House Republicans on Tuesday thwarted an impeachment resolution intended to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The vote was a procedural ploy to stop the impeachment by sending the issue back to committee. The motion passed 211-204, with several Democrats absent.
The impeachment resolution included eight counts regarding miliary actions and changes brought about during Hegseth’s tenure. Some of the charges include staff reductions at the Pentagon geared toward reducing harm to civilians. This happened before a U.S. missile struck an Iranian primary school, killing 168 people.
“The law requires our military to withdraw from hostilities within 60 days if Congress does not authorize the activity,” Massie wrote on social media Tuesday. The Iran war “has been underway for 256 days. Congress has not authorized it. Hegseth is breaking the law.”
Another article of the impeachment resolution has to do with Hegseth’s attempt to punish Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy pilot, for appearing in a video telling troops that they should resist unlawful orders. Massie also highlighted miliary strikes on boats the U.S. alleged were used in drug smuggling and the failure to rescue those who survived the strikes.
Hegseth has said that Massie’s concerns are policy disagreements and not the offenses the founders meant by “high crimes and misdemeanors.” However, “high crimes and misdemeanors” is not defined in the Constitution, allowing lawmakers to decide what are impeachable acts.
The current defense secretary has claimed that no defense secretary has been impeached in the nation’s history. However, during Biden’s administration, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached by House Republicans over the U.S. – Mexico border. The Senate dismissed the charges before arguments even began.
The postponement maneuver offers Hegseth a temporary reprieve but does little to resolve questions surrounding his conduct or the administration’s handling of the Iran war. With Democrats preparing to take control in January, Republicans face a narrowing window to defend the administration from congressional scrutiny, while the incoming majority will have an opportunity to revive impeachment proceedings and pursue investigations that GOP leaders have sought to prevent.
