Hegseth Set to Face House Removal Vote on November 9

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces a scheduled vote in the House of Representatives on November 9 to remove him from office. The date falls one week after the midterm elections, when the House is set to return to session.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment in September. He accused the defense secretary of abusing his office by ordering hostilities against Iran without approval from Congress. Massie intends to force the vote shortly after lawmakers return to Washington.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries indicated that Democrats are preparing their own push. Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month, Jeffries said the party would run Hegseth out of town if they secure a majority. Other Democratic lawmakers have used similar language. Rep. Pramila Jayapal called Hegseth incompetent and corrupt in a CNN interview. Rep. Jared Huffman described him as an unhinged fanatic who should be impeached.

The move to remove the secretary comes while Hegseth’s recent travel draws attention. He held a secret meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda air base on Monday. This occurred days before Israel’s election. Hegseth confirmed the visit to Reuters but did not provide details about their conversation. According to KAN News, Iran was the primary topic of discussion.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz attended the meeting. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior Israeli officials were not invited. The source cited confidentiality reasons for limiting the attendees.

The House will vote on the removal resolution on November 9. No other specific dates for related procedural steps have been announced yet.