House Democrats cite traffic incident in missed Hegseth impeachment vote

House Democrats said Tuesday that a traffic incident and police escort prevented some members from reaching the Capitol in time to vote against a Republican motion to block the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which passed 211-204. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) said she arrived moments after the vote gaveled out and filed a "NO" report in the Congressional Record. The motion sent the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee, effectively shelving them for the current Congress. The effort stemmed from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) reintroducing eight articles accusing Hegseth of constitutional violations in military operations. Hegseth dismissed the claims, and Sen. Ted Cruz predicted Democrats would likely impeach him if they take the House.