The U.S. House of Representatives voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively halting the effort.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among 11 Democrats who did not vote, after leaving Washington, D.C., to attend a veterans event in San Francisco. Eight additional votes against the motion would have been enough to defeat it.
The articles of impeachment, introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, alleged misconduct by Hegseth. The House Judiciary Committee will now review the matter, though the process is expected to stall until Democrats regain control of the chamber in January 2027.
Pelosi’s absence drew attention because she had previously called for Hegseth to leave office. Her spokesperson, Ian Krager, stated she supported impeaching Hegseth and would have voted against referring the articles to committee. Krager noted that Pelosi attended the Swords to Plowshares’ 30th Annual Veterans Day Celebration, where she was presented with the Lifetime Advocate for Veterans Award.
The event marked Pelosi’s final attendance as a Member of Congress. According to Krager, her participation in the veterans event was a longstanding district tradition.
The impeachment effort faced significant Republican opposition, with the vote falling along party lines. The articles accuse Hegseth of violating federal law and abusing his authority, though no further details on the allegations were provided in the reporting.
This is a developing story.