How to Impeach a Cabinet Secretary, Step by Step, and Who Is Facing It Now

To impeach a Cabinet secretary, a majority of the House must approve articles of impeachment, and to remove that secretary, two-thirds of the senators present must vote to convict. Between those two votes sit a Judiciary Committee review, a team of House “managers,” and a Senate trial. The process is the same one used for presidents, because the Constitution covers “all civil Officers of the United States.”

Where it stands: As of Oct. 26, 2026, House Democrats had filed at least eight impeachment resolutions against Trump Cabinet-level officials in the 119th Congress, and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed another against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in September. Every one was referred to the Judiciary Committee. None has advanced in the Republican-controlled House.

Who can Congress impeach besides the president?

Any “civil Officer” of the United States, which in practice includes Cabinet secretaries. The removal clause in Article II reads: “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

What counts as “high Crimes and Misdemeanors” is not defined. The Senate’s own guide says the phrase “was not specified in the Constitution and has long been the subject of debate.” That means an impeachment article is a political charge brought by House members. It is not a criminal indictment, and it does not need to allege a statutory crime.

Only two Cabinet secretaries have ever been impeached, according to the House historian: “William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro N. Mayorkas in 2024.”

How do you impeach a cabinet secretary? The House steps

The House Office of the Historian lays out the path. Each step needs a House majority, which is why a party in the minority can file resolutions but cannot move them.

1. A resolution or an inquiry. “Often, the process begins when a lawmaker introduces an impeachment resolution, or when the House initiates proceedings by passing a resolution authorizing an inquiry.”
2. Committee review. “The Committee on the Judiciary ordinarily has jurisdiction over impeachments.” The committee decides whether to report articles to the full House.
3. A floor vote. Articles pass by simple majority of members voting.
4. Managers. “If the articles are adopted (by simple majority vote), the House appoints Members by resolution to manage the ensuing Senate trial on its behalf. These managers act as prosecutors in the Senate and have historically been members of the Judiciary Committee.”

Any member can also try to force a floor vote by offering a resolution as privileged, as Rep. Al Green did three times against President Trump. The majority can then move to table it, which is what happened each time.

What happens in the Senate trial?

The Senate acts as the court. In the Senate’s words, it “sits as a High Court of Impeachment to consider evidence, hear witnesses, and vote to acquit or convict the impeached official.”

Conviction takes a supermajority. The Constitution says no person “shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.” If convicted, the punishment is limited to “removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States.”

Disqualification is a separate vote. The Constitution Annotated notes that “Senate practice since the Humphreys case has been to require a simple majority vote to disqualify an individual from holding future office,” while adding that “it is unclear what justifies this result beyond historical practice.”

Impeachment does not replace a criminal case. The same clause says a convicted official “shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.” Prosecution is a separate decision for prosecutors, not Congress.

What does the Mayorkas case show?

It shows that a House majority can impeach and a Senate majority can end the case without a trial. On Feb. 13, 2024, a Republican majority voted to impeach Mayorkas, then running Homeland Security. The House historian’s list records the charges as “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and breach of public trust.”

The Democratic-led Senate did not hold a trial. The same list records the outcome: “Considered on April 17, 2024; No trial held Charges dismissed as unconstitutional.” That precedent cuts both ways in 2027. A Democratic House could impeach a Trump Cabinet member, and a Republican Senate majority could dispose of the articles quickly.

Which Trump Cabinet officials face impeachment resolutions?

The resolutions below were filed by individual members and referred to the Judiciary Committee. Each one is an accusation by its sponsors. None has been adopted by the House, and none is a finding of wrongdoing.

Two of those officials are no longer in the posts named. The National News Desk reported in April on “the ousting of Pam Bondi as attorney general and Kristi Noem as the Homeland Security secretary.” Whether Congress can still act against someone who has left office is a separate question, covered in our explainer on impeaching former officials.

What are the Hegseth resolutions about, and what does the Pentagon say?

Hegseth has drawn the most resolutions. Ansari’s April resolution includes an article on the Signal chat; The Hill reported that it “refers to the use of the Signal app on his personal cell phone to discuss a pending strike on Houthi targets in Yemen.” Reports put her article count at five or six.

The Hill also reported that the Pentagon inspector general “determined in a report that Hegseth jeopardized troop safety and violated department policy,” and that the Defense Department called that report a “total exoneration” for Hegseth. A Pentagon statement on the impeachment push called it “just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War.”

The push is not only Democratic. Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced a resolution accusing Hegseth of “engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization,” The National News Desk reported. His resolution has eight articles.

The sources we reviewed carried no response from Kennedy, McMahon or Vought to the resolutions naming them. All resolutions filed in this Congress expire when it ends in January 2027; a new House would have to start again. Our look at what Democratic leaders say about impeachment covers whether they intend to, and the full resolution list includes those against the president and federal judges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Congress impeach a cabinet secretary?

Yes. Article II makes every federal civil officer impeachable, and Cabinet secretaries fall in that group. Two have been impeached: William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024.

How many votes does it take to remove a cabinet member?

A majority of House members voting adopts the articles. To remove the official, two-thirds of senators present must vote guilty. Disqualification from future office has been decided by simple majority under Senate practice.

What happened to the Mayorkas impeachment?

Mayorkas was impeached by the House in February 2024. The Senate held no trial and dismissed the charges as unconstitutional in April 2024.

Which Trump cabinet members have impeachment resolutions against them?

Resolutions have been filed against Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Linda McMahon and Russell Vought. Each went to the Judiciary panel, where it has stayed. They are accusations by their sponsors, not findings.

Does impeachment mean criminal charges?

No. Impeachment is a political process that can lead only to removal and disqualification. The Constitution says a convicted official can still face criminal prosecution separately, which is up to prosecutors.

Sources

• The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription — National Archives, text of 1787
• Impeachment — U.S. House of Representatives, History, Art & Archives, accessed October 26, 2026
• About Impeachment — U.S. Senate, accessed October 26, 2026
• List of Individuals Impeached by the House of Representatives — U.S. House of Representatives, History, Art & Archives, accessed October 26, 2026
• Judgment in Cases of Impeachment: Doctrine and Practice — Constitution Annotated (CRS), via LII, accessed October 26, 2026
• H.Res. 935 (Introduced in House) — U.S. Government Publishing Office, December 9, 2025
• H.Res. 944 (Introduced in House) — U.S. Government Publishing Office, December 10, 2025
• H.Res. 996 (Introduced in House) — U.S. Government Publishing Office, January 14, 2026
• H.Res. 1105 (Introduced in House) — U.S. Government Publishing Office, March 4, 2026
• H.Res. 1119 (Introduced in House) — U.S. Government Publishing Office, March 17, 2026
• H.Res. 1177 (Introduced in House) — U.S. Government Publishing Office, April 15, 2026
• H.Res. 1391 (Introduced in House) — U.S. Government Publishing Office, June 25, 2026
• H.Res. 1479 (Introduced in House) — U.S. Government Publishing Office, August 6, 2026
• House Democrats file 5 impeachment articles against Hegseth — The Hill, reposted by Rep. Dave Min, April 2026
• House Democrats to introduce 5 articles of impeachment against Hegseth — The National News Desk, via NewsChannel 9, April 2026
• GOP Rep. Thomas Massie moves to impeach Pete Hegseth over Iran war — The National News Desk, via KATV, September 15, 2026

This article is news reporting and analysis based on the public sources listed above, as they stood on the dates shown. Where officials, lawmakers or analysts disagree, including on whether an action is lawful, their positions are attributed to them; Donald Trump Class Action is not a court and nothing here is legal advice. Facts in a developing story can change.