The House is scheduled to vote Tuesday evening on whether to kill or advance articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a fight forced by a member of his own party over the war with Iran.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced eight articles on the House floor Monday accusing Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors. Three charge him with waging war against Iran in violation of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, and a fourth makes the same claim about Yemen, NPR reported. Others cite strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Hegseth's moves against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who had said service members are not required to follow illegal orders.
Impeachment resolutions are privileged, which gave House leaders two legislative days to act. Votes begin at 5:30 p.m. EST with a procedural motion, according to the schedule released by Majority Leader Steve Scalise's office. Republican leaders are expected to move to table the measure or refer it to committee. Either step would end the effort without a vote on the articles themselves.
Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters the tabling vote is "not going to fail," CBS News reported.
Hegseth pushed back Tuesday morning at his first Pentagon news conference in six months. He called the effort a "political spectacle," ABC News reported, and said every operation named in the articles was lawful and directed by President Donald Trump. Congress approved none of them. Trump praised his performance afterward.
Massie lost his Republican primary in May and leaves office in January. He first filed impeachment articles in September, but the House adjourned early for the midterm campaign before a vote could take place. On Monday he told colleagues that voting to impeach would put daylight between them and an unpopular war, Axios reported.
Republicans hold a 218-214 majority in the outgoing House, according to CNBC, so a handful of defections could keep the resolution alive. Massie told HuffPost that if leadership found a way to avoid the vote, he would start the process over.
If the House impeaches Hegseth, the Senate would hold a trial on whether to remove him. Democrats, who won control of both chambers last week, take over in January.