House Blocks Impeachment Effort Against Defense Secretary Hegseth

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to refer impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to committee, effectively killing the measure introduced by Republican congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky. The resolution accused Hegseth of authorizing military action against Iran without congressional approval. The vote passed 211-204 on Tuesday, with Massie as the sole Republican voting against the referral. More than a dozen members, including 11 Democrats, were absent. Defense Secretary Hegseth characterized the impeachment effort as a "farce" and "sabotage" during his first Pentagon briefing in six months. Political analysts considered the measure a long shot, as conviction would have required Republican defections from President Trump's position. The referral to committee effectively ends the effort, as limited time remains in the current congressional session before Democratic leadership takes control in January.