Washington, Nov 12
Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has vowed to pursue Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's impeachment next year and said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries would have only a short window to deliver results when the new Congress convenes.
"Just because Republicans pulled a procedural move to stop Hegseth's impeachment last night, it does not mean he is off the hook. We will impeach him next year," the Washington Democrat wrote on X on Wednesday (local time).
Her pledge came as she clarified remarks about Jeffries in an interview with Talking Points Memo, conducted on Friday and published on Tuesday. She had said he would have "a relatively short rope" to demonstrate urgency.
"When I said, 'short rope', I meant a short window to act," Jayapal wrote on Wednesday.
"I'm appalled that anyone would twist my words to evoke the very real and horrific history of lynching and racial terror against Black Americans. I condemn that violence completely and the use of its imagery to intimidate anyone."
She did not identify the critics to whom she was responding.
In the TPM interview, Jayapal said Democrats needed to respond quickly to voters who had backed them in last week's midterm elections.
"We have to make sure that we respond with bold policies that really do address the urgency and the anger that they came to the polls with," she said.
Jayapal said she wanted progressives to be "the push force" within the Democratic Caucus. She argued that Jeffries would need to respond rapidly to demands for reform to succeed as Speaker.
She distinguished him from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, whom she said should be replaced, and credited Jeffries for his handling of a government shutdown and opposition to immigration-enforcement funding.
Jayapal said no challenger to Jeffries had emerged and ruled out seeking the speakership herself.
"I'm focused on using my platform to push for the boldest possible change," she told TPM.
Her priorities include Medicare for All, campaign finance reform, a ban on congressional stock trading, ending the Iran war, protecting voting rights and reversing Medicaid cuts. She also wants expanded collective bargaining and living-wage legislation.
On immigration, she advocated requiring judicial warrants for arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. She also called for examining ways to redirect previously approved ICE funding towards healthcare and childcare.
Responding separately to President Donald Trump's comments about a possible immigration agreement, Jayapal wrote: "If Trump actually wants to work with us on humane immigration reform, then I look forward to seeing him sign it."
Despite her unequivocal pledge on Hegseth, Jayapal urged caution about pursuing a third impeachment of Trump without a realistic prospect of conviction in the Senate.
"If we pursue a third impeachment, we have to make sure the Senate will convict," she told TPM. "A third impeachment without a conviction, I think, undermines our case that we can hold an unaccountable president accountable."
She said Democratic-led committees should investigate issues including a Qatari jet and Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein, describing such inquiries as a possible "roadmap for a potential impeachment". She rejected suggestions that oversight would conflict with advancing legislation.
The House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer the Hegseth impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee, preventing an immediate floor vote on eight articles concerning the Iran war. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie had forced consideration of the resolution. All six Indian American House members opposed the referral motion.
Jayapal represents Washington’s 7th Congressional District and is the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. She is also a chair emerita of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The new Congress convenes on January 3.
