House set for Nov. 9 vote to remove Defense Secretary

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has set a target date of Nov. 9 for a House vote to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The session begins the day after the midterm elections conclude, placing the procedural deadline squarely in the hands of the incoming chamber composition.

Massie filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September. The Republican representative accused the secretary of abusing his office by executing an order for hostilities against Iran without prior approval from Congress. Massie intends to force the floor vote shortly after lawmakers return to Washington.

Democratic leaders have signaled a similar intent should they gain control of the House. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told a Pennsylvania crowd earlier this month that one of the first actions of a new majority would be to run Hegseth out of town. Other Democratic voices have been equally direct in their assessments of the secretary.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal described Hegseth as incompetent and frankly corrupt during a CNN interview. Rep. Jared Huffman labeled him an unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office. These comments underscore the bipartisan momentum building around the removal effort.

The push for impeachment coincides with scrutiny over Hegseth’s recent overseas movements. The defense secretary held a covert meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Israel’s Ovda air base on Monday. This took place days before Israel’s national election, a timing that drew immediate attention from observers.

Reuters reported that Hegseth confirmed the visit occurred but declined to elaborate on the specifics of the conversation. According to KAN News, the main topic of discussion was Iran. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly attended the sit-down, while IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior Israeli officials were excluded for confidentiality reasons.