thirds of senators present.
NewsHub Finance | US Politics | 11 November 2026
Republicans in the US House of Representatives blocked an effort to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, voting 211 to 204 to refer the resolution to the House Judiciary Committee. The move prevented an immediate vote on eight articles of impeachment covering his handling of the war in Iran and other US military operations.
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