House Set to Vote to Impeach Hegseth. and, SCOTUS Allows Border Wall Work to Proceed - NPR

House Impeachment Vote Set

The House is set to vote this week on a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to reporting from npr.org.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, reintroduced articles of impeachment on Monday, accusing Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors.

The eight specific charges break down into military and operational actions. Among them are three counts of launching unauthorized military actions against Iran, a single count regarding the disregard of regulations meant to reduce non-combatant deaths, another single count centered on directing the extrajudicial elimination of suspected drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean, and one final count involving the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro lacking legislative approval.

Hegseth has called the articles a sham.

Only a few Republicans need to support impeachment in the House for it to pass, NPR reported. That outcome would push the process to a Senate trial. Removing Hegseth from the Pentagon requires 67 senators, a threshold that remains challenging even after Democrats take control.

Massie told reporters he believes it is possible. Opposition to the war in his fellow Republicans’ home states could convince them to get on board, according to Massie’s remarks cited by npr.org.

Border Wall Work Proceeds

Yesterday, the nation’s highest court granted approval for the Trump administration to move forward with proposals aiming to construct numerous miles of security barriers and infrastructure along the border in west Texas. The decision was issued despite ongoing court hearings.

The plan has faced bipartisan backlash for its involvement of Big Bend National Park, a cherished area known for its canyons and desert landscape. Within a five-page ruling, the justices maintained that the federal judge who had previously halted the project through an injunction possessed no legal standing to interfere.