Hegseth in crosshairs as Congress returns

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It’s Monday. And while it might feel chilly in the Washington area, things are heating up on Capitol Hill with lawmakers back from a weeks-long recess.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth finds himself in lawmakers’ sights as GOP Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) is poised to kick off the lame-duck session by reintroducing articles of impeachment against the Pentagon chief.

Massie, who will soon leave Congress after losing his primary earlier this year, first launched the impeachment effort in September, accusing Hegseth of “high crimes and misdemeanors.” He is expected to reintroduce the resolution Monday afternoon.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who is likely to rise to the Speaker role come January, already said Sunday he is a “ hard yes ” on voting to impeach the Defense secretary. Jeffries was previously noncommittal on the resolution.

Hegseth, speaking Monday at the Naval War College, told reporters he’s not worried about the impeachment effort, adding that the move is part of the “partisan political games Democrats have been playing for a very long time.”

He also announced that he would hold a press conference on Tuesday.

Why is Hegseth in hot water?: The Pentagon chief has long been the subject of harsh criticism from lawmakers, including Republicans like Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.). The articles in Massie’s September resolution included charges tied to the Iran war and the U.S. military’s killings of alleged drug traffickers.

What are the chances he is impeached?: If lame-duck Republican lawmakers with nothing to lose decide to vote with likely every Democrat to impeach Hegseth, there’s a chance the resolution will pass the House.

GOP Rep. French Hill (Ark.), asked during a Sunday interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation” whether he supports impeaching Hegseth, did not give a direct answer. But he noted he is not satisfied with how the Iran war has been handled. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who has repeatedly been critical of the Defense chief, told Fox News that he is “weighing” whether Hegseth’s actions are impeachable.

Regardless, it is unlikely there will be enough votes to convict Hegseth in the Senate, with Republicans still in the majority for the next two months.

Who is defending Hegseth?: President Trump has stood behind his Defense secretary. Stephen Miller , Trump’s new chief of staff, also has Hegseth’s back, a senior administration official told NewsNation .

Lawmakers have a long to-do list to accomplish before the holiday recess and the start of the 120th Congress in January.

A big item on the agenda concerns whether lawmakers can pass a stopgap government funding measure or complete work on all 12 appropriations bills before the Dec. 11 deadline. The jockeying for House Republican leadership is also heating up, with Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Steve Scalise (R-La.) throwing their names in the hat to succeed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and lead the House GOP.

In the Senate, a procedural vote is expected Monday on a permitting reform bill that seeks to make it easier to build energy and other infrastructure projects more quickly.

Learn more about what Congress has planned for the next few weeks in the latest edition of This Week on the Hill from Sudiksha Kochi , for Insiders.

➤ SOME REPUBLICANS PUSH TO DELAY LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS:

Sen. Dave McCormick (Pa.) has joined a group of Senate Republicans calling for the caucus to delay its leadership elections, which are scheduled for Tuesday.

He said the Senate GOP should first digest and debate “the lessons of the midterms and how to move forward,” calling Republicans’ massive midterm losses the worst result for the party “in decades.”

Senate Budget Committee Chair Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Senate Steering Committee Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) have also called for the caucus to postpone the leadership elections.

Regardless of when the elections happen, there might not be much drama: Senate Republican Leader John Thune (S.D.) is expected to be reelected easily, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports.

Vice President Vance ‘s road to the White House in 2028 is looking a little bumpier after Republicans’ midterm drubbing .

Vance wasted little time pointing fingers at the Iran war, writing in a lengthy social media post last week: “The reason we lost is the war.”

The president backed up his No. 2 on Sunday, saying the vice president was “right,” even as he acknowledged that “a lot of people didn’t like his comments.” But Trump had one gripe: He should have made clear that the war was worth it, election losses and all.

A wrinkle in time : Vance is still a leading contender for the GOP nomination in 2028, but his path is no longer looking quite so straightforward. Trump has not signaled whether he will endorse him, and potential rivals like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are already eyeing their own openings.

Vance himself? He’s still undecided about running.

DeSantis seized the postmidterm moment, calling the election results an “extinction-level event” for Republicans.

Cruz also hasn’t ruled out another presidential bid, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio is attracting attention as a top contender, though the State Department has denied reports he’s preparing to step down from his leadership role.

Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is also on the list, but he’s been less eager to jump into the 2028 conversation.

🔍 Dive deeper here with The Hill’s Mallory Wilson .

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is at the center of a growing controversy over his reported relationship with a woman suspected of spying for China.

The latest: Nvidia’s board announced Sunday it is launching an independent investigation into the allegations. The company said it has no reason to believe national security or corporate secrets were compromised and expressed confidence in Huang’s leadership.

The tech mogul has acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, but questions remain about whether the reported relationship exposed sensitive company information.

Trump weighs in : The president defended the executive amid the scrutiny on Sunday, calling him an “honorable guy” who has done an “amazing job for our country.” Trump added that he had not discussed the allegations with Huang and suggested he would still be willing to bring the CEO on an upcoming trip to Asia.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have requested a closed-door briefing with Huang as questions mount over the security of sensitive U.S. technology, including AI chips.

🏈 The college sports bill that would shield the NCAA from certain antitrust lawsuits is running out of time. A packed lame-duck agenda and opposition from incoming House leadership could leave the legislation on the sidelines. Insiders can learn more here from The Hill’s Dominick Mastrangelo .

🥊 Trump says he was “only kidding” about offering UFC boss Dana White the White House press secretary job, calling the suggestion “just a little fun.”

💻 Democrats’ midterm sweep has AI safety advocates feeling hopeful that a new crop of lawmakers could finally break Washington’s gridlock on regulating the technology. Insiders can read more here about five of the people to watch from The Hill’s Miranda Nazzaro .

💸Tesla CEO Elon Musk ’s political clout is facing a fresh test after the GOP’s midterm losses, with his business empire potentially facing new scrutiny in Texas and D.C.. poured more than $440 million into the elections, with little to show for it.

🌎 Democrats are also preparing to reshape U.S. foreign policy when they take control of Congress, with the Iran war, Trump’s tariffs and investigations into his administration topping their agenda. The Hill’s Laura Kelly lays out the top priorities here for Insiders.

The New York Times : Here Are the Difficult Options Trump Is Weighing to Resolve the War in Iran

ProPublica : Lawyers in This State Are Allowed to Ghost Clients for Years. Why Don’t More Judges Stop Them?

Politico : Hakeem Jeffries has a choice to make: Will he work with Trump? The Washington Post : Trump talked with Fed chief, but there’s no record of it on Warsh’s calendar

The House and Senate are back. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST)

12:30 p.m.: Trump participates in a series of policy meetings.

🐔 Celebrate : Today is National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day ! Whether you like Popeyes or Chick-fil-A better — or prefer a sesame or brioche bun. Today is the perfect day to grab a chicken sandwich.

⚖️ Just in: British comedian and actor Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison following his recent conviction on rape and sexual assault charges.

Sometimes another week comes around, and you feel in a daze. But when it’s time to face the music, just bust a move. If this ostrich can do it , you can too!

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