Republican Representative Thomas Massie has filed articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the continuing U.S. war against Iran.
Massie accuses Hegseth of abusing his office by carrying out sustained military hostilities without congressional authorisation.
The Kentucky Republican filed the impeachment resolution as privileged, meaning the House must address it within two legislative days.
The filing does not establish that Hegseth committed an impeachable offence. It represents Massie’s constitutional case against the defence secretary’s conduct of the war.
The conflict began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 and has now continued for more than six months.
Congress has repeatedly considered resolutions seeking to require presidential authorisation for continued hostilities, but those efforts have not brought the conflict to an end.
The Pentagon rejected Massie’s criticism and said the department remains united behind Hegseth.
“The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said.
Massie’s impeachment resolution is not expected to receive enough support to remove Hegseth.
Its privileged status could nevertheless force members of the Republican-controlled House to vote on the issue shortly before the November 3 midterm elections.
The dispute puts the constitutional division of war powers back before Congress.
A Republican member of Congress is now asking the House to impeach a Republican administration’s defence secretary over whether months of warfare can continue without explicit congressional approval.
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