Democrats’ Absences Helped Save Hegseth From an Impeachment Vote
House shelves impeachment effort
On Tuesday, the House voted to return the articles against Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee. The panel could hold them indefinitely, and the current Congress is due to end in eight weeks.
The procedural decision effectively halted the drive during this Congress. The article says Democrats will take control of both the House and Senate on January 3, while also noting the current Congress ends in eight weeks.
Absences shape the result
Eleven Democrats did not attend the vote, and their absence affected its outcome. Representative Massie was the only Republican to oppose sending the articles back; the remaining votes followed party lines.
Jackson, Stansbury, Gillen, Gillen, Strickland, Horsford, Pelosi and Pettersen said they would have voted against the procedural move. Jackson and Stansbury also recorded their opposition in the Congressional Record, though that did not alter the official tally.
Democrats face criticism
Democrats and progressive commentators condemned the attendance that contributed to the result. California Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove said lawmakers knew the vote was coming and should have attended. Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed said lawmakers should show up and do their jobs. Political commentator Krystal Ball described the outcome as a major failure by Hakeem Jeffries.
Representative Stevens had endorsed Republican Mike Rogers against her party’s Senate nominee, after losing the Democratic primary to El-Sayed. The article also says Stevens had criticized the Trump administration’s war on Iran with Israel and called for greater congressional oversight.
A possible next attempt
Trump celebrated the House result on social media, declaring that the Democrats’ impeachment effort had failed. Jeffries said he would consult members about a potential attempt next year, adding that they would discuss it at an appropriate time.
If the House impeaches an official, the Senate holds a trial to decide whether to convict. The article says only eight officials—all federal judges—have been convicted by the Senate; Trump was impeached twice, in December 2019 and January 2021, and acquitted both times.
Key points
- The House voted 211-204 to return the impeachment articles to committee.
- Eleven absent Democrats helped determine the outcome, while Massie was the only Republican voting against the move.
- The procedural decision is unlikely to return to the House floor before this Congress ends in eight weeks.
- Hakeem Jeffries says he will consult members about a possible impeachment effort next year.