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House
Republicans
derail
Hegseth
impeachment
effort
WASHINGTON,
Nov. 12
—
Republicans
in the
U.S.
House of
Representatives
have
blocked
an
effort
to
impeach
Defense
Secretary
Pete
Hegseth,
using a
procedural
vote to
halt
charges
over his
handling
of the
Iran war
and
other
military
operations.
The
House
voted
211–204
on
Tuesday
to refer
eight
articles
of
impeachment
to the
Republican-led
Judiciary
Committee,
effectively
stopping
the
immediate
push
without
holding
a vote
on the
charges
themselves.
Representative
Thomas
Massie
of
Kentucky,
who
introduced
the
resolution,
was the
only
Republican
to
oppose
the
referral.
The
outcome
delivered
a
reprieve
for
Hegseth
and a
political
victory
for
President
Donald
Trump
following
Republican
losses
in the
midterm
elections.
Democrats
are set
to take
control
of both
chambers
of
Congress
in
January,
leaving
open the
possibility
of a
renewed
impeachment
effort.
Massie’s
resolution
accused
Hegseth
of
illegally
directing
military
action
without
congressional
authorization,
including
operations
in Iran
and
Yemen,
attacks
on boats
in the
Caribbean
and the
capture
of
Venezuelan
President
Nicolás
Maduro
in
January.
The
articles
alleged
that
those
actions
amounted
to “high
crimes
and
misdemeanors.”
The
resolution
also
accused
Hegseth
of
failing
to
comply
with
laws
intended
to limit
civilian
casualties
and
abusing
his
authority
by
retaliating
against
a
senator
for
public
statements.
Those
accusations
were not
adjudicated
by
Tuesday’s
procedural
vote.
Massie
had
introduced
the
resolution
under
expedited
House
procedures,
forcing
Republican
leaders
to
address
it
within
two
legislative
days.
Referring
it to
committee
allowed
them to
prevent
an
immediate
vote on
impeachment.
Eleven
Democrats
missed
the
vote,
including
former
House
Speaker
Nancy
Pelosi.
Reuters
reported
that
eight
additional
votes
against
the
referral
would
have
defeated
the
procedural
motion
and
cleared
the way
for a
full
House
impeachment
vote. A
Pelosi
spokesperson
said she
was in
San
Francisco
for an
annual
veterans
event
and
would
have
opposed
the
referral.
Seven
Republicans
also did
not
vote.
Despite
criticism
of
Hegseth
within
the
party,
every
Republican
who
voted
except
Massie
supported
sending
the
resolution
to
committee.
Hegseth
had
earlier
dismissed
the
impeachment
campaign
as a
“farce”
and
defended
his
leadership
of the
military,
drawing
praise
from
Trump.
Some
Republican
critics
of the
defense
secretary
nevertheless
said his
actions
did not
meet the
constitutional
threshold
for
impeachment.
The
committee
referral
stops
the
current
drive
but does
not
prevent
Democrats
from
pursuing
impeachment
after
taking
control
of
Congress
in
January.
Democratic
House
leader
Hakeem
Jeffries
did not
commit
to
another
attempt,
saying
he would
discuss
the
issue
with
members
“at the
appropriate
time.”
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