Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) moved Tuesday to force a vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, taking aim at a high-profile Cabinet member of a president from his own party.
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The Kentucky lawmaker, who read the articles of impeachment on the House floor, argued Hegseth had violated three provisions of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 when he carried out ongoing hostilities in Iran without congressional authorization. The House is scheduled to vote on a separate Democratic-led resolution Tuesday to rein in President Donald Trump’s execution of the war.
Massie also accused Hegseth of abusing the power of his office over military strikes on ships the United States accused of drug trafficking, the Pentagon’s investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly, seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and strikes in Yemen.
In a statement, Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon press secretary, called Hegseth “a transformative leader” for the department and said the “entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first.”
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Massie’s resolution is a long shot. But it is privileged, meaning he could force a full House vote and put lawmakers on the record over Hegseth’s handling of the war in Iran less than two months before the midterms. The office of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how GOP leadership will proceed.
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