A Republican congressman plans to force a vote in the House of Representatives this week to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, alleging he has violated the US Constitution.
“By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable,” Representative Thomas Massie said.
The effort will likely fail, given Republicans will remain in power in Congress until January. But Massie says he wants to push President Donald Trump to fire Hegseth before Democrats can launch an impeachment process.
Hegseth, who will hold a news conference on Tuesday about Massie’s move, said he was not concerned.
“We’re not worried about that,” Hegseth said when asked by reporters about the impending resolution on Monday, adding he would hold a news conference Tuesday morning “on that very topic”.
Hegseth’s last news conference was in May.
Massie, who lost re-election earlier this year, is among the few Republicans who have been critical of Trump and the war that started earlier in this year in Iran.
The Kentucky congressman first introduced impeachment articles in September and is now pressing for a vote in the wake of Republicans losing control of both the House and Senate in last week’s midterm elections. He has said his push to rid the administration of Hegseth is meant to prevent a Democrat spectacle next year.
“My effort to impeach Secretary Hegseth is a much gentler version of what’s coming when the Democrats assume control of the House and Senate next year,” Massie also said in a statement. “They will hold hearings and trials.”
“President Trump should replace Secretary Hegseth now while he can still get a replacement confirmed in the Senate,” he also said.
Impeaching a cabinet secretary is very rare. The impeachment must be approved by both chambers for the secretary to be removed from office. The House has voted to impeach only two cabinet members in US history, but the Senate did not agree on either one.
Once Massie introduces his resolution – expected later on Monday – Speaker of the House Mike Johnson must schedule a time to consider it within two days. Along with voting on the resolution directly, the House has the option to vote to refer it to committee or to set it aside.
Massie will likely have the support of the Democrats in the House, with that party’s leader, Hakeem Jeffries, saying on Sunday that he is a “hard yes” on impeachment. But Massie would still need to win over members of his own party.
The House has passed a War Powers resolution – a measure that seeks to halt Trump from taking further military action in Iran – multiple times this year, with Massie’s support.
But Massie’s disagreement with Hegseth also goes beyond Iran, he said in the statement.
He has accused Hegseth of intimidating critics of the Trump administration, kidnapping foreign leaders and ignoring congressional war powers resolutions.
By BBC News
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
