Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky moved Monday, November 9, 2026, to force a House vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The effort followed Republican losses in the 2026 midterm elections and centers on Hegseth’s handling of the war with Iran.
Massie had previously introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September 2026. The articles accuse Hegseth of directing U.S. forces into hostilities against Iran without a congressional declaration of war or specific statutory authorization.
The resolution would require House members to take a recorded position on whether to impeach the defense secretary. That matters beyond this one dispute. Congress has the constitutional duty to decide when the nation goes to war, and recorded votes make elected officials answer publicly for how they handle that duty.
Hegseth brushed aside the impeachment push after speaking at the Naval War College in Rhode Island. He planned to address the effort at a Tuesday morning press conference. Some Republicans were described as more willing to consider impeachment after the election results, making the next House vote a test of both war powers and party discipline.
