USAupdated 18m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 27 January 2025House Republicans Vote 211-204 To Send Hegseth Impeachment to Judiciary Committee
9 Western Mainstream1 OtherPhoto: Chad McNeeley / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
House Republicans blocked impeachment vote on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, sending it to committee. The move shelved the effort, avoiding a straightforward ouster while keeping articles alive for review.
Save coverage image
Impeachment Shelved
House Republicans voted 211 to 204 to send an impeachment resolution for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee, effectively ending the effort for the remainder of the current Congress.
House Republicans narrowly defeated a resolution from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to impeach Hegseth over the U.S. war with Iran.
House members voted 211 to 204 to send the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee, effectively ending the effort to remove Hegseth.
The Hill reported Rep. Melanie Stansbury said she and other lawmakers were unable to reach the Capitol in time to vote against the Republican effort because of a traffic incident and a police escort of a bus during the vote.
Pentagon and Democrats
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declared “total victory” after Republicans blocked the House vote to impeach Hegseth, saying the referral of the articles to the House Judiciary Committee “marks total victory for Secretary Hegseth.”
Hegseth called the impeachment effort “a farce” and a “stunt” aimed at damaging President Donald Trump.
Michigan Democratic Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed told Hegseth, “So just resign. Make it easy for everybody instead of, in the end, getting taken out.”
Massie reintroduced eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of violating the Constitution and federal law through military operations in Iran, Yemen, the Caribbean and elsewhere.
What Comes Next
Democrats could still move to impeach Hegseth next year when they assume power, while it described the House vote as an unexpected reprieve from a damaging rebuke and potential ouster. Reason Magazine said the House Republicans may be able to bottle up the impeachment in committee for the rest of the current Congress, which ends on January 3, 2027.
The New York Times reported the vote was 211 to 204 to refer the charges to a committee, which would allow Republicans to slow the process indefinitely. Slate Magazine said the House sent the eight-point impeachment count to committee, and it argued that Democrats will enjoy a huge majority in the new Congress this January so the bill can be revived.