US House sends Hegseth impeachment articles back to committee
The US House of Representatives voted 211-204 on November 10 to send impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth back to the Judiciary Committee.
The vote was a procedural decision, not a final vote on whether to impeach him. Returning the articles to committee makes further action during the current Congress's remaining term less likely.
Eighteen members were absent, including 11 Democrats. The absences mattered to the narrow outcome, but their explanations differed and should not be treated as proof they all intended to help defeat the effort.
The articles introduced by Republican Thomas Massie contain allegations of abuse of power and unlawful military operations. The procedural vote neither proves nor disproves those allegations.
Earlier report (2026-11-09)
US House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has announced his strong support for an impeachment resolution to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from office. Having captured both the House and the Senate in the November 3 midterm elections, the Democratic Party plans to launch investigations into President Donald Trump's administration.
In a television interview, Jeffries said, "On the Hegseth resolution, I am definitely a yes." "The man who calls himself defense secretary has abused his power, weakened our national security and is waging a reckless, costly war in Iran," he alleged. "Pete Hegseth must go. I believe the resolution will get very strong support," he added.
The resolution is led by outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The new Congress takes office on January 3; Jeffries is expected to become the next House Speaker. Having won its biggest House victories in half a century, the Democratic Party will move aggressively in its first 100 days on the cost-of-living problem and "unprecedented corruption," Jeffries said.
Robert Garcia has announced he will run for chairman of the House Oversight Committee. Investigations are also needed into newly appointed White House chief of staff Stephen Miller, and into Elon Musk over the loss of many federal jobs under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the risks to government data, he said.
The House can pass an impeachment charge against administration officials by a simple majority, but conviction and removal requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate - a high bar even with Democratic control of that chamber.
The White House has also responded. Chief of staff Todd Blanche said they are ready to fight investigation and impeachment attempts against Trump administration officials. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that the Justice Department should investigate Democrats who plan to summon his allies before congressional committees and that they "should go to jail."
