# Massie forces Hegseth impeachment vote

> A departing GOP congressman is forcing the House to vote on accusations that Pete Hegseth broke war powers laws.
- Title: Massie forces Hegseth impeachment vote · ABC News | Shortify
- Summary: A departing GOP congressman is forcing the House to vote on accusations that Pete Hegseth broke war powers laws. Massie’s move is unlikely to pass, but it…
- Keywords: thomas massie, pete hegseth, impeachment vote, house of representatives, pentagon, iran war, war powers resolution, mike johnson, nicolas maduro, yemen, donald trump, midterm elections
- Source: ABC News — https://abcnews.com/Politics/rep-thomas-massie-forcing-vote-pete-hegseths-impeachment/story?id=136470894
- Author: ABC News
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: thomas massie, pete hegseth, impeachment vote, house of representatives, pentagon, iran war, war powers resolution, mike johnson, nicolas maduro, yemen, donald trump, midterm elections
## Massie makes his move
Rep. Thomas Massie seized the House floor for more than an hour to launch a long-shot impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
## Eight articles read aloud
Massie read a 34-page resolution with eight articles of impeachment, accusing Hegseth of violating his duties and the Constitution.

> Peter Brian Hegseth thus warrants impeachment and trial
## Pentagon backs Hegseth
The Pentagon defended Hegseth, calling him a transformative leader and saying the department remains behind his vision.

> the entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision
## War powers at issue
The charges include ignoring civilian casualty laws, administering an unlawful war in Yemen, ordering extrajudicial killings and suppressing free speech.
## Maduro capture cited
One article accuses Hegseth of kidnapping a sovereign leader, a reference to the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.
## No warning to leaders
Massie said he told nobody before acting because he feared Speaker Mike Johnson would shorten the House schedule to block the vote.

> So I shared the idea with nobody
## A vote is coming
Because the resolution is privileged, the House must act within two legislative days unless GOP leaders change the schedule again.
## A marker in history
Massie said success was not the only goal. He wanted a record of what he called illegal conduct by Trump and Hegseth.

> there needs to be a marker in history
## Timing before recess
Massie said he waited until the last moment because Congress was about to leave before the midterms, making Tuesday his final chance to force action.

> So I had to do it today
## Key takeaway

Massie’s move is unlikely to pass, but it forces lawmakers to take a public position on Hegseth’s conduct before the midterms.