Why Did 11 House Democrats Miss Pete Hegseth Impeachment Vote? Traffic Jam, Surgery, Personal Emergency Cited

Why Did 11 House Democrats Miss Pete Hegseth Impeachment Vote? Traffic Jam, Surgery, Personal Emergency Cited

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has 11 Democratic House members to thank for tanking the nascent effort to impeach him. House Republicans blocked Representative Thomas Massie’s articles of impeachment against Hegseth from reaching the floor by a 211–204 vote. While Republicans were initially concerned they lacked the party votes to block the resolution, it was 11 absent Democratic lawmakers who handed them a victory.

Hegseth narrowly avoided an up-or-down vote on his impeachment on Tuesday, after all but one Republican voted to kill the effort. The outcome could have been different with better attendance: had the 11 Democrats who missed the vote been there and sided with the party, the impeachment resolution would have advanced, setting up votes on punishing the embattled defense secretary.

Many of the 11 have since put out statements explaining their absence, citing a prior commitment, a surgery and, for at least six lawmakers, a traffic incident involving a police-escorted bus that prevented them from reaching the Capitol in time.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury’s office said she was blocked from entering the Capitol due to a traffic incident and a police escort…

Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world