OMM Newsroom
Several Democratic lawmakers missed a key House vote on Tuesday on a Republican-backed motion that effectively halted impeachment proceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Anadolu Agency reported.
The House voted 211-204 to refer the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee, effectively shelving the effort.
Some Democrats said traffic congestion and a police-escorted motorcade prevented them from reaching the Capitol before voting closed.
Representative Melanie Stansbury said a traffic incident and a bus travelling under police escort kept her from entering the Capitol in time. In a post on “X”, she said Republicans had used a procedural motion to stop the impeachment effort by referring it to the committee.
Stansbury said she immediately filed a report documenting her intended “NO” vote, which was later entered into the Congressional Record. “Pete Hegseth must be impeached now,” she added.
Democrats cite traffic and missed votes
Representative Laura Gillen said she was “stuck behind the same police escort blocking the Capitol when Republicans closed the vote”. She said she would have voted against the motion and believed Hegseth should be impeached.
Representative Brittany Pettersen also expressed frustration at missing the vote, accusing House leadership of preventing lawmakers from weighing in. “Tonight I was denied the ability to vote on this motion while (House Speaker) Mike Johnson worked overtime to shield him from accountability,” she wrote on “X”.
Stansbury was among 11 Democratic lawmakers who missed the vote, according to The Hill. The group also included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Marilyn Strickland.
Strickland’s chief of staff said the congresswoman was caught behind a motorcade and arrived at the Capitol one minute after voting ended. She had intended to vote against the motion.
According to Axios, the PAC Elect Democratic Women also held an event at the same time as the vote, with several lawmakers attending and arriving late.
Democrats vow to renew impeachment push
A retiring Republican had submitted the impeachment effort, which was defeated. House Democrats have vowed to try again to impeach Hegseth after January 3, when their party is set to hold the majority in a new Congress.
Hegseth had earlier condemned the effort to remove him. “This is not patriotism. This is sabotage,” he said at a press conference.
