House Republicans voted Tuesday to block an immediate impeachment vote against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, sending eight articles of impeachment introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie to committee instead.
The 211-204 vote effectively stopped the impeachment effort from advancing to a full House debate and vote, giving Hegseth a reprieve as questions continue over his role in the Trump administration’s military operations, particularly the war with Iran.
Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, introduced the impeachment resolution accusing Hegseth of multiple violations of the Constitution and federal law. The resolution contains eight articles detailing allegations involving military operations in Iran, Venezuela, Yemen and the Caribbean.
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The charges include allegations that Hegseth helped launch and continue military action against Iran without congressional authorization, violated laws governing military operations and failed to maintain safeguards intended to protect civilians during wartime.
Another article accuses Hegseth of retaliating against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly after the Arizona senator and other lawmakers publicly reminded members of the military that they are not required to follow unlawful orders.
The allegations have not been established through an impeachment proceeding, and Hegseth has denied wrongdoing.
Republican leadership moves to stop impeachment vote
House Republican leaders opposed bringing the impeachment articles directly to the floor for a vote.
Speaker Mike Johnson argued that pursuing impeachment while the United States remains involved in military operations would send the wrong message. Other Republicans have characterized Massie’s effort as politically motivated.
By voting to refer the resolution to committee, Republicans avoided an immediate decision on whether the House should formally impeach Hegseth.
The outcome also demonstrated that Republican leadership had enough support to prevent the impeachment effort from moving forward, despite growing political disagreements over the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict.
What Massie is accusing Hegseth of doing
The eight articles of impeachment cover several areas of alleged misconduct.
Three focus on the Iran war and whether Hegseth continued military operations without the authorization required under the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. That law establishes limits on how long a president can keep U.S. forces engaged in hostilities without congressional authorization.
Another article concerns a February strike on a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, that killed civilians, including children. Massie alleges that decisions made under Hegseth weakened Pentagon safeguards designed to reduce civilian casualties. The United States has not directly accepted responsibility for the attack.
Additional charges involve military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, operations in Yemen, the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and alleged retaliation against Kelly.
Hegseth has dismissed the impeachment effort as political theater. During a Tuesday press conference, he defended the administration’s military operations and rejected the accusations.
Impeachment effort could return as Democrats prepare to take control
The committee referral does not remove Hegseth from office or establish whether the allegations have merit. It also does not prevent lawmakers from continuing to pursue the matter through congressional proceedings.
Democrats are preparing to take control of both chambers of Congress in January following their victories in the 2026 midterm elections. That shift could create another opportunity for lawmakers to revisit Hegseth’s conduct.
Under the Constitution, impeachment requires a majority vote in the House. If the House approves articles of impeachment, the Senate would hold proceedings to determine whether to convict and remove the official. Conviction requires a two-thirds vote of senators present.
For now, Hegseth remains in his position, and Massie’s effort to hold him accountable through impeachment has been stalled by the Republican-controlled House.
