GOP House rejects Hegseth impeachment effort

• But the reprieve is probably short-lived: Democrats are all but guaranteed to force the issue again when they retake majorities in the House and Senate in January.

• The vote to refer the impeachment measure back to committee passed 211-204, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the measure's sponsor, the lone GOP "no" vote.

Driving the news: Massie forced a procedural vote on his resolution to impeach Hegseth, alleging he has defied Congress and illegally continued the U.S. war in Iran.

• The Trump administration has been vehemently defending Hegseth, including through a statement opposing the impeachment effort issued shortly before the vote.
• "Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes? The question is absurd and the answer is: obviously not," Vance said Tuesday on X.

"Like so much of Congress, impeachment has become a ridiculous show that stands in for actual policymaking. Congress has so many tools for registering its policy disagreements," Vance added.

• Axios' Marc Caputo and Alex Isenstadt previously reported that Hegseth is on "thin ice" with Trump officials.

Between the lines: Republican leaders protected their members from having to go on record on the politically difficult issue before Election Day after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent lawmakers home early to campaign.

What's next: Tuesday's vote effectively kills any effort to impeach Hegseth this Congress.