Twenty-one votes swung the margin in the House on Tuesday as lawmakers voted 211 to 204 to send articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth back to committee, effectively shelving the effort.
The procedural move strips away any immediate floor vote on the resolution, ensuring the matter will not reach a full vote before the current session of Congress ends. NPR reported that the outcome came down to an attendance game on the House floor.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky had reintroduced the impeachment articles on Monday, accusing Hegseth of high crimes tied to the war with Iran and U.S. military strikes against drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Massie argued that none of the operations had received proper authorization from Congress.
During a press conference at the Pentagon on Monday, Hegseth dismissed the resolution entirely.
“for carrying out lawful military operations, and in our case, successful ones at that,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during the news conference.
“What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it’s not accountability. It’s a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment.”
said Pete Hegseth, during a news conference.
President Donald Trump celebrated the procedural vote on social media. Trump wrote on his social media platform that the Democrats’ attempt to impeach Hegseth had miserably FAILED and praised Hegseth’s record, including military victories and strong recruitment numbers.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell echoed that stance, declaring total victory on social media. ABC News said that Parnell described the articles of impeachment as baseless and devoid of merit or evidence.
Earlier coverage: House Moves to Pete Hegseth Over Iran War Handling
