- US House blocked Hegseth impeachment attempt procedurally.
- Republicans sent resolution to Judiciary Committee.
- Congressman Massie accused Hegseth of Iran war.
The impeachment effort against US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth failed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as Republicans voted 211-204 to send the resolution to the Judiciary Committee, preventing a direct vote on the eight impeachment articles.
Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie introduced the resolution. Massie accused Hegseth of waging war on Iran without congressional authorisation, ignoring rules to prevent civilian casualties, and other serious charges. Massie was the only Republican to vote in favour of advancing the resolution.
The procedural vote effectively halted the impeachment process against Hegseth in the current Congressional session. President Trump welcomed the decision, saying the Democrats' attempt had failed miserably.
What happened ahead of the vote and what's next?
The House Republican leaders worked in coordination with senior White House officials and engaged in intense lobbying before the motion was introduced. The motion was sent to the House Committee by a thin margin of 211-204 votes, preventing a humiliating defeat on the floor for President Donald Trump.
However, the shelving of the motion provides limited reprieve to Hegseth and the Trump administration as the vote took place in the outgoing, lame-duck session of the current Congress, where Republicans hold a thin majority. As the GOP lost its majority in the midterms, the incoming Democratic majority will tilt the balance of power in their favour. The Democrats are expected to revive the motion once they achieve the majority.
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Republican Massie had moved a privileged resolution containing eight articles of impeachment against the US Defence Secretary, accusing him of violating the US Constitution and the War Powers Act by prosecuting unauthorised military strikes against Iran and Yemen. The resolution also accused Hegseth of violations in the operation leading to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
To the impeachment motion, Hegseth has maintained that all military actions were lawful and executed strictly under the authority of the Commander-in-Chief.
(With ANI Inputs)