Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on Monday filed an eight-article impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, using a privileged resolution procedure that asks the House to take up the measure as early as this week. Massie's office said the articles accuse Hegseth of participating in and continuing military operations against Iran without a congressional declaration of war or explicit authorization, violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution, and overstepping his authority in military operations related to Yemen and Venezuela. The articles also cite military strikes against suspected drug traffickers, attempts to suppress remarks by Sen. Mark Kelly, and allegations of extrajudicial killings.
Speaking on the House floor, Massie said that if Hegseth remains defense secretary, the constitutional order faces long-term risk, and that the House should begin impeachment so the Senate can try the case and decide whether to remove him. Under House rules, a privileged impeachment resolution cannot be indefinitely shelved, and leadership typically must choose within two legislative days to bring it to the floor for a direct vote, table it, or refer it to committee. Massie said the move would force the House to respond to the eight charges.
The Iran war is the centerpiece of the articles. Massie's first three charges all concern military operations against Iran, alleging that the Pentagon continued the operations after Congress demanded a withdrawal of U.S. forces and treated the limits set by Congress as optional policy tools. Massie has repeatedly opposed expanding military operations against Iran without congressional authorization, and in September he helped push a congressional vote requiring the withdrawal of U.S. forces engaged in hostilities against Iran; his voting record shows support for related war powers measures.
Beyond Iran, the articles also target military strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean, the handling of Sen. Mark Kelly's remarks, military action in Venezuela, and unauthorized military operations in Yemen. Massie's office emphasized that these are allegations in the impeachment resolution and have not been factually established by Congress or the courts.
The effort, launched by a Republican lawmaker, adds complexity to Washington's political maneuvering. After this year's midterm elections, Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress, and the political cost of the Iran war has become a central dispute in Washington. Massie failed to secure renomination in the Republican primary and is pushing impeachment before leaving office, a move seen as a major challenge to the Trump administration's defense policy. In a statement, he said that compared with investigations and hearings that Democrats might launch once they control Congress next year, the current impeachment resolution remains relatively moderate, and urged Trump to replace the defense secretary as soon as possible.
Whether impeachment can pass the House still hinges on Republican votes. House Republicans currently hold a very narrow majority, and if Democrats unite in support of impeachment, a small number of Republican defections could change the outcome. Republican leadership may still avoid a direct vote by tabling the resolution or referring it to committee.
The U.S. Constitution allows Congress to impeach cabinet secretaries, but such cases are rare. The most recent cabinet official impeached by the House was Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024; the last impeachment of a cabinet secretary dates to 1876, when War Secretary William Belknap was charged. Neither was convicted by the Senate. If the House approves articles of impeachment, the case would proceed to a Senate trial, and removing Hegseth would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
Trump continues to publicly back Hegseth. Hegseth plans to hold a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday, while House leadership must decide within two legislative days how to handle the impeachment resolution.
