Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth avoided impeachment for now on Tuesday after the House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 to send impeachment articles back to the Judiciary Committee, effectively shelving the effort before the current congressional session ends.
Massie Joins Democrats to Keep Impeachment Articles Alive
The procedural vote blocked any immediate floor consideration of the resolution, which had been reintroduced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie was the sole Republican who broke ranks to vote with Democrats to keep the impeachment articles alive, Yahoo News reported. Seven House Republicans also did not vote on the measure Tuesday (roll call).
Massie’s resolution contained eight articles of impeachment, accusing Hegseth of violating federal law and abusing his authority. Ahead of the vote, Hegseth defended his record at a Pentagon news conference.
.@POTUS "All they do is they talk about impeaching everybody. Honestly, if we wanted to play that game, we could play it just as well… They're talking about Pete Hegseth—HE'S A GREAT WARRIOR. I think he's the best at his job in many, many years." pic.twitter.com/zcSFYyb9t1
It’s a farce, and it’s a stunt and everybody knows it.
Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary
“One disgruntled congressman wants to shred it over policy disagreements. That's what it is: policy disagreements, not high crimes, not misdemeanors, not treason, not bribery, not the kinds of offenses the founders intended when they wrote the impeachment clause” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a Pentagon news conference, arguing that all of the military actions cited in the resolution were lawful and calling the impeachment a direct affront to the personnel executing those missions.
Massie, who lost his primary race in May to Ed Gallrein after facing opposition from both Trump and Hegseth, had previously said that he was confident enough GOP defectors would cross party lines to let the resolution pass.
Representative Don Bacon, a moderate and internationalist Republican from Nebraska, noted to reporters that while he is not a fan of the secretary, the measures did not command broad support among House Republicans. On the other side of the Capitol, Republican senators such as Thom Tillis, Joni Ernst, and Bill Cassidy speculated that the Senate would have been prepared to entertain the articles had they reached the upper chamber.
Traffic Delays and Police Escorts Caused Democratic Absences
On the Democratic side, 11 members were absent during the roll call, a shortfall that proved decisive. Several lawmakers attempting to return from an event got stuck in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam in Washington, D.C., compounded by a police bus escort.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico was among those blocked from entering the chamber before the vote closed, writing on social media that she was prevented from arriving in time due to the traffic incident and a police escort of a bus. Other Democrats who missed the vote included Julia Brownley and Lou Correa of California, Nancy Pelosi of California, and other lawmakers.
Representative Lou Correa shared a statement disclosing he missed the vote due to a medical procedure in Orange County, while former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in San Francisco for a Veterans Day event. The absences sparked intense criticism from both outside commentators and fellow lawmakers.
At the War Department: We Stand. We Fight. We Defend the Republic. pic.twitter.com/Kkr0DazmCE
Representative Vicente Gonzalez of Texas voiced widespread disappointment among his colleagues, stating that showing up to vote is the minimum responsibility expected by voters. Left-leaning commentator Krystal Ball called the outcome a major failure for the leadership team, while progressive writer Laura Bassett criticized the lack of vote whipping.
“We knew that this vote was coming, so people should have gotten their raggedy selves up these steps to vote” Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California said.
Trump Celebrates Failed Impeachment as Vance Cites Pentagon Overhaul
President Donald Trump celebrated the outcome on social media, writing that the impeachment effort had “miserably FAILED!” and calling Hegseth a “great American patriot”. According to Vance, the push was motivated less by the conflict involving Iran than by pushback against Hegseth’s broader overhaul of the Pentagon.
Lawmakers have repeatedly questioned the administration regarding the conflict, with the cost of the war in Iran most recently estimated at $47.1 billion alongside a White House request for $67.1 billion more in funding.
Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes? The question is absurd and the answer is: obviously not. Like so much of Congress, impeachment has become a ridiculous show that stands in for actual policymaking. Congress has so many tools for registering its policy disagreements.…
Rubio and Blanche also publicly defended the defense secretary, with Rubio stating that Hegseth carried out presidential orders “quite effectively” and Blanche rejecting any claims of illegal or wrongful conduct.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is on track to become the next House speaker, had previously announced he was a “hard yes” on the resolution and stated at a press conference that the fight over accountability is only just beginning. However, other Democrats like Representative Jim Himes suggested the incoming majority should focus on oversight rather than immediate removal proceedings.
Per several members: Some of the House Democrats who missed the Hegseth impeachment vote were on their way back from an Elect Democratic Women event at a venue about 1.5 miles down Pennsylvania Ave but got caught in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam on Independence Ave. (the road on… https://t.co/CZ6dnDfJzx
Earlier coverage: House Stalls Hegseth Impeachment, Refers Articles to Committee
I asked Hakeem Jeffries about attendance appearing decisive in the Pete Hegseth vote. (11 House Dems did not vote tonight.) He told me and reporters: "I haven't had a conversation with anyone on the floor team about what may or may not have happened in terms of the Hegseth…
More on Thomas Massie
THE HOUSE GOP LEADERSHIP has noticed a 5:30pm vote on a procedural motion on Hegseth’s impeachment. Their options are table or refer to committee.
House GOP leaders just successfully killed Massie's push to impeach Secretary Hegseth, per @sarahnferris. https://t.co/Um8tCD7EVS
