In a controversial turn of events, eleven Democratic lawmakers were absent during the House vote on Tuesday that blocked an impeachment effort against Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's defense secretary. The impeachment resolution, introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, accused Hegseth of unlawfully waging the Iran war and ordering other contentious military operations. The narrow 211-204 vote left Democrats questioning if the outcome could have been different with the absent lawmakers present. New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized her colleagues for their absence, while California Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove argued they should have made an effort to be at the Capitol for the vote.
WHO: The eleven Democrats who were absent included Nancy Pelosi of California, Haley Stevens of Michigan, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, Laura Gillen of New York, J. Luis Correa of California, Julia Brownley of California, Steven Horsford of Nevada, Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, Marilyn Strickland of Washington, Jonathan Jackson of Illinois, and Frederica Wilson of Florida.
WHY: The impeachment effort against Hegseth challenged his authority to conduct military operations and raised questions about whether the administration had bypassed Congress in matters of war. At least four Democrats claimed traffic prevented them from reaching the chamber before the vote was closed. Stansbury, Gillen, Jackson, and Pettersen asserted they would have voted against sending the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee, effectively keeping the impeachment effort alive.
WHERE AND WHEN: The events took place in the US House on Tuesday, March 9th, 2021.