Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Nov 11: US House Republican leaders and White House officials have blocked an attempt to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, securing a procedural victory for President Donald Trump amid growing political tensions following the Republican Party's disappointing midterm election results.
In a 211-204 vote on Tuesday night, lawmakers agreed to refer the impeachment resolution to a committee, effectively preventing it from being debated or put to a direct vote in the House. Republican leaders worked alongside senior White House officials to secure support against the resolution, according to reports.
The impeachment motion was introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie and contained eight articles accusing Hegseth of violating the US Constitution and the War Powers Act by authorising military strikes against Iran and Yemen without congressional approval.
The resolution also raised questions over Hegseth's alleged role in overseeing the military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Although the procedural vote has stalled the impeachment effort, the issue could return to the political spotlight, particularly as Democrats are expected to assume control of both the House and Senate in January.
Following the vote, President Donald Trump welcomed the outcome and described the impeachment attempt as a failure.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump praised Republican lawmakers for supporting Hegseth and criticised Massie for breaking ranks with his party to introduce the resolution.
"The Democrats’ attempt to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has miserably FAILED! Every single Republican, except Thomas Massie, a major LOSER, voted in favor of Pete," Trump wrote.
Defending Hegseth's performance at the Pentagon, Trump credited him with military successes in Venezuela and Iran, along with what he described as record recruitment figures for the US armed forces.
He also praised the morale within the military, claiming that Hegseth's leadership had strengthened the armed forces.
Accusing Democrats of misusing congressional powers for political purposes, Trump called on his supporters to oppose what he described as attempts to weaponise the government.
The House vote has provided temporary relief to Hegseth, while the impeachment controversy has highlighted divisions within Congress over the administration's military actions and the extent of executive authority.