Pete Hegseth Somehow Saved from Impeachment as DC Traffic Delays Democrats
Traffic delayed lawmakers
Several House Democrats missed the vote after traffic disrupted their return to the Capitol. Axios reporter Andrew Solender said some were coming from an Elect Democratic Women event about 1.5 miles away and became caught in a major jam.
Jeffries faces criticism
Asked about attendance, Jeffries told reporters he had not spoken with the floor team about what happened to the Hegseth resolution. He said, “This is not the end of it. It’s just the beginning,” according to Politico’s Riley Rogerson. Progressive journalist Mehdi Hasan called for Democrats to choose another speaker. Political adviser Saikat Chakrabarti accused Jeffries of “throwing the floor team under the bus.”
Absent members explain delays
A statement on Rep. Stansbury’s X account said traffic and a police escort of a bus blocked her from entering the Capitol during the vote. It said she arrived after the vote had closed and filed a report of her “NO” vote on the motion to refer the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee.
Further political fallout
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also criticized Democrats who missed the vote. The episode added pressure on Jeffries as Democrats debated the failed attendance and the next steps on the Hegseth resolution.
Key points
- Traffic delays kept several House Democrats from reaching the chamber before the vote closed.
- Jeffries said the Hegseth resolution was not the end of the matter.
- Several absent lawmakers said they had intended to vote against the motion.
- Democrats and political figures criticized both the missing lawmakers and Jeffries.