A Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, Thomas Massie, is seeking to force a vote this week on the impeachment of Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, over his handling of the country’s military operations in Iran.
Massie accused Hegseth of violating the US Constitution by allowing American forces to engage in hostilities against Iran for more than 90 days without authorisation from Congress.
“By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable,” Massie said.
The Kentucky congressman formally introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in a resolution on the floor of the House on Monday.
The move is expected to face significant opposition, as Republicans remain in control of Congress until January, when the newly elected lawmakers are due to take their seats.
However, Massie said his action was intended to pressure President Donald Trump to replace Hegseth before Democrats assume control of both chambers in the new year.
In a statement, Massie described his impeachment effort as a less confrontational alternative to what he expects from Democrats when they take control of Congress.
He said Democrats would likely organise hearings and impeachment proceedings against the defence secretary if he remained in office.
“President Trump should replace Secretary Hegseth now while he can still get a replacement confirmed in the Senate,” Massie added.
Hegseth dismissed concerns about the impeachment effort, telling reporters on Monday that he was not worried about the resolution.
He is scheduled to hold a news conference on Tuesday to address Massie’s allegations.
The impeachment effort comes after Republicans lost control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in last week’s midterm elections, giving Democrats the prospect of greater influence over congressional investigations and oversight.
Massie, who lost his re-election bid earlier this year, has been among the few Republicans openly critical of Trump’s administration and its military campaign against Iran.
His disagreement with Hegseth also extends beyond the war. In his statement, the lawmaker accused the defence secretary of intimidating critics of the administration, kidnapping foreign leaders and disregarding congressional resolutions concerning presidential war powers.
Under the US Constitution, the House of Representatives has the authority to impeach federal officials, while the Senate conducts trials and decides whether to remove them from office.
Impeachment of a cabinet secretary is rare in American history. Only two cabinet members have previously been impeached by the House, and neither was removed by the Senate.
Following the introduction of Massie’s resolution, House Speaker Mike Johnson is required to schedule consideration of the measure within two days. Lawmakers could vote directly on impeachment, refer the resolution to a committee or set it aside.
Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries has indicated support for the proposal, describing himself as a “hard yes” on impeachment.
However, Massie would still need support from Republican lawmakers to secure sufficient votes.
- BBC
