Pete Hegseth impeachment effort dies in the House as absent Democrats couldn't beat the traffic
The House voted 211-204 this week to divert an effort by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with absent Democrats unable to attend the crucial vote due to Washington's traffic snarls.
The impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth effectively died in the House this week after Republicans successfully diverted the articles to a committee where they would likely languish. The vote was 211-204 to send the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee, a move that avoided a direct impeachment vote that appeared to have enough support to pass.
Had the vote remained tied at 204-204, it would have forced a vote on actual impeachment. With all Democrats supporting impeachment and only seven Republicans absent, the math suggested Hegseth would have become only the third Cabinet secretary in U.S. history to be impeached by the House.
Traffic troubles
The decisive factor in the impeachment effort's failure was the absence of 11 Democrats who couldn't make it to the Capitol in time to vote. Several lawmakers cited traffic issues, including Rep. Melanie Stansbury, who claimed she was 'trapped right at that corner in my vehicle, in traffic because the police had shut down traffic' due to a police motorcade.
I was trapped right there at that street corner because there was a police motorcade moving busses off of the campus. And I physically was trapped right at that corner in my vehicle, in traffic because the police had shut down traffic.
Political consequences
The failure to impeach Hegseth has sparked frustration within the Democratic Party, with some members criticizing their colleagues' absence. 'Shame on them for not showing up,' said Rep.-elect Richard Ojeda (D-N.C.). Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) added, 'I don't make excuses for colleagues who don't show up on such an important vote.'
The traffic issues weren't limited to the impeachment vote. On Thursday morning, 26 members missed another vote related to a veterans bill due to traffic caused by an active shooter incident in Washington, D.C., where a gunman killed one person and shot six others before turning the gun on himself.
Political weather
Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), a former meteorologist, provided some unintentional political commentary when asked about the Democratic Party's prospects. 'No. It's low pressure, man. It's low pressure going into the next Congress. We've just got to keep everybody together,' he said, using weather terminology to describe the party's challenges.
The impeachment vote's outcome highlights the challenges facing Democrats as they prepare for the next Congress, with internal divisions potentially creating 'tornadic political storm systems' within the caucus. The party will need to improve coordination and attendance to advance their agenda effectively.
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