Democrats and some Republicans set up post-election fight over Hegseth, Iran war funding

Congress is headed for a clash after Election Day over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Iran war and Ukraine, The Hill reports. Democrats want Hegseth fired and say they will not back more Pentagon money while the Iran fighting continues. Some Republicans, meanwhile, say President Trump must take a harder line on Russia to get the money he wants. ¹

The conflict with Iran is now eight months old. A senior Senate Democratic aide told The Hill, "There’s no world in which Democrats are funding the Iran war." ¹

Jeffries threatens impeachment

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York would likely become Speaker if Democrats win the House on Nov. 3. He said over the weekend that Hegseth could face impeachment if he is still in the job next year. ¹

Pete Hegseth needs to be pushed aside by the president, or we’re going to have to deal with that situation if he is not

Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said Hegseth "should have been fired multiple times." He pointed to Hegseth's plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan. Kelly said Hegseth leaving would help get the annual Pentagon policy and spending bills on track. ¹

From Channel GOPImpeachment vote: Why Republicans avoided the issueHakeem Jeffries · 1.4K plays · captioned, with the source named

The push is not only from Democrats. Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie said Monday on X that he would reintroduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth when Congress returns. ¹ In September, Massie filed articles saying Hegseth started the Iran war unlawfully and defied a congressional order to withdraw. ² Those are his allegations, not findings. A House vote was expected at that time, and Republicans had enough votes to defeat the measure. ²

The Pentagon rejects the criticism. Press secretary Kingsley Wilson called Hegseth "a transformative leader for the Department of War." ¹ The Trump administration uses that name for the Defense Department. ¹

The money and the Dec. 11 deadline

Senate Democrats plan to resist Trump's request for nearly $70 billion in emergency Pentagon funding. They also oppose the administration's total request of $1.5 trillion in defense funding for fiscal 2027. ¹

Congress must pass a continuing resolution, a stopgap spending bill, to keep agencies open past Dec. 11. ¹ Some Senate aides warn that a standoff over Pentagon funding could trigger a broader shutdown before Christmas. ¹ GOP strategist Brian Darling said Democrats could use the stopgap bill to make demands tied to the Iran war and Hegseth's future. ¹

Senate Republicans are discussing a third budget reconciliation package. Reconciliation is a special process that lets the Senate pass spending bills without Democratic votes. Republicans used it in July of last year for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and again this year for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol funding. ¹ Republicans are split on whether there is enough time in the lame-duck session, the weeks after the election before the new Congress starts. ¹

McConnell's Ukraine condition

Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican who chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense, wrote in The Wall Street Journal that Trump should work with both parties on regular appropriations. ¹

Ending the obeisance to Mr. Putin may be table stakes for the end-of-year legislation. The president should plan accordingly,

Even so, the Democratic aide said McConnell is "too rosy" about the chances of passing defense funding. Removing Hegseth would take 67 Senate votes, and the aide doubted Democrats could reach that. ¹

That matters because Congress holds the power of the purse and the power to declare war. The next few weeks will show whether lawmakers use that power over a war that is eight months old.

The Record

1. Sep 15, 2026Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war. ²
2. Oct 26, 2026Massie said on X that he would reintroduce the impeachment articles when Congress returns after the election. ¹
3. Dec 11, 2026Current federal funding runs out unless Congress passes a stopgap spending bill. ¹

Sources

1. The Hill, “Trump, Congress set to clash over Hegseth, Iran war, Ukraine after election” (2026-10-28). thehill.com/homenews/administration/6176148-trump-hegseth-de
2. NPR via St. Louis Public Radio, “Republican Rep. Massie moves to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth over Iran war” (2026-09-15). stlpr.org/npr/2026-09-15/republican-rep-massie-moves-to-impe

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