Pat Ryan ties an impeachment case to winning subpoena power first
Pat RyanU.S. representative for New York and a member of the House Armed Services Committee
Rep. Pat Ryan said impeachment talk about Hegseth would intensify but that building a credible case depends on subpoena power a future House majority would bring.
“To build a credible case, we have to leverage the subpoena power and other things that would come with a hypothetical majority to really make sure we have the receipts and it’s seen as a serious thing fitting our troops.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
Members of the House have advanced multiple impeachment proposals involving Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Rep. Shri Thanedar introduced H.Res. 935 in December 2025, Rep. Yassamin Ansari introduced H.Res. 1177 in April 2026, and Rep. Thomas Massie announced in September that he would offer a privileged resolution. The proposals allege distinct conduct involving military operations, oversight, and the handling of sensitive information; the proposals themselves do not establish those allegations. Hegseth disputed the characterization that anyone was “texting war plans,” while Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson called the April effort a charade and, after Massie read his articles on September 15, defended Hegseth’s record without addressing the specific allegations. The dispute is whether the House should impeach Hegseth on the basis of the congressional proposals and available evidence.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Politico reports Democratic plans for Pentagon oversight and possible impeachment if the party wins the House, quoting Rep. Robert Garcia and Rep. Pat Ryan directly. No second outlet carrying these specific quotations was located.
Before the quotation
Politico reports Ryan saying talk of impeaching Hegseth “will only ramp up,” while cautioning that “doing it the right way and succeeding is important.”
After the quotation
The article then carries the Pentagon’s response defending Hegseth. Ryan does not state a position on the resolutions now before the House.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to whether the House should impeach Hegseth, Ryan supports accountability yet conditions a credible impeachment case on investigative powers his party does not currently hold. He expressly cautions that “doing it the right way and succeeding is important,” which makes the position conditional rather than a present endorsement.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Pete Hegseth
More from this case
Read the full caseMassie says he will force the vote soon after the House returns
“I’m not sure if I would do it the night we get back, but it would be soon after we return — if he’s still in the job”Read statement
Crow calls ousting Hegseth his top priority if Democrats win the House
“Pete Hegseth remains incompetent and is not doing what's necessary to protect our service members, which is why he's my priority number one if we retake the majority, to make sure we oust him from the Pentagon, because our service members actually deserve competent, serious, real leadership that will protect them and do the right thing.”Read statement
Jeffries says Trump should push Hegseth aside or Democrats will act
“And 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.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Pat Ryan ties an impeachment case to winning subpoena power first". First published: 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-16. https://disputeindex.com/events/671-rep-pat-ryan-said-impeachment-talk-about-hegseth