House Republicans Sideline Hegseth Impeachment as Democrats Eye January

The House voted Tuesday to halt an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with Republicans largely standing by Hegseth after President Donald Trump signaled strong support for him. The resolution came from Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, who accused Hegseth of unlawful conduct, including his handling of the war in Iran.

The reprieve may be short. Democrats take control of both the House and Senate in January, and Democratic leaders have said they back impeachment, according to the Associated Press.

The numbers behind the vote

• Vote tally: Reports differ. CBC reported the vote was 215 to 209, while Time reported 211-204. The AP account did not give a count.
• Eight articles of impeachment: Massie's resolution contained eight counts, largely focused on the Iran war but also covering operations in Yemen and Venezuela, strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats and an attempt to punish Sen. Mark Kelly.
• 256 days: Massie said the Iran war has been underway this long without congressional authorization. He argued that the law requires U.S. forces to withdraw from unauthorized hostilities within 60 days.
• Up to 168 people killed: The AP said this was the toll when a U.S. missile struck an Iranian primary school. One article cites reported cuts to a Pentagon office focused on reducing civilian harm that preceded the strike.
• Jan. 3: The date the new Congress is sworn in and Democrats could bring impeachment back, according to CBC and Time.
• Two-thirds: The Senate majority needed to remove Hegseth if the House impeached him. Impeachment in the House requires only a simple majority, Time noted.

What happened Tuesday

Massie filed the resolution Monday, which gave Republican leaders two days to bring it to a vote. Tuesday's vote was a procedural move to send it back to committee. CBC reported that this effectively ends the effort for the rest of the current session. Massie, who lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger and leaves Congress in January, was the only Republican to break ranks, according to CBC.

Hegseth held his first Pentagon news conference in about six months on Tuesday morning. He called the allegations policy disagreements rather than high crimes and misdemeanors, and said the proper remedies are legislation, debate and elections. He said the effort was undermining U.S. forces and called it "sabotage." Time reported that he described Massie as a "disgruntled and defeated congressman" and that a Pentagon spokesman said Hegseth intends to stay through the end of Trump's term.

Trump praised the outcome and Hegseth's performance on social media. Vice President JD Vance dismissed the effort as a show that stands in for policymaking. House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a political gambit for attention.

Where Republicans split

Not all Republicans embraced Hegseth. CBC reported that Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a critic of the defense secretary, said he might feel differently about the articles if they could be amended. Bacon has raised other concerns, including Hegseth's dismissal of dozens of senior military leaders. Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio said blaming Hegseth for a duty Congress shirked was wrong.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, expected to be the next speaker, said he is a "hard yes" on impeachment and called Hegseth the architect of the war. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also endorsed impeachment, the AP reported.

Why it matters beyond Washington

The vote shows how the Iran war has become a political fault line after last week's midterms. The AP reported that some Republicans blamed their losses on the war and the resulting rise in gas prices. Whether Hegseth faces impeachment will shape how Congress examines the war's legal basis, its cost and its civilian toll, including the school strike.

It could also set a historical marker. Time noted that Hegseth would be only the third Cabinet secretary impeached, after William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. The Senate dismissed the Mayorkas charges without a trial, the AP reported.

What happens next

Democrats could bring a new impeachment resolution once they hold the majority on Jan. 3. CBC noted it is unclear whether they will make it a top priority. A House impeachment would send the matter to the Senate, where removal would need a two-thirds vote. Hegseth has predicted that such efforts "will fail again," as he said earlier impeachments of Trump did, according to CBC.

Earlier on Around Prague: Trump Impeachment After the Midterms: Democrats Would Need 13 Republican Senators

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Around Prague, based on reporting by CBC, Time Magazine, The Boston Globe

Cover photo: @VP / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)