House Votes 211-204 to Refer Hegseth Impeachment Articles to Committee, Effectively Ending the Effort

The update

The US House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday to refer the impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively ending the effort. Thomas Massie, who led the push, was the only Republican to vote against the referral, alongside all Democrats. The referral lets the House avoid a vote on the articles, hours after Hegseth dismissed the effort at a Pentagon conference as a farce and a stunt.

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Why it matters

Massie’s eight articles accused Hegseth of attacking Iran without Congress’s permission and ignoring laws to limit civilian casualties, citing a US strike on a school in Minab, Iran, that killed more than 168 people. They alleged the extrajudicial killings of at least 221 people on boats suspected of carrying drugs, and retaliation against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. The vote came a week after Republicans lost control of both chambers in the midterms.

What to watch

The articles sit with the Republican-led Judiciary Committee, which can slow the process, and a Senate conviction was seen as unlikely. President Donald Trump, who had signalled support for Hegseth, welcomed the result on social media. Watch whether the incoming Congress revives scrutiny of Hegseth and the Iran war in January.

Sources

• theguardian.com — confirms the 211-204 vote, the party breakdown and Massie’s eight articles
• aljazeera.com — confirms the referral effectively killed the effort and Massie was the lone Republican against it

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