GOP House rejects Hegseth impeachment effort
· axios.com · popularity 38/100 · 1 similar story today · Politics & Government (Politics & Government)
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Summary
House Republicans voted Tuesday evening to block an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth , shielding a top Trump administration official from a politically embarrassing rebuke. Why it matters: The vote marks a victory for Hegseth, the Trump administration and Republican leaders, who were bracing for the prospect of a rebellion within their own ranks. But the reprieve is probably short-lived: Democrats are all but guaranteed to force the issue again when they retake majorities in the House and Senate in January. The vote to refer the impeachment measure back to committee passed 211-204, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the measure's sponsor, the lone "no" vote. Driving the news: Massie forced a procedural vote on his resolution to impeach Hegseth, alleging he has defied Congress and illegally continued the U.S. war in Iran. The Trump administration has been vehemently defending Hegseth , including through a statement opposing the impeachment effort issued shortly before the vote. "Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes? The question is absurd and the answer is: obviously not," Vance said Tuesday on X . "Like so much of Congress , impeachment has become a ridiculous show that stands in for actual policymaking. Congress has so many tools for registering its policy disagreements," Vance added. Axios' Marc Caputo and Alex Isenstadt previously reported that Hegseth is on " thin ice " with Trump officials. Between the lines : Republican leaders protected their members from having to go on record on the politically difficult issue before Election Day after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent lawmakers home early to campaign. What's next: Tuesday's vote effectively kills any effort to impeach Hegseth this Congress.
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