Hegseth impeachment dead… for now: House Republicans unite to block Massie’s efforts

House Republicans successfully blocked Rep. Thomas Massie’s effort to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday evening.The House of Representatives voted 211-204 in favor of sending the articles to committee, effectively ending the impeachment battle – for now.Massie, increasingly isolated from his own party, was the lone member of Congress to vote across party lines. 11 Democrats and 7 Republicans missed the vote. The Trump administration and Republicans in both chambers largely banded together in recent days to support Hegseth and defend him from the attacks.Hegseth, himself, came out firing Tuesday morning during his first press briefing in more than six months.“It’s a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment. Time for one man’s final days in Congress, got to damage to this president, this country, and most irresponsibly, the warriors,” he said. “I stand behind every one of these operations. I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow.”President Donald Trump has publicly backed Hegseth despite the increasing pressure he’s facing following the results of the midterm elections, where Republicans lost overwhelmingly. Many lawmakers and officials in Washington — including Trump — have argued that the war in Iran, which Hegseth has overseen, led to the Democrats’ victory.“The referral of these baseless impeachment articles to the House Judiciary Committee marks total victory for Secretary Hegseth, the Department of War, and the American warfighter. From the beginning, this effort has been a political exercise devoid of merit, evidence, or seriousness. It collapses under the weight of Secretary Hegseth’s record of restoring the warrior ethos, delivering results, and putting the mission first. The American people see through it,” top Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said after the vote.While Republicans were able to prevent Massie’s articles of impeachment from moving forward, they will not be able to do the same once the new Congress is inaugurated in January. Democrats, especially in light of the midterm results, have already begun discussing how to carry out more stringent oversight of the Pentagon.