House Republicans Divert Hegseth Impeachment Resolution To Committee Arabian Post

(MENAFN- The Arabian Post) clearfix"> Republicans in the US House of Representatives blocked an effort to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, voting to send allegations against him to a committee rather than allowing an immediate decision on his removal.

The House approved the procedural motion by 211 votes to 204, referring the resolution introduced by Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky to the Judiciary Committee. The decision effectively halted the impeachment initiative during the closing weeks of the current Congress without determining whether its allegations were justified.

The vote exposed a sharp division between Massie and his Republican colleagues. Of those voting, 210 Republicans supported referral, while Massie alone opposed it. All 203 Democrats who participated voted against the motion. Independent representative Kevin Kiley supported referral, and 18 members did not vote.

Massie had introduced eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of misconduct connected with US military operations against Iran, maritime strikes targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels and the operation that captured Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro. The resolution also challenged Hegseth's actions involving Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.

The accusations included claims that Hegseth exceeded constitutional limits on military authority and disregarded Congress's role in authorising hostilities. Those assertions remain contested. Tuesday's vote was a procedural decision, not a finding that the secretary had committed an impeachable offence or that the allegations lacked merit.

Republican Darrell Issa of California moved to refer the resolution after Massie brought it before the House as a privileged matter. That procedure required lawmakers to address the proposal rather than leave it indefinitely without action. Referral avoided a direct vote on the articles themselves. The Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee has not announced a timetable for considering the articles, leaving their procedural status unresolved after referral.

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President Donald Trump's administration opposed the resolution and urged representatives to support the referral motion. A statement issued by the White House on Tuesday described the impeachment proposal as politically motivated and argued that disagreements over national security decisions did not constitute grounds for removing Hegseth.

The administration maintained that the president possessed constitutional authority to direct military operations to defend US interests. Its statement defended the Pentagon's actions and warned that impeachment over military missions authorised by the president would establish a damaging precedent. Those arguments directly challenged Massie's interpretation of congressional war powers.

Vice-President JD Vance also rejected the impeachment case, arguing that Congress had other means to express disagreement with administration policy. His intervention reinforced the White House's opposition as Republican leaders worked to prevent the measure from reaching a substantive floor vote.

Hegseth defended his conduct at a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday. Addressing the military operations under scrutiny, he said:“I stand behind every one of these operations.” He added that he was proud to have carried them out and would do so again.

Trump publicly backed his defence secretary on Monday, saying he would stand by him. The president's support came as Massie renewed his attempt to bring impeachment charges before lawmakers after an earlier effort failed to secure a vote ahead of the midterm elections.

The dispute has also highlighted disagreement over the legal basis for the administration's campaign against Iran. Massie has questioned the continuation of military operations without explicit congressional authorisation, while the White House maintains that the commander-in-chief can direct the actions at issue under existing constitutional powers.

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The resolution's allegations concerning maritime strikes focused on operations against vessels suspected of involvement in drug trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Questions about the legal authority for those strikes and the protection of civilians formed part of Massie's wider challenge to Hegseth's leadership.

Another article concerned Kelly, a former naval aviator, after he participated in a video reminding service personnel that unlawful orders need not be obeyed. Massie criticised the Pentagon's response to the senator, making the episode one element of his proposed impeachment case.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries supported removing Hegseth and Democrats have indicated that they intend to scrutinise the Pentagon when the new Congress convenes. Whether lawmakers pursue a fresh impeachment resolution remains undecided, and the committee referral leaves the existing measure without a scheduled floor vote.

The House Clerk recorded the decision as roll-call vote 317 on House Resolution 1655. Seven Republicans and 11 Democrats were absent from the vote. The chamber recorded no members voting present.

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