Rep. Gabe Vasquez Statement on Impeachment of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On November 10, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) released the below statement following his vote in support of advancing articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. 

“I stand with my colleagues who supported these Republican-led articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. Under Hegseth’s failed leadership, America has been dragged into a senseless war with Iran for more than eight months, costing taxpayers over $100 billion dollars with no clear strategy to bring it to an end,” said Vasquez. “Americans deserve a Secretary of Defense who puts the safety of our citizens and troops, our national security, and America's standing in the world above all else. Instead, Hegseth has repeatedly failed the American people by disregarding the Constitution, waging illegal wars without congressional authorization, and failing to uphold the rules of war meant to protect U.S. troops and innocent civilians in military operations.”

“Pete Hegseth should be removed, and I am disappointed that my Republican colleagues failed to listen to the American people tonight,” added Vasquez. “The American people deserve answers and accountability, and I will continue to use my position on the House Armed Services Committee to hold him accountable and focus on ending the war in Iran.”

The articles of impeachment against Hegseth failed 211-204 during a procedural vote Tuesday evening, preventing them from moving forward.

Pete Hegseth’s tenure as Secretary of Defense has been marked by a series of high-profile failures of leadership, including:

• Waging an unauthorized war against Iran, continuing military operations without congressional authorization. 
• Dismantling critical safeguards and disregarding the laws or war meant to protect innocent civilians during military operations. 
• Ignoring the law and proper due process while ordering deadly strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, including allegations of unlawful attacks on survivors and failures to rescue those left stranded at sea. 
• Retaliating against members of Congress for exercising their First Amendment rights, including efforts to punish Members of Congress after they reaffirmed servicemembers’duty to refuse unlawful orders. 

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