The US House of Representatives on 11 November 2026 voted 211-204 to refer eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively blocking an immediate floor vote and handing Hegseth a procedural reprieve. The articles accuse him of misconduct spanning the Iran war, military strikes, and alleged retaliation against a sitting senator.

How the Vote Broke Down

According to the official House roll call, 210 Republicans and independent Kevin Kiley of California voted for referral. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie — who forced the chamber's hand by filing the measure as a privileged resolution — was the only member of his party to oppose referral, voting alongside 203 Democrats. Eighteen lawmakers did not vote, among them 11 Democrats and 7 Republicans; former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among those absent.

All six Indian-American House members — Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Suhas Subramanyam, and Shri Thanedar — voted against referral, meaning each backed allowing the impeachment effort to proceed to a floor vote rather than sending it to committee, per the official roll call.

What the Articles Allege

Massie's resolution charged Hegseth with conducting military operations against Iran without congressional authorisation, disregarding civilian-protection protocols, and ordering what it described as unlawful strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels. Additional articles addressed operations in Venezuela and Yemen and alleged that Hegseth retaliated against Senator Mark Kelly. The allegations have not been adjudicated in any formal proceeding.

Hegseth rejected the charges at a Pentagon briefing earlier on Tuesday. 'None of these are high crimes or misdemeanours,' he said. 'They're partisan policy disagreements from people who want to politicise our military.'

White House and Republican Response

The Trump administration urged lawmakers to support referral, with a formal White House policy statement describing the impeachment push as politically motivated and asserting that the president held constitutional authority over military operations. Vice President J.D. Vance defended Hegseth in a post on X, writing: 'Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes? The question is absurd, and the answer is: obviously not.'

President Donald Trump celebrated the outcome on Truth Social, declaring the effort had 'miserably FAILED!' and calling the vote the 'EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot.' Legal analysts noted, however, that the House took no vote on the substance of the impeachment articles themselves — the referral resolved only the procedural question.

Democratic Position and What Comes Next

Massie, expressing disappointment, told reporters: 'I wasn't surprised, but I was disappointed.' He said he would next seek a vote on a war powers resolution concerning Iran. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries signalled the matter was far from over: 'This is not the end of it. It's just the beginning.' Democratic Whip Katherine Clark accused Republicans of shielding Hegseth at the expense of American service personnel. Separately, Krishnamoorthi had urged wavering Republicans to break ranks, while Thanedar and Jayapal each publicly called for Hegseth's impeachment.

The Judiciary Committee is under no obligation to act on the referral. With the current Congress set to expire on 3 January, a substantive impeachment vote this session appears unlikely. Democrats, who reportedly won control of both chambers in the 3 November midterm elections, could initiate a fresh effort when the new Congress convenes. Under the US Constitution, impeachment requires a simple majority in the House; conviction and removal require a two-thirds vote of senators present. Only two Cabinet secretaries have previously been impeached — William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024 — and neither was removed by the Senate.