House rejects Hegseth impeachment; Democrats vow to oust him

The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly rejected an attempt to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The initiative was introduced by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie over Pentagon actions in the war with Iran and other operations. The House voted 211 to 204 against advancing the impeachment resolution to committee, effectively killing it. Massie, the sole Republican supporter, accused Hegseth of violating rules of war in Iran, Yemen, Venezuela, and the Caribbean. Hegseth called the effort a "farce" and defended all military operations as legal. Democrats, led by Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become Speaker in January, vowed to remove Hegseth after taking control of Congress. Hegseth's decisions also affect Ukraine aid, with Kyiv reportedly waiting a month for his signature on missiles for Patriot and NASAMS systems.