Washington:The US House of Representatives has decided to shelve an impeachment bid against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by referring the resolution to a Republican-led committee, thereby halting the effort to remove him from office.

According to Qatar News Agency, the House voted 211-204 to send the impeachment resolution, introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, to the House Judiciary Committee. This procedural action effectively ended the measure in the current Congress, preventing an immediate vote on whether to advance articles of impeachment against Hegseth.

Representative Massie was the only Republican who opposed the referral, while Democrats supported his effort to bring the impeachment resolution to the floor. The impeachment articles accuse Hegseth of actions including waging war against Iran without congressional authorization and violating laws designed to protect civilians.

The vote occurred a week after Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections. US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have attributed the Republican losses largely to voter dissatisfaction with the war in Iran and its impact on prices.