House GOP rejects impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as Jordan and Thune win top leadership roles

Republican members of Congress began consolidating new leadership roles on Nov. 10, selecting Rep. Jim Jordan as the top House Republican and re-electing Sen. John Thune as the Senate GOP leader, as disputes over the next legislative and oversight steps continued into the same day, according to reporting by PBS NewsHour and other outlets.

Multiple outlets reported that House Republicans rejected or blocked a proposed impeachment effort targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with the effort failing to advance to a full House vote on articles of impeachment introduced by supporters of the measure.

PBS NewsHour reported that after a long day of discussions, the House did not proceed with the impeachment action, framing the decision alongside the House and Senate leadership elections and the start of a new power configuration in Washington.

In the Senate, outlets reported Thune’s re-election by Republican conference members as GOP leader, keeping him in the top post as the conference sets priorities for the remainder of the 119th Congress.

In the House, outlets reported Jordan’s selection as House Republican leader, shifting the top GOP role in the chamber to a figure who had previously been a prominent committee and investigative presence in past Congresses, and positioning House Republicans to organize the chamber’s agenda for oversight and any future votes tied to the administration.

While the impeachment effort described by outlets did not reach a House vote on articles of impeachment on Nov. 10, the practical next steps depend on whether any revised articles are introduced and scheduled for consideration in the House under the chamber’s procedural rules and leadership direction.

Further developments would also hinge on how Senate Republicans respond to any future House action, since the Constitution assigns different roles to the House and Senate in impeachment proceedings, with the Senate required to conduct any subsequent trial if impeachment is actually approved by the House and transmitted to the Senate.