Massie to Force House Vote on Hegseth Removal on Nov. 9
The Kentucky Republican filed articles of impeachment in September, aiming to bring the measure to the floor the day after the midterm elections.
By Rafael Ortega ·
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky will attempt to force a House vote on removing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on November 9, according to a Wall Street Journal report. This date falls one day after the midterm elections and shortly after the House returns to session.
Massie filed articles of impeachment in September. He accused Hegseth of abusing his office by executing an order for hostilities against Iran without approval from Congress. Massie has stated he intends to trigger the vote immediately after the House reconvenes.
The move coincides with internal planning by House Democrats. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month that running Hegseth out of town would be a priority if Democrats take the majority. Jeffries said, "One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town."
Other Democratic lawmakers have voiced similar sentiments. Rep. Pramila Jayapal described Hegseth as "incompetent and, frankly, corrupt" during a CNN interview. Rep. Jared Huffman called him an "unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office."
Scrutiny of Hegseth intensified this week following reports of a secret meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hegseth met Netanyahu at Israel's Ovda air base on Monday, days before Israel's election. Hegseth confirmed the visit occurred but declined to provide details on the conversation. A KAN News report identified Iran as the main topic of discussion.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly attended the meeting. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior Israeli officials were not invited for confidentiality reasons. The meeting was confirmed by two sources to the Walla news outlet on Tuesday.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
