An effort to impeach Pete Hegseth, the US Defence Secretary, has failed in the House of Representatives, after lawmakers voted to send the impeachment resolution to a committee rather than allow it to proceed for debate and consideration on the House floor.
The impeachment initiative was introduced by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who accused Hegseth of engaging in military action against Iran without authorisation from Congress.
In his first Pentagon news briefing in six months, Hegseth dismissed the impeachment bid.
“It’s a farce” and “sabotage,” he said.
The effort was widely viewed as a long shot because it would have required significant Republican support against a cabinet member backed by President Donald Trump.
Following the vote, the House decided to refer the impeachment articles to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively halting the measure for now.
All Republicans, except Massie, voted in favour of referring the resolution to committee. The motion passed by a narrow 211-204 vote, ending the immediate impeachment push.
However, Democrats signalled that the issue is unlikely to disappear.
Following the vote, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that further action could follow in the future.
“This is not the end of it. It’s just the beginning,” Jeffries said.
The political landscape could shift significantly in January when the Democratic Party takes control of both chambers of Congress following strong performances in the recent US midterm elections.
For now, however, Republicans retain control of Congress, giving Hegseth and the Trump administration protection from further immediate impeachment proceedings.
The failed vote highlights growing political divisions in Washington over the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict and signals that Defence Secretary Hegseth is likely to remain a focus of congressional scrutiny in the months ahead.
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