Politics
US House blocks bid to impeach war secretary Pete Hegseth
Impeachment bid against Hegseth blocked in US House House Republican leaders and White House officials on Tuesday night blocked an effort to impeach US secretary of war Pete Hegseth, securing a procedural victory for President Donald Trump after a contentious push by Republican Representative Thomas Massie.In a narrow 211-204 vote, lawmakers agreed to refer the impeachment resolution to a committee, effectively preventing it from being debated or voted on directly on the House floor. The procedural move was pushed by Republican leaders, who worked closely with senior White House officials to rally support against the measure, CNN reported.Massie had introduced a privileged resolution containing eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of violating the US Constitution and the War Powers Act by authorising military strikes against Iran and Yemen without congressional approval, as well as overseeing the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.Earlier on Tuesday, Massie outlined the legal basis for his impeachment bid, arguing that Hegseth had violated the War Powers framework by continuing military operations without authorisation from Congress."IMPEACHMENT, Article III. The law requires our military to withdraw from hostilities within 60 days if Congress does not authorize the activity. Operation Epic Fury has been underway for 256 days. Congress has not authorized it. Hegseth is breaking the law. Not even debatable," Massie posted on X.Hegseth, however, dismissed the impeachment effort and compared it to the two unsuccessful attempts to impeach Trump during his first presidential term. Speaking at a press briefing at the Pentagon, he defended his role in carrying out the administration's military directives and expressed confidence that the latest attempt would also fail."We've seen this show before. They impeached President Trump over a perfect phone call. They impeached him again in his final week in office. Both times they failed... Now they're trying a third time—this time against a member of his cabinet," Hegseth said.He added that he was proud to carry out the orders of the Commander-in-Chief."They will fail again. And if standing with President Trump puts me in that company, I'll take that company every day of the week," he said.Trump also publicly backed Hegseth following the vote, awarding him an "A" PLUS PLUS PLUS on Truth Social while attacking Massie, who had introduced the impeachment resolution."Pete Hegseth gets an 'A' PLUS PLUS PLUS for his defense against a disgruntled, angry, defeated, former Congressman, Thomas Massie, a TOTAL LOSER!" Trump posted.The vote, however, offers only a temporary reprieve for Hegseth, as it took place during the outgoing Congress, in which Republicans still hold a narrow majority. Following the Democrats' victory in the midterm elections, control of the House is set to change when the 120th Congress convenes in January.The incoming Democratic majority, led by Hakeem Jeffries, could revive the impeachment effort after taking control of the chamber.Impeachment efforts against US Cabinet officialsThe latest attempt comes after House Republicans impeached former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024 over his handling of the US-Mexico border. The Senate subsequently dismissed the charges, ending the trial before arguments began.Mayorkas had argued that the border situation stemmed from Congress's failure to update immigration laws amid increased global migration. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had said in April 2024 that the charges did not meet "the high standard of high crimes and misdemeanors" and warned that they could establish a dangerous precedent.Republican Representative Nick LaLota, who voted to impeach Mayorkas, said he did not believe Hegseth had committed an impeachable offence."Impeachment has been watered down," LaLota said.Before Mayorkas, no sitting Cabinet secretary had been impeached. Nearly 150 years earlier, the House had voted to impeach President Ulysses S. Grant's War Secretary, William Belknap, over a kickback scheme involving government contracts. Belknap resigned before the vote.
Times of India·3 hours ago·3 min read
