House forced to vote on impeaching Hegseth, Trump meets Qatar's PM on Iran, Big Bend wall ruling
Rep. Thomas Massie forces a House vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump meets Qatar's prime minister as Iran talks stall, the Supreme Court lets Big Bend border wall work resume, the Dow jumps 1,104 points, and the College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced a privileged resolution with eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, the House's first session day after the midterms. The articles focus mainly on the Iran war and also cite U.S. strikes in Yemen, strikes on suspected drug boats, the operation to seize Nicolás Maduro, and retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly. Such resolutions must be considered within two legislative days, so a vote could come Wednesday at the latest. Leaders could move to table it or send it to committee. If the House impeaches Hegseth, the case would go to the Senate for a potential trial.
Supporters sayRep. Massie says that by engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said it is time for Hegseth to go.
Opponents sayHegseth calls impeachment "all about the politics of personal destruction" and says it "won't work with me." Speaker Mike Johnson warned against impeaching a Cabinet secretary during active military operations, saying "We don't impeach Cabinet secretaries for political gain or for cheap tricks." Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) called it an effort to scapegoat Hegseth. President Trump said Hegseth is "guilty of two things, basically winning two wars."
President Trump met Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, at the White House on Monday; Vice President JD Vance was also scheduled to meet him. Qatar has been a main mediator between Washington and Tehran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday he did not believe a breakthrough was close. Iran's proposal would end the U.S. blockade of its ports, lift some sanctions and halt bombing, in return for Iran ending its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; the U.S. has repeatedly rejected it.
The U.S. saysRubio called Iran's conditions "outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic" and said, "I wouldn't say we're on the verge of a breakthrough."
Iran saysPresident Masoud Pezeshkian said, "We favor dialogue and negotiations," but Iran would not surrender to coercion. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei called Iran's plan "the most reasonable offer on the table."
The Supreme Court on Monday, in an unsigned 8-1 order, paused a federal judge's order that had halted border wall construction in the Big Bend region of West Texas, which includes parts of Big Bend National Park. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson would have denied the government's request. The court said the government is "exceedingly likely to prevail" on its argument that the lower court lacked power to hear the claim. The order is temporary while the case continues.
The administration saysHomeland Security secretaries waived environmental laws to speed construction, calling the area "an area of high illegal entry"; the court cited "compelling interests" in border security and costs of nearly half a million dollars a day.
Challengers sayAn environmental group, a local river guide and a group formed to preserve a church argue the waivers are an extraordinary assertion of power and that work brings blasting, bulldozing and road building to an ecologically and culturally significant area.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1,104 points, or about 2.2%, to 52,389 on Monday. The S&P 500 rose about 2.4% and the Nasdaq about 2.7% as investors bought after last week's sell-off and oil prices fell. Nvidia fell about 4.3% after its board opened an independent investigation into CEO Jensen Huang.
College leaders announced Monday that the College Football Playoff will grow from 12 to 24 teams starting next season, ending conference championship games. The first two rounds will be played on campuses. ESPN reported a five-year deal worth an additional $1.7 billion. Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, chair of the CFP board, said the change opens the playoff to "more programs, more student-athletes and more fan bases."
