Massie refiles impeachment articles against Hegseth over Iran war
The House is expected to vote this week on eight charges, including claims that the conflict lacked legal authorization and proper congressional notification.
By Meera Fletcher ·
House members will vote this week on eight new articles of impeachment targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie filed the documents on Monday, marking a renewed push to remove the cabinet member from office.
Massie, who is leaving Congress at the end of the year, centers his case on the United States military campaign against Iran. The first article alleges that Hegseth waged the war without a formal declaration, legal authorization, or an imminent threat to the nation. The filing argues the conflict was illegal from its start.
The charges extend beyond the Iran conflict. Massie includes articles regarding alleged extrajudicial executions in attacks on vessels suspected of drug transport. He also cites the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the seizure of a foreign sovereign leader and labels the military operations in Yemen an illegal war.
Legal standards cited in the filing point to Article I of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power to declare war. The last formal declaration occurred during World War II. The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify congressional leadership within two days of deploying forces without a declaration. If that notice is not given beforehand, the use of armed forces must end within 60 days.
Hegseth plans to hold a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday morning to address the removal effort. When reporters asked if he had enough Republican support to survive the vote, Hegseth said the issue did not concern him. He stated he would reserve further comments for the briefing and urged journalists to arrive with prepared questions.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, voiced strong support for the effort on Sunday. He described the defense secretary’s actions as an abuse of power that undermined national security. Jeffries characterized the Iran war as a reckless and expensive choice that raised prices for Americans and reduced the country’s safety.
