House votes to shelve Hegseth impeachment resolution

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 211-204 to refer an impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to committee, effectively shelving the measure. The vote protects Hegseth for now, but Democrats have promised investigations when they take control of Congress in January. Republican Thomas Massie was the only member of his party to join 203 Democrats in opposing the procedural motion, while 11 Democrats were absent. The vote signals Republican cohesion following their midterm defeat, with the party also selecting Jim Jordan as its new House leader. President Donald Trump celebrated the outcome as an exoneration, while Massie compared Republicans to passengers on the Titanic. The failed impeachment would have been the first against a Trump administration official, and Democrats plan further probes into Hegseth's military operations and personnel policies.