Jeffries Is a 'Hard Yes' on Impeaching Hegseth as Democrats Plan Vote

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has thrown his support behind impeaching Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying he is a "hard yes" on a resolution that could reach the House floor as early as this week.

Speaking on ABC's This Week on Sunday, Jeffries accused Hegseth of abusing his power and of driving the United States into a war with Iran that he described as reckless and costly. "The so-called Secretary of Defence has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran, which has skyrocketed prices on the American people and made the country less safe," he said. (Source: Bloomberg)

The impeachment effort is being led by Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, who plans to reintroduce a privileged resolution to impeach Hegseth as early as Monday. Under House rules, a privileged resolution must be scheduled for a floor vote within two legislative days. Massie has already filed eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, including a charge that he violated the War Powers Resolution of 1973. (Source: Al Jazeera)

Jeffries said House Democrats would discuss the resolution when they convene on Tuesday for the first time since winning both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections on 3 November. "Pete Hegseth has got to go," he said, adding that he believed "there will be incredibly strong support for that resolution." (Source: CNBC TV18)

The move matters because it would be the first major test of how Democrats intend to use their new congressional majorities. Jeffries is poised to become Speaker of the House in January after his party's sweeping midterm victory, and the impeachment push signals a confrontational approach to the Trump administration from the outset. It also puts Hegseth, one of the administration's most prominent figures, at the centre of a partisan fight over a war that Democrats say helped cost Republicans the midterms. (Source: The Economic Times)

The impeachment effort comes alongside a broader oversight push. Representative Robert Garcia of California, set to lead the House Oversight Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, set to lead the Senate Banking Committee, have vowed aggressive investigations into the administration, including Elon Musk's role in the Department of Government Efficiency and Stephen Miller's part in the immigration crackdown. Jeffries also said Democrats would seek to end the conflict with Iran when they take control of Congress in January. (Source: The Times of India)

Hegseth has dismissed the impeachment push. In a video response, he called it "all about the politics of personal destruction" and said it "won't work with me", describing the articles as a sham. Massie, for his part, has said he believes the measure has better than a 50 per cent chance of passing. (Source: CNN)

What happens next depends on the coming days. If Massie introduces the privileged resolution on Monday, the House will be forced to act on it within two legislative days, setting up a vote that would test support across both parties. House Democrats are due to hold their first post-election meeting on Tuesday, where the resolution will be discussed. The outcome is uncertain: the resolution needs majority support in the House, and while Democrats now hold the chamber after the midterms, it is not yet clear how many Republicans would join them. (Source: BBC)

This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and verified against multiple independent sources.