Hegseth removal vote targeted for Nov. 9 after Massie files articles

House members from both parties are moving to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from office, with a procedural vote scheduled for Nov. 9. The date falls the day after the midterm elections and the week the House returns to session. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment in September to trigger the timeline. He accuses Hegseth of abusing his office by ordering hostilities against Iran without congressional approval. Massie intends to force a vote on the removal shortly after the chamber reconvenes.

Democratic leadership is preparing to amplify the push if the party secures a majority in the upcoming election. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries outlined the plan at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. "One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town," Jeffries said. Other lawmakers have used stronger language in recent weeks. Rep. Pramila Jayapal called Hegseth "incompetent and, frankly, corrupt" during a CNN interview. Rep. Jared Huffman described him as an "unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office."

The political maneuvering coincides with a covert trip by Hegseth to Israel. The defense secretary met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda air base on Monday. The visit took place days before Israel's election. Hegseth confirmed the meeting took place but did not elaborate on the details of the conversation. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly attended the sit-down. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior Israeli officials were excluded for confidentiality reasons. Reports indicate the main topic of discussion was Iran.

The House will return to session on Nov. 9. Massie expects to place the impeachment articles on the calendar for an immediate vote. Democratic leadership has signaled it will prioritize the removal if it holds the chamber majority after the election. The process requires a simple majority in the House to pass articles of impeachment before any Senate trial can begin.