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The House sent the Hegseth impeachment resolution to committee, 211–204. What a "motion to refer" does, and whether the effort can come back

The short answer: On Nov. 10, 2026, the House voted 211–204 to refer Rep. Thomas Massie's resolution impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (H.Res. 1655) to the Judiciary Committee, the House Clerk's Roll Call 317 shows. Referral skips a floor vote on the articles. The committee doesn't have to act, and this Congress ends in January.

The House voted 211–204 on Nov. 10 to refer the Hegseth impeachment resolution to committee. What a motion to refer does and both sides' coverage.

By Monsaur OthmanPublished November 11, 2026Last updated November 11, 20267 sources linked

Pete Hegseth speaking at a lectern bearing the Department of War seal, with a U.S. flag and a blue Defense flag behind him — Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon press briefing on March 4, 2026. File photo; not taken on the day of the Nov. 10 vote. Photo: U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza / U.S. Department of War via Wikimedia Commons, public domain (cropped) · Public domain

How the left and right covered it

Each outlet is linked. Lean labels are ours.

Left-leaning coverage

NPR (lean left): House vote effectively ends impeachment push against Hegseth
Published Nov. 10. Calls the referral a 'surprise reprieve' for 'President Trump's embattled Defense Secretary' and says it 'virtually guarantees' the measure won't be taken up before the session ends; closes on Democrats' promised investigations and Jeffries saying of Hegseth, 'He's got to go.'
CBS News (lean left): House blocks Massie's effort to impeach Hegseth, voting to kill resolution
Updated Nov. 10, 8:55 p.m. EST. Frames the resolution as 'largely over the war with Iran,' notes Republican frustration with Hegseth's handling of the war, and quotes Jeffries: 'This is not the end of it. It's just the beginning.'

Right-leaning coverage

Fox News (lean right): House GOP leaders block Massie's Hegseth impeachment push
Published Nov. 10, 6:16 p.m. EST. Leads with 'Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is safe,' credits Speaker Johnson with one more win, and features Trump's post calling the outcome an 'EXONERATION' and Republicans, including Hegseth critics, who said the articles didn't hold up.
Washington Examiner (lean right): Pelosi one of 11 Democrats who failed to vote in Hegseth impeachment bid
Published Nov. 10, 10:19 p.m. ET. Focuses on the 11 Democrats, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who missed the vote, and says the referral will most likely keep the articles in committee until Democrats take the House in January 2027.

Common ground

The House voted 211–204 on Nov. 10 to refer H.Res. 1655 to the Judiciary Committee instead of voting on the articles.
Massie was the only Republican to vote against referral; no Democrat voted for it.
The referral makes action in the current Congress unlikely; what happens after January is open.

Short answer: On Nov. 10, 2026, the House voted 211–204 to refer Rep. Thomas Massie's resolution impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (H.Res. 1655) to the Judiciary Committee, the House Clerk's Roll Call 317 shows. Referral skips a floor vote on the articles. The committee doesn't have to act, and this Congress ends in January.

Key facts (as of Nov. 11, 2026, morning CT) - The vote: Roll Call 317, Nov. 10 at 6:02 p.m. ET, on the motion to refer H.Res. 1655: 211 yea, 204 nay, 18 not voting. - By party: Republicans 210–1, with Massie the lone no. Democrats 0–203. The House's one Independent voted yes. - The resolution: H.Res. 1655, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), "Impeaching Peter Brian Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, for high crimes and misdemeanors." - What referral means: the Judiciary Committee can take up the articles but isn't obligated to (Breaking Defense). - The clock: the current Congress ends in January; the next one convenes Jan. 3, 2027.

What did the House vote on?

Not on impeachment itself. The question on the floor was a motion to refer Massie's resolution to the Judiciary Committee, the House Clerk's record shows. It passed 211–204. Fox News reported that the referral averted "a potential impeachment vote on Wednesday."

Massie, the resolution's sponsor, voted no, as did every Democrat who voted. Seven Republicans and 11 Democrats missed the vote, the Clerk's tally shows. The Washington Examiner noted that Rep. Nancy Pelosi was among the absent Democrats.

Massie forced the timing. He filed the resolution as privileged, and a privileged resolution must be considered within two legislative days, Fox reported. Congress.gov lists it as introduced Nov. 10; NPR and Breaking Defense describe Massie as reintroducing the articles Monday, Nov. 9. His first attempt expired before the midterms after Speaker Mike Johnson called an early recess, NPR reported.

What does the resolution accuse Hegseth of?

The 34-page resolution has eight articles, according to Breaking Defense: three on alleged War Powers Resolution violations tied to military operations against Iran; alleged violations of laws meant to limit civilian casualties; retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) over a video about refusing unlawful orders; the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro; an "unlawful" war in Yemen; and what it calls extrajudicial killings in strikes on alleged drug boats.

Hegseth rejected all of it at a Pentagon news conference Tuesday morning. "What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it's not accountability. It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment," he said, as quoted by Fox and Breaking Defense. "None of these are high crimes or misdemeanors," he said, per CBS News.

The Clerk and Congress.gov record his title as Secretary of Defense; Hegseth calls himself Secretary of War, Breaking Defense noted.

What does referring it to the Judiciary Committee do?

It parks the resolution. The committee "can choose to consider the articles of impeachment, but it is not obligated to take them up," Breaking Defense reported. NPR said the vote "virtually guarantees the measure will not be taken up before the current session of Congress expires."

Massie called it a "procedural motion to kill the resolution" in a social media post, per Breaking Defense. After the vote he told reporters, "I wasn't surprised, but I was disappointed," CBS reported.

Can the impeachment effort come back in January?

Reports differ in emphasis. Breaking Defense said referral "does not permanently foreclose" impeachment, but any revival in the next Congress "would require lawmakers to introduce a new resolution and begin the process again." CBS News reported Democrats "could still force the issue," especially once they control both chambers in January. The Washington Examiner said the articles will "most likely" stay in committee until then.

Massie won't be the one to bring it back. He said Monday he would not bring up another impeachment resolution, and he leaves Congress in early January after losing his primary, CBS reported. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said after the vote: "This is not the end of it. It's just the beginning." No new resolution has been announced. For the calendar, see our explainer on the lame-duck session.

Has a Cabinet secretary been impeached before?

Twice. The House impeached Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876 and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024, CBS News and Breaking Defense report. The Senate acquitted Belknap and dismissed the charges against Mayorkas.

How is each side covering it?

Left-leaning outlets framed it as a reprieve for an embattled official. NPR called the vote "a surprise reprieve for President Trump's embattled Defense Secretary" and ended on Democrats' plans to investigate the Pentagon. CBS News tied the resolution "largely" to the Iran war and noted Republican frustration with Hegseth's handling of it.
Right-leaning outlets framed it as a win for Hegseth and House GOP leaders. Fox News led with "Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is safe," quoted Trump calling the outcome the "EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot," and quoted Republicans, including Hegseth critic Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who said they didn't agree with the articles. The Washington Examiner focused on the 11 Democrats who missed the vote.
Common ground: the 211–204 count, Massie as the only Republican no, and that action this Congress is now unlikely.

We are not predicting whether impeachment returns. We'll update this page if a new resolution is filed or the Judiciary Committee acts.

Sources

Photo: U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza, U.S. Department of War, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain (cropped). Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon press briefing, March 4, 2026. File photo; not taken on Nov. 10.

Drafted with AI assistance from primary sources. Written and edited by The Whole Read newsroom under Monsaur Othman's editorial standards. Read how we use AI, our editorial policy and our corrections policy.