Democratic lawmakers expressed outrage at nearly a dozen of their colleagues for missing a crucial vote Tuesday evening to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, allowing Republicans to defeat the effort. Eleven Democrats missed the procedural vote, which ultimately failed by just seven votes in the House.
Outrage Over Absent Lawmakers
The missing Democratic lawmakers provided House Republicans with the numbers needed to shelve the impeachment effort in a 211-204 vote, referring eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth to a House committee. Several politicians criticized their absent peers on television and social media, with Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed telling CNN on Tuesday that lawmakers should simply show up and do their jobs.
Richard Ojeda, the representative-elect of North Carolina, told CNN that the Democratic representatives failed by not voting and called it shameful that they missed an opportunity to get rid of the administration’s actions. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a representative from California, told MeidasTouch that there was no reason to lose the vote due to attendance issues, adding that this is what the public has been discussing.
While some colleagues blamed traffic and conflicting events, others accused House Speaker Mike Johnson of closing the vote early. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico wrote on X that she was blocked from entering the Capitol due to a traffic incident and a police escort of a bus during the vote. Stansbury noted that when she reached the chamber, the vote had just gaveled out, and she immediately filed a report of her vote against the motion to kill the impeachment articles.
Laura Gillen of New York and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois similarly wrote on X that they were stuck in traffic, while Brittany Pettersen of Colorado wrote that she was denied the ability to vote, which her office later confirmed was due to traffic. Julia Brownley of California wrote on Facebook that Speaker Mike Johnson closed the vote before she could make it to the floor. Marilyn Strickland of Washington missed the vote by one minute due to a motorcade, and Nancy Pelosi of California was in San Francisco to meet local veterans and accept an award, according to her spokesperson. Lou Correa of California stated on Instagram that he was undergoing a medical procedure, while Steven Horsford, Haley Stevens, and Frederica Wilson did not provide public reasons for their absences.
Reactions and Future Plans
By contrast, other Democratic lawmakers highlighted that they managed to attend despite significant personal obstacles. Pat Ryan of New York wrote on X that he left the hospital early while recovering from back surgery in order to cast his vote.
Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery to mark Veterans Day, Donald Trump praised Hegseth and stated that he had done a fantastic job as the Pentagon head. The president mentioned that he had a feeling the impeachment effort would fail, adding that Hegseth loves and protects the troops.
The articles of impeachment, introduced by Republican Thomas Massie, included charges of violating congressional authority by waging war in Iran. The effort followed the 2026 midterms where voters largely rebuked Trump administration policies.
Congressman Glenn Ivey called the absence of the 11 lawmakers disappointing but stated there would be other chances to advance impeachment efforts. Ivey expressed support in an interview for renewing the push when Democrats regain control of both chambers in January, while noting that voters’ top priority remains the cost of living and survivability.
