House sends Hegseth impeachment resolution to committee
A 211-204 procedural vote referred Thomas Massie’s eight impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to a committee, halting the effort for now.
The US House of Representatives voted on Nov. 10, 2026, to refer a resolution seeking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s impeachment to a committee, effectively halting the effort for now. The 211-204 vote concerned the measure introduced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky; it did not decide the allegations in his articles.
- The House approved the committee referral 211-204.
- Massie’s resolution contained eight articles of impeachment.
- Democrats were set to take control of the House and Senate in January, leaving little time for further action before then, CNBC reported.
The referral moved the resolution to a committee rather than producing a House decision on whether to impeach Hegseth. The Associated Press described the vote as halting the effort to remove him over his conduct in office and handling of the Iran war. CNBC said the committee and the full House would have little, if any, time to act before Democrats take control of the chambers in early January.
What Massie alleged and Hegseth said
Massie began the impeachment effort on Nov. 9. CNBC reported that his eight articles accused Hegseth of waging war without congressional authorization, carrying out extrajudicial killings linked to boat strikes in the Caribbean, and targeting Sen. Mark Kelly in a way Massie characterized as suppressing free speech. These were allegations in Massie’s resolution; the referral vote did not establish them as findings by the House.
At a Pentagon press conference on Nov. 10, Hegseth called the effort a “farce” and a “stunt,” and described it as “sabotage,” CNBC reported. He defended his leadership in the Iran war and other military operations. He also argued that the impeachment push could put US service members at risk by signaling that Congress would undermine their missions in real time.
What the vote means for the impeachment effort
The vote came amid Republican debate over the party’s midterm losses. The Associated Press reported that some Republicans blamed the Iran war and rising gas prices, while President Donald Trump had signaled strong support for Hegseth. The AP also reported that Iran had continued striking US military bases in the Middle East and disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the more than eight-month conflict, driving up global oil prices.
Democrats’ expected January takeover of both chambers could give the impeachment push another opening, but the AP said the vote might only delay it. The committee’s next steps and whether the resolution will receive further action remain unclear. Earlier coverage documented Massie’s filing and the pending House vote; the House has now referred the resolution to a committee.
Read in depth: Politics
Zelenskyy heads to Dublin summit as US envoys plan Ukraine debrief
Ukraine’s president arrived ahead of partner meetings and a planned briefing from Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner after their Moscow visit, as disputes over territory remain...
White House warns Robert Garcia that congressional probes could be criminal
White House counsel Will Scharf warned incoming House Oversight chair Robert Garcia about planned Democratic investigations. Garcia said Congress would continue its oversight...
What this story rests on
2 sources from 2 organisations: 1 news agency, 1 broadcaster.
- 1Hegseth impeachment effort torpedoed in HouseCNBC · cnbc.comBroadcaster
- 2WATCH: House rejects preliminary vote on Hegseth impeachmentAssociated Press, republished by PBS News · pbs.orgNews agency
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
Researched and drafted with AI tools from these sources, then checked against them paragraph by paragraph before publication. How we work · Everyone we cite · Report an error
