Even if all had voted, several Democrats missed crucial Hegseth impeachment vote; many blamed traffic

A close procedural vote

The House voted Tuesday night on a motion to refer the impeachment resolution against Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee. The motion passed, effectively killing the effort in the current Congress.

Seven Republicans also missed the vote. The report says all 11 absent Democrats voting with their colleagues could have changed the result to 215-211, allowing the impeachment resolution to advance.

It also says that the additional six votes attributed to members who described traffic delays would still have fallen short, with a projected tally of 211-210. The article does not explain how that projection relates to the earlier 215-211 calculation.

Members cite traffic delays

Several Democrats said a traffic incident and police activity prevented them from reaching the chamber before voting closed. Their offices said they would have voted against the motion to refer.

Rep. Stansbury’s office said she filed a report of her intended “NO” vote after arriving as the vote ended. Rep. Gillen wrote that she was caught behind the same police escort, while Rep. Jackson said he entered his intended vote in the Congressional Record.

Andrew Noh, chief of staff to Rep. Strickland, told ABC News that a motorcade delayed their arrival and that Strickland missed the vote by one minute.

Pelosi was away from Washington

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in San Francisco for a veterans’ celebration, according to her spokesman, Ian Krager. He said Pelosi supports impeaching Hegseth and would have voted against the motion to refer.

Democrats had known for at least 18 hours that the House planned a 5:30 p.m. vote series. The vote, scheduled to last 15 minutes, remained open for 29 minutes.

Further impeachment effort possible

Reps. Horsford, Stevens and Wilson were also identified as absent from the vote. The article says Wilson missed votes on Monday and Tuesday, had faced scrutiny over extended absences related to health challenges, and attended votes on Wednesday. Democrats may try to pursue Hegseth’s impeachment again if they take control of the House in January.