As soon as Tuesday, April 29, Rep. Derrick Van Orden will cast a critical vote that will determine whether Congress will investigate Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz over the ‘Signalgate’ controversy. Both Waltz and Hegseth repeatedly used the unsecure messaging app, Signal, to share highly-sensitive and likely classified military information, including imminent attack plans on Yemen. They’ve faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for putting American troops and the country’s national security at risk.
Many national security leaders and elected officials have called for an investigation into Signalgate, including Republican Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), who said, “We need to get a thorough review of what happened. Someone needs to stand up and take ownership for it. In the private sector, we discipline people all the time and that’s what needs to happen here.”
Van Orden and other members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) will vote on an inquiry into Signalgate as soon as Tuesday and no later than the following week, with the exact timing dependent on the HASC chair. Just two Republicans need to break ranks and vote with Democrats, led by Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), in order to guarantee a full vote on the inquiry by the House of Representatives. One Republican HASC Member, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), has already called on Hegseth to resign, saying of Signalgate, “If I would have done this in the Air Force, I would have lost my clearance.”
Polling shows that the majority of Republican voters also want Hegseth to resign. This mounting pressure poses concerns for Van Orden, who won their election by around three points last year. He is also expected to face a tough reelection contest in 2026.
