House Vote Stalls Hegseth Impeachment Effort
The House’s 211-204 vote on November 10 sent eight impeachment articles against War Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee, halting the effort from advancing to the Senate. The committee referral is expected to leave the articles stalled until Democrats take control of the House in January 2027. Seven Republicans also missed the vote.
Eleven Democrats did not cast votes, among them former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens and New Mexico Rep. Melanie Stansbury. California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove said she was disappointed that low attendance affected the result. She criticized Hegseth over a $100 million makeover that renamed the Pentagon the War Department.
Stansbury’s office said she was delayed from entering the Capitol by a traffic incident and a police escort for a bus, and arrived after the vote had ended. She filed a statement saying she would have voted against the referral, but such statements do not change the official tally.
The articles, introduced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, allege violations of the War Powers Resolution, failures to limit civilian casualties, suppression of free speech and extrajudicial killings in attacks on alleged drug boats. They also accuse Hegseth of seizing Venezuela’s former president Nicolas Maduro and waging an illegal military campaign in Yemen. At least 240 people have been killed in the boat strikes since September 2025.
The vote effectively ends this impeachment attempt. Democrats have indicated they will continue scrutinizing Hegseth, and Rep. Maxwell Frost has said he drafted separate articles that could be pursued after Democrats take control of the House.
Missed Votes Helped Stall Hegseth Impeachment Effort
The House’s vote to refer eight impeachment articles against War Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee has shut down the current effort, with 11 Democrats absent and seven Republicans also not voting. The 211-204 result keeps the articles from advancing to the Senate and is expected to leave them stalled until Democrats take control of the House in January 2027.
The missed Democratic votes exceeded the final margin. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove said low attendance affected the outcome and criticized Hegseth’s $100 million makeover that renamed the Pentagon the War Department. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among those who did not vote.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury’s office said she was delayed by a traffic incident and a police escort for a bus, arriving after the vote had ended. She filed a statement saying she would have opposed the referral, but it could not change the official tally.
The articles from Rep. Thomas Massie accuse Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution, failing to limit civilian casualties, suppressing free speech and ordering extrajudicial killings in attacks on alleged drug boats. They also allege he seized Venezuela’s former president Nicolas Maduro and waged an illegal military campaign in Yemen. At least 240 people have died in the boat strikes since September 2025.
Democrats have signaled continued scrutiny, and Rep. Maxwell Frost has said he drafted separate impeachment articles that could be pursued once his party controls the House. The committee referral leaves that future fight, rather than a Senate trial, as the next possible route.
House Rejects Impeachment Push Against Hegseth
The House’s 211-204 vote on November 10 sent Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment articles against War Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee instead of advancing them to the Senate. The Republican-controlled chamber’s action effectively ends the current effort, with the articles expected to remain stalled until Democrats take control in January 2027.
The vote drew criticism from Democrats after 11 members of their party, including Nancy Pelosi, failed to cast ballots. Seven Republicans also did not vote. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove said low turnout affected the result, faulting attendance and criticizing Hegseth’s $100 million makeover that renamed the Pentagon the War Department.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury’s office said a traffic incident and a police escort for a bus delayed her entry to the Capitol until after the vote ended. She filed a statement saying she would have voted against the referral, but members’ post-vote statements do not alter the official count.
Massie’s eight articles allege that Hegseth violated the War Powers Resolution, failed to limit civilian casualties, suppressed free speech and ordered extrajudicial killings in attacks on alleged drug boats. They also accuse him of seizing Venezuela’s former president Nicolas Maduro and waging an illegal military campaign in Yemen. At least 240 people have been killed in the boat strikes since September 2025.
Democratic leaders have signaled continued scrutiny, and Rep. Maxwell Frost has said he drafted separate articles that could be pursued after his party assumes control of the House. For now, the committee referral has blocked this attempt from reaching the Senate.
Reported by The Washington Examiner, Newsweek.
