Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Nov. 9, charging that he violated constitutional and statutory limits on military action, including by directing unauthorized hostilities against Iran.
Three articles allege violations of the War Powers Resolution arising from the Iran conflict. They accuse Hegseth of directing military action without congressional authorization, continuing operations after Congress directed US forces to withdraw, and maintaining hostilities beyond the law’s withdrawal deadlines.
The remaining articles accuse Hegseth of disregarding civilian-protection laws, overseeing extrajudicial killings in strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats, retaliating against Senator Mark Kelly for protected speech, directing the unauthorized seizure of Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Venezuela, and conducting unauthorized military operations in Yemen.
In a statement, Massie said: “By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable.”
Hegseth rejected the allegations at a news conference. In remarks released by the White House, he described the military operations cited in the articles as lawful actions ordered by President Donald Trump and notified to Congress. He characterized the impeachment effort as a “political spectacle” based on policy disagreements rather than impeachable offenses.
Massie previously sought a vote on impeachment articles in September, but the House recessed without voting on them. He renewed the effort following last week’s midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress. In his statement, Massie urged Trump to replace Hegseth before the incoming Democratic Senate majority takes office.
Under the impeachment process, the House may approve articles by a simple majority. Impeachment does not itself remove an official from office. The Senate considers the charges, and conviction requires the support of two-thirds of senators present.
From JURIST, Nov. 10. Used with permission. Internal links added.
Note: The US House of Representatives approved a resolution to end the Iran war in June, and the Senate, after having repeatedly turned down such resolutions, approved a concurrent resolution later that month. (NYT)
House shuts down Hegseth impeachment effort
The House on Nov. 10 effectively killed Rep. Thomas Massie’s effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The chamber voted 211 to 204 to send the impeachment articles back to the House Judiciary Committee for review. The move circumvents any potential floor vote on the impeachment and virtually ensures it won’t be addressed before the current Congress session ends. Eleven Democrats missed the vote, allowing Republicans to band together and shut down the effort. (NPR, The Hill)