Members of the US House could vote on the impeachment of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth as early as this week, after lawmakers returned to Washington following an election that dealt a sweeping rebuke to the Trump administration and its handling of the war with Iran.
The resolution was brought forward on Monday by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. It accuses Mr Hegseth of violating federal law and the US Constitution, abusing his authority and breaching restrictions on military action.
Democrats have indicated that they broadly support the move, while several Republicans have voiced dissatisfaction with the defence secretary. But with the House majority narrowly divided, the outcome remains uncertain.
What the impeachment resolution alleges
Mr Massie has submitted eight articles of impeachment, three of which concern the conflict with Iran. The charges allege that Mr Hegseth waged war without congressional authorisation and continued the military campaign after Congress had directed the president either to end it or seek approval to continue.
The resolution also claims that the administration failed to meet deadlines under the War Powers Resolution. That law requires American forces to be withdrawn from unauthorised hostilities after 60 days, with a possible 30-day extension.
Other allegations include unlawful military strikes against suspected drug traffickers, the alleged unlawful capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and unauthorised military operations in Yemen.
The remaining articles accuse Mr Hegseth of disregarding laws intended to reduce civilian casualties and retaliating against Senator Mark Kelly over protected speech.
Mr Hegseth has rejected the allegations, describing the impeachment effort as a political sham. He is due to hold a news conference on Tuesday morning to respond to the charges.
Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, said on Monday that the secretary “will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists”. He said Mr Hegseth intended to remain in office until the end of President Trump’s term.
Mr Trump has backed his defence secretary and said he intends to keep him in the job.
A narrow vote in the House
A simple majority is needed for the House to approve an article of impeachment. Impeachment would amount to a formal accusation, rather than immediate removal from office, with the matter then moving to the Senate for a trial.
House Speaker Mike Johnson will decide whether the eight articles are voted on individually or considered together. Under House rules, members must consider impeachment articles within two legislative days.
Republican leaders cannot simply block a vote, although they could seek to delay proceedings, refer the charges to a committee or table the resolution, which would effectively end the effort.
Democrats are expected to support impeachment, and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Sunday that he was a “hard yes”. With Republicans holding only a razor-thin majority, three defections, or a small number of absences, could be enough for the measure to pass.
Mr Massie said on Monday: “I don’t know if we have enough votes. I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do.”
Republican Representative French Hill said he wanted to hear the arguments, while warning that poor performance alone did not necessarily amount to an impeachable offence.
If the House impeaches Mr Hegseth, he would remain defence secretary while the articles were pending. Conviction and removal in the Senate would require the support of two-thirds of senators present.
There is no fixed timetable for a Senate trial. House leaders would decide when to transmit the articles, and the resolution would not automatically expire at the end of the current Congress. Democrats, who will control both chambers from January 3, could therefore take up the matter after assuming power.
