On Tuesday, November 10, 11 House Democrats were absent for a vote on an impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The absences allowed House Republicans to successfully block the measure from moving forward.
The missed vote led to public criticism of the absent lawmakers by several of their Democratic colleagues. Among those who addressed the matter were Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep.-elect Richard Ojeda (D-NC), and Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI).
The 11 absent members were Reps. Julia Brownley (CA), Lou Correa (CA), Laura Gillen (NY), Steven Horsford (NV), Jonathan Jackson (IL), Nancy Pelosi (CA), Brittany Pettersen (CO), Melanie Stansbury (NM), Haley Stevens (MI), Marilyn Strickland (WA), and Frederica Wilson (FL). Several of these members provided reasons for their absence, including Reps. Stansbury, Jackson, Gillen, and Strickland, who cited traffic issues near the Capitol. A spokesperson for Rep. Pelosi stated she was attending a Veterans Day event, while Rep. Horsford's office cited a personal emergency and Rep. Correa reported undergoing a medical procedure.
While the exact Tuesday vote count was not reported, the source stated the absences facilitated the Republican block of the impeachment bid. If the resolution had advanced, it would have moved the process forward. Instead, the effort was derailed for now, leaving the Secretary in his current role.
The effects of the missed vote include a delay in the impeachment process, with Rep.-elect Ojeda suggesting the matter may be revisited by the 120th Congress. What happens next depends on whether House leadership schedules another vote or waits for the next Congress to convene; no specific dates for a follow-up vote or further committee action were reported.