Outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie occupied the House floor for over an hour on Tuesday, initiating a move to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of the Pentagon and the conflict in Iran. Massie spent more than 67 minutes reading aloud a comprehensive 34-page resolution containing eight articles of impeachment.
In the document, Massie accused Hegseth of acting contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and undermining constitutional government. The resolution asserts that allowing Hegseth to remain in office poses a threat to civilian safety, the laws of war, U.S. diplomacy, and the Constitution, characterizing his conduct as grossly incompatible with his duties.
The articles allege that Hegseth ignored regulations designed to minimize civilian casualties, waged an unlawful war in Yemen, authorized extrajudicial killings, suppressed free speech, and kidnapped a sovereign leader—referencing the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.
The Pentagon swiftly defended Hegseth. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told ABC News that the Secretary has been a “transformative leader” and that the entire Department remains unified behind his vision to prioritize American warfighters and national interests.
Massie, a conservative known for his constitutional focus during his seven terms in the House, noted that he kept the plan secret from Speaker Mike Johnson to avoid having Congress adjourned early. He acknowledged the political risk, stating he feared Johnson might shorten the legislative session if he learned of the effort.
Under House rules, if GOP leaders do not alter the floor schedule, a vote on the resolution must occur within two legislative days, likely by Thursday. This timeline pressures Republicans to take a public stand on the impeachment ahead of the midterm elections. Leadership could attempt to table the resolution or cancel the upcoming session to prevent the vote.
Massie explained that Tuesday was the final opportunity to force a consideration of the privileged resolution before Congress recesses for the elections. He described the action as placing a “marker in history” regarding what he termed illegal conduct by both President Donald Trump and Hegseth, including the misuse of military force and the kidnapping of a foreign leader.
“Doing this wasn’t predicated on whether it could succeed or not; there needs to be a marker in history,” Massie told reporters. He expressed hope that the resolution would pass the House and be litigated in the Senate.
It remains uncertain whether the impeachment will advance, given the Republicans’ narrow majority. Speaker Johnson can afford only two Republican defections before the majority is lost.
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