Democrats Outraged as Absence Helps Republicans Defeat Pete Hegseth Impeachment Vote
Eleven Democrats miss key procedural vote, allowing Republicans to block the impeachment of Pete Hegseth. See the breakdown of the narrow defeat.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — Democratic lawmakers are expressing intense fury after nearly dozen of their peers failed to attend a critical procedural vote on Tuesday. The move to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth failed by a narrow margin, effectively ending the effort for now.
The impeachment attempt collapsed by just seven votes after eleven Democrats were absent from the session. While some absent members cited heavy traffic and overlapping schedules, others pointed fingers at Speaker Mike Johnson for closing the voting period prematurely. Despite their absence, many of the lawmakers not in the Capitol maintained that they fully support the impeachment process.
“You should show up and do your job,” Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed told CNN on Tuesday regarding the absence of his colleagues. Richard Ojeda, a representative-elect from North Carolina, was equally blunt, telling CNN that Democrats failed by not casting their votes.
“Shame on them for not showing up,” Ojeda said. “I mean, this is important … they had an opportunity to finally get rid of this buffoonery we had.”
The lack of attendance provided House Republicans with the necessary numbers to stall the proceedings. The chamber voted 211 to 204 to refer eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth to a House committee.
During a Veterans Day event at Arlington National Cemetery, President Donald Trump voiced support for Hegseth’s performance, claiming he had done a fantastic job leading the Pentagon. The president noted that he anticipated the impeachment effort would fail, stating, “I had a feeling that was going to happen,” and adding “He loves you, and he protects you – he’s all about you.”
The impeachment articles were introduced by Republican Thomas Massie and featured allegations of violating congressional authority through military actions in Iran. This legislative push followed the 2026 midterm elections, where Democrats saw significant victories that many viewed as a rejection of the Trump administration’s foreign and domestic policies.
California Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove told MeidasTouch there was no reason for the party to have lost the vote due to issues with attendance. “This is what the people have been talking about … so shame on folks who were not here because these people lost,” she stated.
New Mexico’s Representative Melanie Stansbury shared on X that she was prevented from entering the Capitol because of a traffic incident involving a police-escorted bus. By the time she arrived at the chamber, the vote had concluded. Stansbury noted she immediately filed a ‘NO’ vote against the motion to kill the articles in the Congressional Record, asserting that Hegseth must be impeached now.
Laura Gillen of New York also posted on X that she was delayed by traffic but remained firm in her belief that impeachment was necessary. Jonathan Jackson of Illinois similarly reported reporting being caught in the same traffic jam.
Brittany Pettersen of California stated on X that she was denied the chance to vote, while her staff confirmed to 9News that she was also stuck in traffic.
Julia Brownley of California posted on Facebook that Speaker Johnson ended the vote before she could reach the floor. “As I and many of my colleagues were rushing to the floor to support Hegseth’s impeachment, Mike Johnson closed the vote before we could,” she wrote.
Marilyn Strickland of Washington missed the vote by a single minute due to a motocade; her office told Politico she would have voted for impeachment. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi’s spokesperson told SFGate the California representative was in San Francisco to receive a Lifetime Advocate for Veterans Award.
Lou Correa of California explained on Instagram that he was away for a medical procedure and waiting for clearance to return. Steven Horsford of Nevada, Haley Stevens of Michigan, and Frederica Wilson of Florida did not release public statements regarding their absence on Tuesday.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
