House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday, Nov. 8, that he will support a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, NBC News reported. “I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,” the New York Democrat said on ABC’s “This Week,” according to NBC News. A vote is expected this week, NBC News reported.
Related: Hegseth Calls Impeachment Push a “Sham” as House Returns Monday.
What Jeffries said
Jeffries accused Hegseth of abusing his power and undermining national security. He said Hegseth “engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran,” according to NBC News. “Pete Hegseth has got to go,” Jeffries added.
In an NPR interview published Friday, Jeffries called for Hegseth’s removal but stopped short of backing impeachment. “I don’t want to get out ahead of the caucus,” he told NPR at the time.
Asked Sunday whether all House Democrats would support the resolution, Jeffries said they would “have that conversation Tuesday morning,” NBC News reported.
Where the resolution stands
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is leading the push. He has threatened to force a House vote on eight articles of impeachment unless Hegseth resigns, NPR reported. NPR said the charges include a claim that the administration failed to properly consult Congress on the Iran war.
Massie filed an earlier resolution in September, NBC News reported. Republican leaders canceled planned votes and the House left early, which pushed the matter past the election, according to NBC News. Massie said last week he plans to force the vote, CBS News reported.
The resolution is expected to be filed early this week, with a vote to follow, NBC News reported. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., introduced a separate impeachment resolution in April. She said Sunday, “Let’s get this to the floor and voted on this week,” according to NBC News.
Republican response
Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., was noncommittal on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “I want to hear the debate on it to see if it merits impeachment versus some other disciplinary action,” Hill said, according to CBS News.
Hill drew a line between job performance and impeachable conduct. “If you don’t think he’s done a good job conducting his job, that doesn’t mean per se that he’s committed an impeachable offense,” he said.
Hill said he is not satisfied with how the Iran war has been handled, CBS News reported. He also said the president should make a change if Hegseth is not carrying out his mission properly.
What Hegseth and Trump have said
Hegseth referred to Massie in a social media video last week as a “disgruntled, defeated congressman,” NBC News reported. “It’s all about the politics of personal destruction,” Hegseth said in the video.
NBC News reported last week that President Donald Trump told allies he was considering replacing Hegseth. Trump publicly denied that he plans to do so and told reporters Hegseth was “doing a very good job,” according to NBC News.
Massie said on social media last week that his resolution is “a much gentler version of what’s coming when Dem’s control Congress,” NBC News reported.
What happens next
Congress returned Monday for the final weeks of the current session, NPR reported. Republicans still hold both chambers until Democrats take control in January. NPR reported the House is likely to vote on the impeachment effort.
The dispute comes as lawmakers face a Dec. 11 government funding deadline and an unresolved annual defense policy bill, according to NPR. Associated Press reporting carried by PBS said Democrats have also made clear that impeachment is an option in the next Congress.
Follow the votes on our Congress Tracker and read our earlier report on the lame-duck session. More coverage is on our Politics & Government page.
Sources
- NBC News: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says he’s a ‘hard yes’ on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
- CBS News: GOP Rep. French Hill says he’ll weigh whether Hegseth’s actions merit “impeachment versus some other disciplinary action”
- NPR: Congress is coming back to Washington. Here’s what to expect
- NPR: ‘He’s got to go’: Hakeem Jeffries calls for Hegseth’s removal but stops short of impeachment
- PBS News (Associated Press): Trump and his Justice Department stand defiant as Democrats ready an investigative blitz
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