Republican lawmaker seeks Hegseth’s impeachment over Iran war
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Washington: Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has introduced articles of impeachment against US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of violating the Constitution and abusing his authority during the war against Iran.
Massie, a Representative from Kentucky, made the move on Tuesday while addressing the House of Representatives. He accused Hegseth of committing “high crimes and misdemeanours” through his handling of the military conflict and other actions as Defence Secretary.
The lawmaker alleged that Hegseth had breached the War Powers Resolution of 1973 and disregarded congressional instructions to end US military involvement in the Iran conflict.
He also accused the Defence Secretary of failing to comply with laws aimed at reducing civilian casualties and of authorising or supervising extrajudicial strikes against suspected drug traffickers, Xinhua news agency reported.
Massie further alleged that Hegseth had misused the powers of his office by retaliating against critics of the Trump administration who were exercising their right to free speech.
The impeachment effort comes as the war, now in its seventh month, faces growing opposition among the American public. The declining support has increased pressure on Republican lawmakers, although it remains uncertain how many members of the party will back Massie’s proposal along with Democrats.
The move followed a report by The Hill that the Pentagon had told Congress last month that the cost of the war had exceeded $42 billion. The figure was reportedly $4.5 billion higher than the Defence Department’s previous public estimate.
The House is expected to consider Massie’s proposal by Thursday, leaving lawmakers limited time to debate it before the chamber adjourns later this week for its customary autumn recess ahead of the November midterm elections.
Massie’s resolution marks the second impeachment effort against Hegseth. House Democrats had introduced a separate resolution containing six articles of impeachment in April.
The White House has defended the Defence Secretary. Attorney General Todd Blanche backed Hegseth on Tuesday, saying he was “doing a phenomenal job”.
(Inputs from IANS)