The House is moving toward a vote this week on whether to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Several Republicans say the measure could pass.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., plans to force consideration of the resolution by introducing it as a privileged measure on Monday. That procedure requires the House to take it up within two legislative days, meaning a vote could happen by Wednesday.
Massie must first read the resolution aloud on the House floor. He was doing so Monday afternoon, after which the House is expected to recognize it as privileged.
The effort comes amid backlash over the war in Iran, with rising gas prices among the issues blamed for Republicans’ substantial losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Last week, Massie said he would force a vote when Congress returned from its midterm break unless Hegseth resigned beforehand. Hegseth called the impeachment push a “shame” that “won’t work” in a video posted to X on Friday.
Several House Republicans said Thursday they thought the resolution might succeed. They pointed to the possible absence of Republican lawmakers who lost their elections, along with discontent over Hegseth’s conduct, as factors that could make a difference.
Massie’s resolution contains eight articles related to the war in Iran, strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, U.S. attacks on Yemen, and the extradition of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
One article accuses Hegseth of undermining free speech by retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., after Kelly appeared in a video urging troops to refuse “unlawful orders.”
A privileged resolution can face an initial vote to table it or send it to the relevant committee. Either step would effectively stop the measure from moving forward.
The most recent Cabinet official to be impeached was Alejandro Mayorkas, who served as homeland security secretary under President Biden. Republicans accused him of failing in his duties at the U.S.-Mexico border, but the case was dismissed without a trial in the Senate, which Democrats then controlled.
House Republican leaders have not yet made clear how they plan to respond to Massie’s resolution.
