Articles Blocked with 18 Representatives Not Voting, Including 11 Democrats

Advocates applaud Congressman Massie’s effort to impeach Hegseth, urge Congress to immediately impeach Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors committed by Hegseth and executed under his direction. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 11, 2026) — The U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday against advancing eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, blocking an effort to hold Hegseth accountable for multiple abuses of power.

The final vote tally was 211-204, with 18 Members of Congress not voting, including 11 Democrats.

“Free Speech For People applauds Rep. Thomas Massie for defending the Constitution,” said John Bonifaz, a constitutional attorney and President of Free Speech For People.  “The eight articles of impeachment detail Secretary Hegseth’s multiple abuses of power, including unconstitutional warfare, war crimes, and extrajudicial killings. These charges warrant his impeachment and removal from office. But accountability cannot stop with the Secretary of Defense. President Trump directed Hegseth in every one of those illegal actions and must be impeached and removed.”

“Congress found the votes to protect Pete Hegseth, but not the backbone to hold him accountable,” said Rachel O’Leary Carmona, Executive Director of Women’s March. “Voters across the United States have made themselves clear: War crimes are not a partisan issue, and showing up to take a stand against Hegseth’s heinous acts is the bare minimum. Impeach Hegseth. Impeach Trump. No one gets a free pass for abuses of power, not the man giving the orders, and not the man carrying them out.”

“Troops are held to the law,” said Carl Able of 50501 Veterans. “The Secretary of Defense should be too. Today the House chose to look away. Veterans will not. We stand with Free Speech For People in calling for accountability up the entire chain of command, all the way to the President.”

The vote follows Representative Thomas Massie’s reintroduction of the articles of impeachment on November 9 under House Rule IX, which provides an expedited process for consideration of privileged resolutions.

Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced the articles on September 15, citing the following high crimes and misdemeanors:

 

• Unconstitutionally usurping Congress’s powers to declare war, coordinating and assisting with attacks on Iran and Yemen without congressional authorization;
• Refusing to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran after Congress directed their removal;
• Continuing to illegally wage war in Iran beyond statutory deadlines laid out in the War Powers Resolution of 1973;
• Committing war and humanitarian crimes, including ignoring laws to minimize civilian casualties and intentionally killing shipwreck survivors in the Caribbean;
• Abusing his power by intimidating Sen. Mark Kelly for practicing his right to free speech; and
• Directing the unauthorized kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro—a sovereign foreign leader—and his wife, Cilia Flores.