The Republican congressman Thomas Massie introduced on Monday eight charges to initiate impeachment proceedings against Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense under President Donald Trump, for alleged violations of the Constitution and abuses of power related to U.S. military operations in Iran, Venezuela, and Yemen.
The initiative was announced in an official statement from the legislator from Kentucky, who seeks to compel the House of Representatives to take a stance on Hegseth's impeachment.
Massie accuses the official of having disobeyed legal restrictions on the use of the Armed Forces without Congressional authorization.
“By participating in hostilities in Iran for over 90 days without authorization from Congress, Secretary Hegseth is violating the law and must be held accountable,” stated Massie, a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
The lawmaker stated that the alleged constitutional violations extend beyond the war against Iran and accused the secretary of using his position to disregard congressional resolutions, detain foreign leaders, and retaliate against critics of the Trump administration.
The impeachment resolution, spanning 34 pages, contains eight articles of accusation.
The first three refer to the war against Iran: Massie argues that Hegseth participated in a military offensive without a declaration of war or legislative authorization, maintained operations despite Congress's instructions, and allowed them to continue beyond the deadlines set by the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
A fourth charge alleges that the secretary has violated regulations aimed at reducing civilian casualties during military operations. The document mentions, among other incidents, an attack on an Iranian school that occurred during the conflict.
The fifth article focuses on U.S. military attacks against vessels suspected of transporting drugs in the Caribbean and other areas of the American continent.
Massie accuses the Pentagon of having replaced law enforcement procedures with the use of lethal military force without proper authorization, resulting in at least 243 fatalities, according to the figures included in his resolution.
Another of the charges indicates alleged reprisals against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, who had publicly questioned the illegal military orders.
Massie claims that Hegseth used the authority of the Department of Defense to intimidate the lawmaker and restrict his freedom of speech.
The seventh article questions the U.S. operation that culminated in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores in Venezuela.
Massie believes that the intervention lacked constitutional and legal foundation, while the latest charge accuses Hegseth of having initiated military operations against the Houthi rebels in Yemen without the necessary authorization from Congress.
The House of Representatives will need to decide how to proceed with the resolution, which could be put to a vote this very week.
If the lawmakers approve the impeachment, the case would move to the Senate, where the appropriate procedures would need to be carried out to determine a possible removal from office.
Massie had pushed a similar initiative on September 15, but the House adjourned its sessions early before the vote could take place.
Its new presentation reactivates the parliamentary procedure and compels the leaders of the Chamber to address the matter in the coming days.
The Speaker of the House, Republican Mike Johnson, rejected the initiative and deemed it detrimental to impeach the Secretary of Defense while the United States is conducting military operations abroad.
"We do not subject cabinet secretaries to impeachment for political gain or cheap tricks," Johnson stated, urging his Republican colleagues to oppose the proposal, as reported by Associated Press.
In contrast, the Democratic leader of the House, Hakeem Jeffries, expressed his support for the initiative and deemed it necessary for Hegseth to resign from his position.
The support of the Democrats could be crucial, although the proposal would also require Republican votes to move forward in the current composition of Congress.
Hegseth rejected the accusations and attributed them to political motivations. In statements to reporters on Monday, he referred to the offensive against him as "noise" and assured that he is not concerned about the process.
The Secretary defended the military operations ordered by Trump and maintained that those who question the actions in Iran, Yemen, or Venezuela are also questioning the achievements of American troops.
He also announced that he will hold a press conference this Tuesday to respond to the initiative.
Trump also came to the defense of his Secretary of Defense and highlighted the results of the military campaigns of his administration.
The leader stated that Hegseth had contributed to winning two wars and questioned the attempt to remove him due to those actions.
The military actions of Hegseth had already sparked intense debates in the Capitol. In April, the secretary acknowledged to lawmakers that rebuilding part of the American arsenal used in the war against Iran could take "months and years", depending on the weapon systems.
During that appearance, Senator Mark Kelly questioned the depletion of ammunition reserves and the costs of the conflict.
Hegseth admitted that the United States needed to expand its weapon manufacturing capacity to replace the systems being used.
The operation in Venezuela had also caused differences regarding the powers of the Executive.
After Maduro's capture in January, Hegseth stated that the U.S. government did not need to seek prior authorization from Congress because, in his interpretation, it was a law enforcement operation in support of the Department of Justice.
Filed under: