Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has moved to force a House vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. This puts one of President Donald Trump’s top Cabinet officials directly in the crosshairs of a member of his own party.
Per WashingtonPost, Massie argues that Hegseth violated three provisions of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by continuing hostilities in Iran without congressional authorization. Massie read his articles of impeachment on the House floor as he launched the effort against the defense secretary.
The resolution goes beyond the Iran conflict, with Massie accusing Hegseth of abusing the powers of his office in several other matters. Those allegations include military strikes against ships accused of drug trafficking, the Pentagon’s investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly, the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and U.S. strikes in Yemen.
Massie’s resolution could force Republicans into a public vote
Massie introduced the impeachment articles as a privileged resolution, giving him a mechanism to force the House to consider the measure. That means Republican lawmakers could soon face a recorded vote involving a Cabinet official who serves under a Republican president.
The resolution accuses Hegseth of conduct that Massie says amounts to impeachable offenses. His argument focuses heavily on congressional authority over military action and the limits placed on the executive branch by federal law.
Massie has been a prominent Republican critic of the administration’s approach to military intervention. His latest move places that disagreement directly into the House’s legislative process rather than leaving it as a dispute over policy.
The Pentagon has rejected the attack on Hegseth, with press secretary Kingsley Wilson defending the secretary’s leadership. Wilson described Hegseth as “a transformative leader” and said the department is unified behind his vision.
“The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision,” Wilson said in a statement, adding that the Pentagon would continue working to put American service members and the country first.
Massie is also challenging Hegseth over allegations tied to military operations outside Iran. His impeachment resolution includes accusations involving civilian casualties, military actions in Yemen, alleged extrajudicial killings and the use of Pentagon authority against critics.
The resolution also references the capture of Maduro, which Massie argues represents another example of Hegseth exceeding the authority granted to him. The allegations are contained in Massie’s impeachment articles and have not been established as findings against Hegseth by the House.
The White House and Republican leadership have not indicated that they support Massie’s impeachment effort. The office of House Speaker Mike Johnson did not immediately provide a response on how GOP leadership planned to handle the resolution, according to the report.
Published: Sep 16, 2026 01:15 pm