Hegseth Impeachment Referral Passes 211-204 as 11 House Democrats Miss the Vote, Several Blaming Traffic and a Police-Escorted Motorcade
The U.S. House voted 211-204 in Washington on the night of November 10 to refer Rep. Thomas Massie's eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee, effectively stalling the impeachment effort. Eleven House Democrats missed the vote, and several of them blamed a traffic incident near Capitol Hill and a police-escorted motorcade.
On the numbers alone, had all 11 Democrats been present and voted no, the referral motion would have failed 215-211. Seven Republicans were also absent that night, however, and USA Today noted that it was not clear the outcome would necessarily have flipped even with full Democratic attendance. The vote, scheduled for 15 minutes, was held open for nearly half an hour.
Among the absentees, Rep. Laura Gillen, Rep. Jonathan Jackson and Rep. Melanie Stansbury all attributed their absence to the same traffic incident and a police-escorted bus. Rep. Marilyn Strickland's chief of staff, Andrew Noh, said she was stuck behind a motorcade and missed the vote by one minute. Rep. Julia Brownley, 74, said that after an accident on Pennsylvania Avenue she got out of her car and ran to the Capitol. Many of the absentees had been returning from an Elect Democratic Women event about a 10-minute drive from the Capitol.
Other absences had other explanations. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in San Francisco for a Veterans Day event; Rep. Lou Correa cited a medical procedure; Rep. Steven Horsford cited a personal emergency; Rep. Pat Ryan had undergone back surgery the day before; and Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens gave no explanation.
The absences drew criticism within the Democratic caucus. "There is no reason we should have lost because of attendance," Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove said, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also publicly criticized the absentees. Massie was the only Republican to vote no. His eight articles of impeachment expire when the current Congress ends on January 3.
Related: House votes 211-204 to refer Hegseth impeachment articles to Judiciary Committee
Related: Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens was her state's only absentee in the impeachment vote
Source: USA Today
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国国会大厦穹顶夜景（资料图），表决在国会大厦内举行。照片：CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The dome of the U.S. Capitol at dusk (file photo). CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
