WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Republican Representative Thomas Massie on Monday unveiled articles of impeachment against U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over the U.S. war with Iran, just days after Republicans suffered major losses in midterm elections.
A House floor vote on the resolution is expected as soon as this week, according to earlier media reports.
The war against Iran, which began in late February, has become increasingly unpopular among the U.S. public, with some Republicans blaming it for the party's major losses in the midterm elections.
Massie, a longtime Trump critic who is leaving Congress at the end of the year, primary brought eight charges against Hegseth, asserting that Hegseth is violating three specific provisions of the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
"By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable," Massie said in a statement.
"Secretary Hegseth's constitutional violations extend beyond the illegal war in Iran. He is abusing the power of his office to ignore congressional war powers resolutions, to kidnap foreign leaders, and to intimidate critics of the Trump administration by retaliating against them for exercising free speech," Massie continued.
Trump had earlier criticized Democrats' calls to impeach Hegseth. "I think it's terrible. All they do is they talk about impeaching everybody," the president told reporters.
Hegseth said Monday he will hold a press conference Tuesday to address the matter. ■
