GOP Rep. Hill says he'll weigh whether Hegseth's actions merit impeachment

Key points

• Rep. French Hill said he wants to hear the impeachment debate before deciding whether Hegseth's actions merit removal.
• Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie plans to force a vote this week on articles of impeachment against Hegseth.
• Hill said poor job performance does not by itself amount to an impeachable offense under the Constitution.

Republican Rep. French Hill of Arkansas said Sunday he is not yet decided on whether to back an impeachment push against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week for the first time since the midterm elections.

Hill made the comments on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." Hegseth is expected to face scrutiny after Republican losses in the midterms, where many voters cited concerns about the war in Iran and its effect on the cost of living.

Push for an impeachment vote

Before lawmakers left for the campaign trail, outgoing GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth. Massie said this week that he plans to push ahead with forcing the vote.

If you don't think he's done a good job conducting his job, that doesn't mean per se that he's committed an impeachable offense

— Rep. French Hill

Hill on war and standards

Hill said he is not satisfied with how the war has been handled, adding that the commander in chief must take responsibility for the war's strategy and conduct. He also said no one in America wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon, calling that a U.S. goal for five decades.

Hill separated Hegseth's job performance from the question of impeachable offenses, noting the constitutional basis is "high Crimes and Misdemeanors." He said that if Hegseth is not conducting his mission the right way, the president ought to make a change at the Pentagon.