House Democrats prep Hegseth removal papers for post-midterm window
Lawmakers plan to move against the defense secretary if they take control of the chamber, while a Republican ally seeks a vote shortly after the November 9 return to session.
By Miguel Hernandez ·
House Democratic leaders have begun drafting articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The party intends to launch the formal removal process only if it secures a majority in the upcoming midterm elections. A report from The Wall Street Journal detailed the strategy on Friday.
The push follows a series of public statements by party leaders. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month that removing Hegseth would be a priority. "One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town," Jeffries said. Other Democrats have used sharper language. Representative Pramila Jayapal called the secretary "incompetent and, frankly, corrupt" in a recent interview with CNN. Representative Jared Huffman described him as an "unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office."
The initiative is not limited to the Democratic caucus. Republican Representative Thomas Massie filed his own articles of impeachment in September. Massie, a vocal critic of US support for Israel and the war in Iran, accused Hegseth of acting without congressional approval. He alleged the secretary ordered hostilities against Iran based on an executive decision. Massie plans to force a floor vote on the matter when the House returns to session on November 9, the week following the elections.
The political maneuvering coincides with recent diplomatic activity. Hegseth held a private meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. The session took place at Israel's Ovda air base, days before Israel's general election. Two sources confirmed the visit to local news outlet Walla on Tuesday. Reuters noted that Hegseth confirmed the meeting occurred but declined to share specifics about the conversation. According to KAN News, Iran was the central topic of discussion.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz attended the meeting. Senior IDF leaders, including Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, were excluded for confidentiality reasons. The timing of the visit has drawn attention to the defense secretary's overseas engagements.
The House schedule sets the near-term timeline for the impeachment effort. Lawmakers will return to Washington on November 9. Massie expects to table his resolution for a vote at that time. Democratic leadership will finalize its own articles of impeachment if it holds the chamber's majority after the November 3 vote.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
