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A Republican representative in the US Congress is seeking to put Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to a vote in the House of Representatives this week, against the backdrop of accusations that he violated the US Constitution.
“By continuing military operations against Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is violating the law and must be held accountable,” Representative Thomas Massie said.
These efforts are likely to fail, as Republicans maintain control of Congress until next January, but Massey says that the goal of his move is to push President Donald Trump to replace Hegseth before the Democrats begin their impeachment procedures.
Hegseth described efforts to remove him as a "farce" and defended his performance in office.
“They are attacking me and us because we are achieving results, but it will not work, and we will not back down,” Hegseth said in a video statement last week.
He described Massey as a "frustrated member of Congress who lost the election," stressing that he is not concerned about efforts to isolate him.
In the video, Hegseth defended his leadership of the Ministry of Defense, reviewing what he said were achievements in implementing Trump's agenda based on the slogan "America First."
On Monday afternoon, Massey officially presented a draft resolution containing accusations requiring Hegseth's removal before the House of Representatives, giving the House 48 hours to consider it, and lawmakers can vote directly on the resolution, refer it to a committee, or set it aside.
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“I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do,” Massey told reporters after presenting the project.
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Massie, who lost his re-election election earlier this year, has been one of the most prominent critics of Trump and the war on Iran since it broke out about nine months ago. He also previously attracted media attention by demanding that the Trump administration disclose files related to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in prison.
The Kentucky representative filed impeachment charges against Hegseth for the first time in September, before he brought them up again after Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in last week's midterm elections.
Massie said his move aims to avoid what he described as a "political parade" that Democrats may organize next year after they take control of Congress.
He expressed his hope to push Trump to name a replacement for Hegseth, whose appointment could be approved quickly while Republicans still control both chambers.
He added in a statement: “My effort to impeach Secretary Hegseth is a much more moderate version of what will happen when Democrats take control of the House and Senate next year, as they will hold hearings and trials.”
The Democratic leadership had shown openness to taking steps to remove Hegseth after assuming control of Congress in January.
When Hegseth was asked about these efforts on Monday, he replied: “We are not concerned about that,” adding that he intends to hold a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
Impeachment of a member of the US government is a rare procedure, as it requires the impeachment of the charges in the House of Representatives, then the conviction of the official in the Senate to remove him from office.
The House of Representatives had voted twice to impeach Trump in preparation for his removal during his first presidential term, but the Senate acquitted him in both trials, and he was not removed from office.
As in impeachment proceedings, the House of Representatives must first vote on the charges against Hegseth, before the Senate holds a trial to determine whether to convict or acquit him.
Throughout its history, the US House of Representatives has only voted to remove two members of the government, and the Senate has not condemned any of them.
Paul Gauder, a law professor at Northwestern University in Chicago, said impeachment procedures were "extremely rare," but they have become more common since the House of Representatives voted to impeach former President Bill Clinton in 1998.
He added that resorting to these measures increased with the escalation of political polarization in the country, expecting that a number of other Trump government ministers will face attempts to be removed during the next two years.
Massey told reporters that he is not sure that the draft resolution has sufficient support to pass it, and the resolution needs a majority of votes in the House of Representatives, and even if it gains the support of all Democrats, it is likely that it will also need the votes of some Republicans, given the small majority that the party enjoys.
But Peter Logue, a professor of public affairs at George Washington University, told the BBC that he believes the resolution's passage is likely because of the narrow gap between the two parties.
He added: "There are enough angry Republicans, and more Republican representatives than the required number may be absent from the vote."
The House of Representatives currently includes 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats.
While approval of impeachment charges in the House of Representatives requires a simple majority, conviction in the Senate requires the approval of two-thirds of members, a percentage that is difficult to achieve during the current session of Congress.
When Democrats take control of the Senate in January, they are expected to hold at least 54 seats in the Senate, with the results of two election races remaining undecided due to close votes.
60 votes will be required to convict and remove the official from office.
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