House Votes to Send Impeachment Proposal Against Defense Secretary Hegseth to Judiciary Committee

Washington, November 11 (Daily Kiran) : The House of Representatives in Washington voted on Tuesday to send eight impeachment proposals against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee, effectively halting efforts to advance the proceedings. The motion passed with a vote of 211 to 204, backed primarily by Republican lawmakers.

The initiative for impeachment was led by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who accused Hegseth of constitutional violations during military operations, including the conduct of the Iran War. However, this vote does not exonerate Hegseth from the allegations, nor does it resolve any accusations against him.

According to the House clerk, 210 Republicans and independent member Kevin Kiley from California supported sending the proposals to the Judiciary Committee. Massie was the only Republican to oppose the measure, joining 203 Democrats in dissent.

Eighteen members abstained from the vote, which included 11 Democrats and 7 Republicans, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi among those absent. The proposal passed by a narrow margin of seven votes.

All six Indian-American members of the House—Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Suhas Subramanyam, and Shri Thanedar—voted against sending the proposal to the committee, indicating their desire for the impeachment process to move forward rather than be stalled.

The allegations against Hegseth include initiating military action against Iran without congressional approval, ignoring laws related to civilian safety, ordering alleged extrajudicial killings during attacks on suspected drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean, and planning military action to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Additionally, there were accusations of retaliation against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly.

Massie presented the motion as a “privileged resolution,” compelling the House to take procedural action rather than letting it linger indefinitely. Before the vote, he warned that sending the proposal to the committee would effectively end the impeachment effort for the current congressional session.

No decisions have been made regarding the allegations. During a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth dismissed the accusations as a political spectacle.

The Trump administration encouraged Congress members to support sending the proposal to the committee. A White House policy statement labeled the impeachment attempt as politically motivated, arguing that the president has the constitutional authority to order military operations.

Vice President J.D. Vance defended Hegseth on social media, questioning the validity of the impeachment claims and asserting that they were baseless. President Donald Trump welcomed the outcome on ‘Truth Social,’ characterizing the attempt as a “complete failure” and a step toward exonerating a “great American patriot.” However, the House did not vote on the core points of the impeachment proposals.

After the vote, Massie expressed disappointment, stating he was not surprised but was disheartened. He indicated plans to push for a vote on the Iran-related War Powers Resolution.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries suggested that the issue could resurface, stating, “This is not the end, but just the beginning.” Democratic Whip Katherine Clark accused Republicans of protecting Hegseth over American troops. Krishnamoorthi called on conflicted Republican members to think independently, while Thanedar and Jayapal separately demanded Hegseth’s impeachment.

The proposal has been sent to the Judiciary Committee, which is not obligated to take action. With the current congressional session ending on January 3, significant votes on impeachment are unlikely. Democrats, who gained control of both chambers in the November midterm elections, may revisit this issue at the beginning of the new session.

According to the U.S. Constitution, a simple majority in the House is required for impeachment, while a two-thirds majority in the Senate is necessary for conviction and removal from office. Previously, two cabinet secretaries—William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024—faced impeachment, but neither was removed by the Senate.