House Republicans block Hegseth impeachment as Democrats miss vote

An effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth failed in the House on Thursday, with Republicans voting 211-204 to send the articles to committee, effectively killing the measure. Eleven absent Democrats missed the roll call, narrowly sparing Hegseth from becoming only the third Cabinet secretary ever impeached. Republicans forced the vote to sidetrack the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee, avoiding a direct up-or-down vote. Democrats said they intended to impeach Hegseth, but their missing members proved decisive, as flipping just four votes would have changed the outcome. Several Democrats cited Washington, D.C., traffic as the reason for their absence, including Rep. Melanie Stansbury, who said she was trapped by a police motorcade. The failed effort has sparked frustration within the Democratic Party over the missed opportunity.