US House Republicans send Hegseth impeachment resolution to committee, 211-204

The House vote

The House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday evening, 10 November, to refer a resolution to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to committee. The move takes the measure off the floor agenda, so no full vote on whether to impeach him will take place for now. The resolution was filed by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who submitted eight articles of impeachment on Monday, 9 November. Massie is one of the sharpest internal critics of President Donald Trump within his party. The Republicans suffered a painful defeat in the midterm elections the week before, but they keep their House majority until newly elected members are sworn in in January 2027.

In favour of referral to committee211

Against referral204

In favour of referral to committee

211 votes

Against referral

204 votes

Data from the article text

What the charges allege

Massie accuses Hegseth of conducting an illegal war against Iran and of abusing his power. Four of the eight articles concern war powers, while the others cover civilian casualties, extrajudicial killings during strikes on boats, the suppression of free speech and the abduction of Nicolás Maduro, a sovereign leader of a foreign state. Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, wrote in an analysis that further violations are missing from Massie's articles. She cited the Impoundment Control Act, saying Hegseth refused to release funds that Congress approved for aid to Ukraine. She also listed demands for uniformed military to take part in partisan rallies, withheld information from Democratic lawmakers, restricted press access to the Pentagon and removed more than 20 senior officers without explanation.

Hegseth and Trump respond

Hegseth held a press conference at the Pentagon on Monday, 9 November, calling the effort a political spectacle driven by personal grudges and ambition. He said the initiative amounted to sabotage and argued that it tells the country's adversaries that Congress can undermine military missions in real time.

“This is not patriotism. This is sabotage.”

Hegseth also pointed to the two impeachment proceedings Trump faced during his first term, which did not remove him from office. He said the effort against him would fail as well.

“We have seen this movie before. Both times they failed.”

Trump welcomed the result on Truth Social, writing that the Democratic effort had failed miserably and that every Republican except Massie had backed Hegseth. He called Hegseth a great patriot, credited wins in Venezuela and Iran along with record recruitment numbers, and said Democrats keep abusing the United States. The White House, in a policy statement issued before the vote, put the case more bluntly.

“This censure, used as a weapon to settle political scores, undermines the will of the American people.”

Hegseth avoided a direct clash with Vice President JD Vance, who has blamed the Republicans' midterm defeat on the Iran war. Hegseth said he holds great respect for Vance and does not intend to trade accusations with him.

Behind the scenes

According to multiple sources cited by CNN, House Republican leaders worked with White House officials behind the scenes to secure enough votes to block a floor vote. The challenge was twofold: rallying a party still divided after the midterm defeat and preventing a ballot that could expose how deep the discontent runs. Leaders chose the procedural route of referral to committee instead of a direct vote on whether Hegseth should be impeached. Speaker Mike Johnson had earlier delayed Massie's effort by ending the session early in September, pushing the filing until after the midterm elections.

What happens next

Referral to committee does not clear Hegseth of the charges, but it halts the impeachment process at this stage without a vote on the substance. Massie had said that if the referral failed, he would demand a separate vote on each of the articles. Democrats are expected to hold majorities in both the House and the Senate from January 2027 and will be able to revive the proceedings then. The charges against Hegseth center on the conduct of the war against Iran.