A missed vote has sparked frustration among Democrats after an attempt to advance impeachment proceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fell short in the House.
The controversy centers on a resolution introduced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who put forward eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of serious misconduct involving military operations, civilian protections and other issues.
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On Tuesday, lawmakers voted 211-204 to send those articles back to committee. That decision effectively stopped the impeachment effort from advancing. However, 11 Democrats were absent, along with seven Republicans, and the number of missing Democrats was greater than the final margin.
The vote was not a direct decision on whether Hegseth should be impeached. Instead, lawmakers were deciding whether to send the articles back to committee. A vote against the motion would have allowed the impeachment effort to continue.
The absences quickly became a source of criticism within the Democratic Party.
Democratic Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed made his feelings clear during an interview with CNN, saying, “You should show up and do your job.” Representative-elect Richard Ojeda also expressed frustration, telling the network, “Shame on them for not showing up.”
California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove was equally upset, arguing that lawmakers knew the vote was coming and should have made attendance a priority.
“We knew that this vote was coming, so people should have gotten their raggedy selves up these steps to vote,” she told MeidasTouch. “There’s no reason why we should have lost this vote because of attendance issues.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offered a more cautious response, acknowledging that some lawmakers could have had legitimate reasons for being absent. Still, she admitted the situation was damaging.
“I don’t know why people weren’t here. Someone may have a health issue. I don’t know. But obviously, having a vote like that on attendance is hard. That hurts.”
Among those who missed the vote was former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was in San Francisco to receive a Lifetime Advocate for Veterans Award. Other absent Democrats included Julia Brownley, J. Luis Correa, Laura Gillen, Steven Horsford, Jonathan Jackson, Brittany Pettersen, Melanie Stansbury, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland and Frederica Wilson.
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Several lawmakers said circumstances outside their control prevented them from reaching the chamber in time. Gillen, Stansbury and Strickland cited traffic delays involving a police escort near the Capitol. Stansbury said she arrived just as the vote closed and submitted a report indicating she would have voted against sending the articles back to committee.
Pettersen also claimed she was denied the opportunity to vote, criticizing House Speaker Mike Johnson for protecting Hegseth from accountability.
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Meanwhile, Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort as a “political spectacle.” The White House called it a “desperate, ego-driven impeachment hoax,” while President Donald Trump publicly defended the defense secretary.
Although the impeachment effort was blocked, the debate has now created another challenge for Democrats: explaining why so many members were not present when their votes mattered.
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