Washington Politics: Democrats Plan Hegseth Impeachment Vote for Nov. 9
House leaders signal intent to remove the Defense Secretary shortly after the midterm elections, a move supported by one Republican lawmaker who has already filed articles of impeachment.
By Marina Weber ·
House Democrats are preparing to force a vote on the removal of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The procedural step is scheduled for Nov. 9, the day after the midterm elections. This timing allows the party to act immediately if it secures control of the chamber.
Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, outlined this plan at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. He told supporters that the first priority for a Democratic majority would be to expel Hegseth from his post. Other Democratic members have used harsher language in recent media appearances. Rep. Pramila Jayapal called the secretary incompetent and corrupt during a CNN interview. Rep. Jared Huffman described him as an unhinged fanatic who needs to be impeached and removed.
The push for removal is not exclusively a Democratic effort. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September. Massie, a vocal critic of the war in Iran, accused the secretary of abusing his office. Specifically, he claimed Hegseth ordered hostilities against Iran without approval from Congress.
Massie intends to leverage these articles to force a floor vote when the House returns to session on Nov. 9. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that this timeline aligns with the broader Democratic strategy to act swiftly on personnel changes in the administration.
The political maneuvering occurs while Hegseth's recent overseas activities face scrutiny. The defense secretary held a private meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Ovda air base on Monday. This visit took place days before the Israeli national election. Two sources confirmed the meeting to Walla on Tuesday.
Hegseth confirmed the visit occurred but declined to detail the conversation. KAN News reported that the primary topic of discussion was Iran. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz attended the meeting. High-ranking Israeli military officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, were not invited to the session for reasons of confidentiality.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
