Massie Forces House Vote on Impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth With 8 Articles

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, refiled eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, November 9, 2026, forcing the House to vote on whether to impeach a sitting Cabinet secretary by Wednesday, November 11.

Because Massie filed the 34-page resolution as a privileged resolution, House leaders cannot park it in committee. Under House rules, they must act on it within two legislative days — a vote on the articles themselves, a motion to table them, or a motion to refer them to a committee. It is the second time Massie has tried: he first filed the same eight articles on September 15, 2026, and Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home a day early, letting the resolution expire before anyone had to cast a vote.

The short answer: Rep. Thomas Massie refiled eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on November 9, 2026, as a privileged resolution. The House must act within two legislative days, so a vote is expected by Wednesday, November 11. Impeachment would require only a simple majority of the House, while removal from office would need two-thirds of the Senate.

What Massie Filed on Monday

Massie stood on the House floor on Monday afternoon, read the resolution aloud, and filed it as a question of privilege. The measure is formally titled "Impeaching Peter Brian Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, for high crimes and misdemeanors," and it runs 34 pages. It was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, but the privileged status means the full House must still deal with it within two legislative days.

The filing came on the first day the House returned from its midterm election recess, and it sets up one of the most consequential votes of the lame-duck session. Republicans hold a narrow 218-214 majority in the House, so even a handful of Republican defections could decide the outcome. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has already called himself a "hard yes" on impeaching Hegseth, as covered in our earlier report on Jeffries backing impeachment.

The Eight Articles, Explained

Three of the eight articles charge Hegseth with waging the war with Iran in violation of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 — the post-Vietnam law that limits how long U.S. forces can remain in hostilities without Congress's approval. The articles allege the war was waged with no declaration of war, no statutory authorization, no attack on the United States, and no imminent threat. The United States entered hostilities against Iran on February 28, 2026, opening Operation Epic Fury in partnership with Israel.

The remaining five articles allege that Hegseth ignored laws requiring the military to minimize civilian casualties; ordered extrajudicial killings in the lethal strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats, a campaign Massie's office says has killed at least 243 people; retaliated against Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona for protected speech; seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores without authority in Operation ABSOLUTE RESOLVE; and waged an unlawful war in Yemen in Operation ROUGH RIDER.

How the Vote Works — and What Happens Next

Because the resolution is privileged, House leaders have three options by Wednesday: bring the articles to a floor vote, move to table them, or refer them to committee. Impeachment itself requires only a simple majority of the House. If the House votes to impeach, Hegseth would become only the third Cabinet secretary impeached in American history, and the case would move to the Senate, where removal from office would require a two-thirds vote.

Hegseth said on Monday that he is not worried and will defend his record at a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday, November 10 — his first since May. President Donald Trump has backed Hegseth, while Speaker Mike Johnson opposes the effort. Hegseth dismissed the articles in a video released last Thursday, November 5, calling them "sham articles of impeachment" brought by a "disgruntled, defeated congressman" and his Democratic allies. Massie lost his primary this spring and is retiring at the end of this Congress.

It is important to be clear about what this filing is: the articles are allegations in a political charging document. They are not findings by a court, a military tribunal, or an inspector general, and Hegseth has not been charged with any crime. Follow the latest developments in the impeachment fight here as the Wednesday deadline approaches.

Why This Vote Matters

The vote will force every member of the House to go on the record about the Iran war, the boat strikes, and the limits of presidential war powers — questions Congress has avoided answering since U.S. forces entered hostilities in February. For the Trump administration, which has already faced a bruising midterm and a public reckoning over its deportation crackdown — see our report on Trump admitting the crackdown was "too tough" — a floor vote on impeaching the defense secretary would be another damaging spectacle, even if the articles are ultimately tabled.

For Massie, the filing is a final act of defiance. His September attempt died when Johnson cut the week short; this time, the privileged procedure and the two-day clock give him leverage he did not have before. Whether Republican leaders can hold their 218-seat majority together — or whether a few members break ranks — will be decided by Wednesday.

Read Also:

• Jeffries Is a "Hard Yes" on Impeaching Hegseth
• Trump Admits Deportation Crackdown Was "Too Tough" After Midterm Losses

Frequently Asked Questions

Who filed the articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth?

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, refiled eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the House floor on Monday, November 9, 2026. It was his second attempt; he first filed the articles on September 15, 2026.

When must the House vote on the Hegseth impeachment articles?

Because Massie filed the resolution as a privileged resolution, House rules require leaders to act within two legislative days. A vote — on the articles themselves, a motion to table them, or a motion to refer them to committee — is expected by Wednesday, November 11, 2026.

What is Pete Hegseth accused of?

The 34-page resolution charges Hegseth with high crimes and misdemeanors, including three violations of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 over the war with Iran, ignoring laws that minimize civilian casualties, extrajudicial killings in strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats, retaliation against Senator Mark Kelly, the seizure of Nicolás Maduro, and an unlawful war in Yemen.

How many votes does it take to impeach a Cabinet secretary?

Impeachment requires only a simple majority of the U.S. House of Representatives. If the House votes to impeach, removal from office would require a two-thirds vote in the Senate. Hegseth would be the third Cabinet secretary impeached in American history.

What did Hegseth and Trump say about the impeachment effort?

Hegseth said on Monday that he is not worried and will defend his record at a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday, November 10. President Donald Trump has backed Hegseth, and Speaker Mike Johnson opposes the effort.

Why did Massie's first impeachment attempt fail in September?

Massie first filed the eight articles on September 15, 2026. The next day, Speaker Mike Johnson cancelled the rest of the week and sent the House home for a seven-week campaign recess, so the resolution expired before anyone had to vote on it. Massie had to refile once the House returned.