House Democrats blame absent colleagues after Hegseth impeachment push fails

House Democrats expressed anger Tuesday after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth survived an impeachment push, with the House voting 211-204 to send the resolution to committee, effectively killing it for now. Eleven absent Democratic members were blamed for the outcome. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed the impeachment articles Monday, accusing Hegseth of "high crimes and misdemeanors" for waging war with Iran without congressional approval and conducting extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean. The GOP majority remains until January, when a Democrat-led Congress takes over. Frustrated Democrats criticized absent colleagues, with Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove saying "people should have gotten their raggedy selves up these steps to vote." Some missing members were reportedly stuck in traffic returning from an event. President Trump celebrated the outcome, calling Massie "a major LOSER."