Massie Targets Hegseth as Congress Opens Lame Duck Session
A five-week session begins Monday with 109 incoming House freshmen facing a packed schedule that includes a government funding deadline and leadership elections.
By Anthony Foster ·
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican who lost his primary, is set to reintroduce a privileged resolution to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The move is expected to launch as early as Monday, the start of a five-week lame-duck session for Congress.
Massie’s resolution contains eight articles of impeachment. He accuses Hegseth of mishandling the war in Iran and pursuing a cultural agenda at the Pentagon. Hegseth responded in a video posted Thursday, comparing the effort to the two impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. He stated that a disgruntled, defeated congressman and his Democratic allies have dropped sham articles against him.
President Trump said on Thursday that he intends to keep Hegseth in his job. Several Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, have assessed that the Iran war contributed to the party’s midterm losses. Hegseth doubled down on the war and his Pentagon priorities in the same video.
The legislative calendar is crowded. House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to advance just one piece of legislation under a special rule next week. This limited approach has frustrated some members of his own conference, who previously criticized him for dismissing lawmakers for a six-week campaign trip instead of passing bills.
Massie is also driving another procedural fight. He has collected 216 signatures on a discharge petition for the Epstein Transparency Act II, targeting Attorney General Todd Blanche. He needs 218 signatures to force a floor vote. The bill would allow state attorneys general, victims, and members of Congress to sue the attorney general for withholding or redacting records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Blanche acknowledged mistakes in how the Justice Department handled the redaction of victim names. He testified on July 15 that the department immediately fixed issues once they were found. He took full responsibility for the errors but maintained that the department complied with the law.
Leadership elections are underway in both chambers. House Republicans will hold a contest between Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan for the next speaker. Speaker Johnson has announced he will not run. House Democrats are set to elect their leadership on Nov. 18, with Hakeem Jeffries expected to secure the speaker nomination. Senate Republicans will vote on their leaders in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday morning, while Senate Democrats have not yet set a date for their elections.
The House will seat 109 freshman members, the largest pre-convening class in nearly 100 years. At least 17 senators are leaving their seats. New members will undergo orientation starting Sunday. Lawmakers must pass the National Defense Authorization Act and a budget by Dec. 11 to avoid a government shutdown. They also need to reauthorize Section 702 of FISA and pass the expired Farm Bill.
