Exclusive: Some Democrats want to pump the brakes on Hegseth impeachment

This week’s attempt to impeach him came up short. Some top Democrats want to pump the brakes on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth next year after this week’s attempt came up short. “We have a very difficult set of decisions to make and I don’t think we should hastily make them,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the top Armed Services Democrat.

He worries the party could get stuck in internecine conflict after a sizable number of Democratic absences on the impeachment procedural vote caused hand-wringing this week, which could take attention away from cost-of-living issues that powered their midterm gains. “Strategically and tactically, what’s going to best advance our agenda? And I worry that what you saw yesterday is a preview of one of our biggest challenges,” Smith added. With plenty in the caucus pushing for a Hegseth impeachment, though, another lawmaker could force a vote next Congress — whether Democratic leaders want it or not.

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark told Democrats in a closed-door meeting Wednesday morning that the party had disappointed the American people by not having all of the members there for the impeachment vote, and that it was their job to show up for the people who sent them there, according to people familiar with her comments. Still, Democrats, including Clark, note that they likely couldn’t have won the vote, given the lack of GOP defections beyond Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who introduced the resolution.

Nearly a dozen Democrats missed the vote Tuesday referring the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee, with Democratic lawmakers blaming traffic and scheduling conflicts, among other issues. Looking ahead to the next Congress, top Democrats plan to conduct investigations into Hegseth on their own terms, rather than letting their hand be forced early. “I think we should do oversight and investigations under our own timetable, not Tom Massie’s,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Intelligence Committee Democrat.

“And I’d really like to see affordability stay at the center of the agenda.” Still, others wanted to keep impeachment in mind. “Everything’s on the table there. I don’t think there’s a single Democrat or a lot of Republicans that think that Hegseth is qualified for the job and has done the job well,” said Rep. Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., the top Foreign Affairs Committee Democrat.