Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has formally introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing the Pentagon chief of executing unauthorized military actions abroad, violating statutory mandates, and infringing upon congressional authority. The resolution formally charges Hegseth with high crimes and misdemeanors, alleging that the cabinet official bypassed congressional oversight and executed military operations abroad without required authorization.
The 34-page legislative measure focuses heavily on the administration’s military engagements, asserting that “Secretary Hegseth knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders to initiate war against a foreign nation notwithstanding the absence of congressional authorization, an attack upon the United States giving rise to the national emergency contemplated by law, or an imminent threat requiring immediate defensive action, thereby substituting unlawful executive action for the constitutional and statutory judgment of Congress.” The filing further charges that Hegseth bypassed the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by continuing operations after statutory deadlines expired without legislative approval.
The impeachment draft also details multiple broader allegations against the Pentagon leader, with the document citing maritime operations involving strikes on suspect vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea that resulted in casualties among unrescued survivors, operations in Yemen that led to civilian casualties, and the military action resulting in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Additionally, the document accuses Hegseth of abusing the “powers entrusted to him by retaliating against a member of Congress for constitutionally protected speech, and attempting to subject a member of a coordinate branch of government to executive branch punishment for the exercise of his legislative and oversight responsibilities.”
The resolution sets up a high-stakes floor fight in the U.S. House of Representatives as lawmakers weigh constitutional war powers against executive authority. While House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries indicated House Democrats intend to vote in favor of the measure, the resolution faces an uncertain path among House Republicans, where Massie remains the sole GOP lawmaker publicly advancing the resolution. The filing concludes that “Secretary Hegseth, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law,” formally seeking his removal and disqualification from holding future federal office.
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