Congress returns with shutdown deadline and possible Hegseth impeachment fight

Democrats are preparing to take control of both chambers of Congress in January, but Republicans still have several weeks in power and a lengthy list of unfinished business before that happens.

Lawmakers return to Washington on Monday for a lame-duck session with government funding, defense policy and a potential impeachment fight among the issues awaiting them.

“But our job is nowhere close to being finished yet,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. “The outcome of an election on one night doesn’t change that a bit.”

Democrats won’t formally take control of the House and Senate until Jan. 3, giving the current Republican majority a narrow window to complete its agenda.

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One of the most urgent tasks is preventing another government shutdown.

Federal funding expires Dec. 11, meaning lawmakers must approve new spending legislation or another temporary extension before then.

“The speaker has a chance now to take this lame-duck session and reconcile, not with Democrats, but with the American people,” Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn said.

Congress also needs to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which sets policies and priorities for the U.S. military.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pushing lawmakers for additional military spending amid the war in Iran.

“The Department of War must be funded to meet the moment right now,” Hegseth said.

Will Hegseth face impeachment vote?

But Hegseth could also find himself at the center of another major battle during the lame-duck session.

Outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has vowed to force a House vote on impeaching Hegseth.

Many Democrats support removing the defense secretary, and following Republicans’ losses in the midterm elections, the effort could potentially attract additional GOP support.

Democratic Rep. Jason Crow said he plans to be “nonstop and relentless” in trying to remove Hegseth.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy also acknowledged criticism of the defense secretary, particularly over the administration’s handling of the war in Iran.

“Clearly there are people who I respect who feel that he’s done a very poor job,” Cassidy said.

If the House were to impeach Hegseth, the matter would then move to the Senate for consideration.

All of that must happen on a compressed schedule. The House and Senate are not scheduled to meet every day between their return and the new year.

That leaves lawmakers with only a matter of weeks to resolve major funding and defense issues before control of Congress changes hands in January.