Republican Representative Thomas Massie has renewed his effort to impeach US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, setting up a possible House vote by Wednesday. The move adds pressure on one of the most disputed members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet.
Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, introduced eight articles of impeachment on Monday. He accuses Hegseth of taking part in military action without approval from Congress, misusing his office and carrying out unlawful orders. Speaking on the House floor, Massie said the defense secretary had committed “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
The charges are allegations in a resolution. They have not been tested in an impeachment trial, and Hegseth has rejected the effort as a political attack. A House vote would decide whether to impeach him. It would not by itself remove him from office.
Under House rules, Massie’s move is expected to require action within two legislative days. The deadline is Wednesday, unless House leaders use a procedural step to block or delay a vote. Republicans still control the House until the new Congress begins in January, when Democrats are due to take control after their midterm gains.
Massie first filed articles against Hegseth on September 15. The effort did not reach a vote because Speaker Mike Johnson sent lawmakers into recess. Massie has now brought the measure back as Congress returns for its final sitting period of the year.
The resolution focuses on Hegseth’s role at the Pentagon. It says he weakened Congress’s power to decide when the country goes to war by directing attacks on Iran and Yemen without lawmakers’ approval. It also claims the department failed to follow laws designed to reduce civilian deaths during armed conflict.
One article points to a strike on a school in Iran that, according to the resolution, killed more than 100 children. Massie argues that the attack shows a failure to protect civilians. The facts behind the strike and Hegseth’s role are among the matters that could be disputed in the process.
The articles also challenge US strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. Massie says crews were left without rescue after the boats were hit, calling the actions unlawful killings. The resolution also accuses Hegseth of threatening Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat, and others after they urged service members not to follow illegal orders. Massie says the investigation and threat of prosecution violated the First Amendment right to free speech.
Another charge concerns the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The resolution argues that the operation was illegal and unconstitutional. Hegseth has not been found guilty of any conduct described in the articles.
Democratic leaders have signaled support. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Sunday that he was a “hard yes” on impeachment and that Hegseth should leave his post. Massie expects some Republican support, but the vote count remains unclear. The resolution needs a simple House majority. If it passes, the Senate would take up the case. Conviction and removal require a two-thirds vote.
The push comes after Republicans suffered major losses in last week’s midterm elections. Trump, Vice-President JD Vance and other party leaders have pointed to the Iran war and its effect on household costs as factors in the result. The conflict has become a concern for voters facing higher prices.
Hegseth addressed the threat in a video posted on Thursday. He called the effort “the politics of personal destruction” and said it would not work. On Monday, he spoke at the Naval War College and announced changes to military education. He said they would help US officers act with greater speed, precision and force, and deter challenges to the United States.
The video has also drawn scrutiny from watchdog groups Common Cause and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. They argued that it may breach the Hatch Act, which limits the use of federal resources for partisan political activity. That claim is separate from Massie’s impeachment case and has not been resolved.
The coming House debate will test support for Hegseth among lawmakers in both parties. It will also put Congress’s role in decisions about war, civilian protection and executive power at the centre of a major political dispute.
