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Democrats face backlash after missing Hegseth impeachment vote
The Republican-led House voted 211 to 204 to send articles of impeachment against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee, where the measure could remain stalled for the rest of the current Congress. The vote effectively halted the effort for now, prompting criticism because 11 Democrats were absent.
The articles, led by Republican Thomas Massie and supported by Democrats, accused Hegseth of issuing unlawful orders and pursuing unconstitutional wars in Iran and Venezuela. Some absent Democrats reportedly said traffic, a vote closure they considered early, or other events kept them away; some had attended an event about 1.5 miles from the Capitol. Party figures, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said lawmakers should attend votes, while criticism also spread to House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
In short
- The House voted 211 to 204 to refer the impeachment articles.
- Eleven Democrats missed the vote, drawing sharp criticism.
- The resolution could remain stalled in committee for this Congress.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The absences are open to criticism because votes are a core part of lawmakers’ job, and attendance can matter when a measure is decided by a narrow margin. If Democrats supported the impeachment effort, being present would have shown constituents they took the allegations seriously and were willing to make their case on the record.
The case against
The vote sent the articles to a committee, where they could remain stalled, so the absences did not necessarily determine whether impeachment would advance. Members may also face competing duties or unexpected travel and scheduling problems; judging their conduct fairly depends on the circumstances of each absence, rather than assuming they treated the vote lightly.