Can Congress impeach a Cabinet secretary?

What the Constitution says

Article I gives the House the sole power of impeachment and the Senate the sole power to try impeachments. Article II, Section 4 refers to the president, vice president and all civil officers of the United States. Cabinet secretaries are executive-branch civil officers, so their offices are not categorically exempt from impeachment.

As the Senate’s institutional history explains, the House generally adopts articles by simple majority. The Senate then hears a trial and needs a two-thirds vote of members present to convict. Conviction results in removal, while a separate disqualification consequence may also be considered. This is distinct from ordinary political criticism, an investigation, the filing of proposed articles or a procedural vote.

William Belknap: Secretary of War, 1876

William Belknap served as Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant. Amid allegations concerning payments related to the appointment of military post traders, Belknap resigned shortly before the House impeached him on March 2, 1876. The Senate later acquitted him. His case is important partly because it raised a jurisdictional question about trying a former official, but it should not be treated as a holding that any future Cabinet secretary must be convicted or acquitted.

See the House’s historical account and the Senate case list.

Alejandro Mayorkas: Secretary of Homeland Security, 2024

In 2024, the House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Senate subsequently dismissed the charges without conducting a full impeachment trial, after finding the articles unconstitutional. The result was not a Senate conviction or a removal from office. The case shows the distinction between a successful House impeachment vote and the Senate’s separate handling of a case.

Source: U.S. Senate impeachment cases.

Where the Hegseth measures fit

The 2026 Hegseth proposals are proposed articles against another Cabinet secretary; they are not proof of misconduct or themselves a House judgment. Rep. Thomas Massie presented an eight-article proposal and renewed it on November 9. Separately, Rep. Yassamin Ansari introduced a six-article H.Res. 1177 in April. The administration and Hegseth contest the claims. A pending or procedurally disposed resolution is not equivalent to an impeachment conviction.

For the document record, see the comparison of the two Hegseth resolutions; for the current procedural status, use the House Clerk rather than a static summary that may become outdated.

Frequently asked questions

Does filing impeachment articles mean someone was impeached?

No. Filing proposes charges. Impeachment occurs if the House adopts articles. A separate Senate trial follows only if the case is transmitted and taken up.

Does impeachment automatically remove a Cabinet secretary?

No. House impeachment and Senate conviction are distinct stages. Belknap was acquitted; Mayorkas's articles were dismissed in the Senate.

Must a Cabinet secretary be accused of an ordinary criminal offense?

No specific criminal conviction is required to introduce or adopt articles. “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” is a constitutional standard whose application has been debated historically. The House and Senate each exercise constitutional responsibilities in the impeachment process. Senate background.

What is the difference between tabling a proposal and voting on an article?

Tabling addresses whether a measure proceeds; an article vote addresses whether the House adopts a particular impeachment charge. The precise vote question appears in the Clerk’s official record.

Read next: How the procedural process works · Massie’s eight allegations · Official document library.