Washington: US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth struck a defiant note on Tuesday after efforts to impeach him over his conduct in office gained ground this week. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment in the House of Representatives on Monday, which included 3 charges of waging war against Iran illegally in violation of a long standing War Powers Resolution.
Congressman Massie has already announced his support, with reports indicating that the Republican party is preparing for further defections that could allow the impeachment process to proceed. In order to make it to a final vote in the US House of Representatives, the Hegseth impeachment resolution will have to first clear a procedural vote that is set for Tuesday. three Republican legislators will also have to vote in favour While the Democratic party is likely to back the resolution in full strength. The party’s heavy defeat in the midterm elections last week has been attributed to widespread voter dissatisfaction with the Iran war, of which Hegseth has been a prominent backer.
Not under Reagan in Lebanon. Not under Clinton in Kosovo. Not under Obama in Iraq or Syria. Not under Biden in Iraq or Syria. That is the standard. Prominent members of the Republican party like US Senator Ted Cruz have expressed pessimism about the War Secretary’s prospects.
“In 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defence has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations — not once.
The history is clear and one disgruntled Congressman wants to shred it over policy disagreements,” said Hegseth, referring to Congressman Massie, who has been an opponent of the Trump administration within the Republican party. “Either Hegseth is going to step down, either he will resign voluntarily or Trump will fire him, or, if that does not happen, I think it is extremely likely, if not certain, that the House will impeach him because, on the face of it, the votes are there,” Cruz said in a podcast this week.
Besides charges related to the war in Iran, the articles of impeachment against Hegseth also include charges of extrajudicial killings in strikes on suspected drug traffickers and suppressing free speech by targeting outside critics like Democratic Senator Mark Kelly.
