Eleven Democrats Face Backlash for Missing Hegseth Impeachment Vote Despite 29-Minute Delay

A narrow chance to advance impeachment

The House voted Tuesday night on a procedural motion to kill the impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The motion passed, effectively ending the effort in the current Congress.

Seven Republicans also missed the vote. If all 11 absent Democrats had joined their colleagues, the motion could have been defeated 215-211, allowing the impeachment resolution to advance.

A separate calculation in the article says six additional Democratic votes would still have fallen short, producing a projected tally of 211-210. It says Horsford, Stevens and Wilson were still missing.

Absent lawmakers cite traffic

Several Democrats said a traffic incident near the Capitol, including a police escort for a bus, prevented them from reaching the chamber before the vote closed. The vote was scheduled for 15 minutes but remained open for 29 minutes.

Rep. Stansbury’s office said she arrived just after the vote ended and filed her intended “NO” vote in the Congressional Record. Gillen and Jackson also said they would have voted against the motion, while Jackson recorded his intended vote afterward.

Andrew Noh, chief of staff to Rep. Strickland, told ABC that a motorcade stopped their vehicle and the congresswoman missed the vote by one minute. He said she would have opposed the motion to refer.

Pelosi was away in California

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in San Francisco on Tuesday, attending a veterans event, spokesman Ian Krager told ABC News. He said she supports impeaching Hegseth and would have voted against the motion to refer.