Several Democrats missed the crucial Hegseth impeachment vote. Many blamed traffic

Eleven Democratic lawmakers missed the crucial vote on whether to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with several citing traffic incidents as the reason for their absence. The vote, which aimed to refer the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee, ultimately failed to gain the necessary votes as seven Republicans also skipped the vote.

The motion, which was scheduled to last only 15 minutes, was held open for 29 minutes in case any late arrivals could cast their votes. If all 11 Democrats had voted, the impeachment resolution could have advanced, but it ultimately died at the end of the 119th Congress. Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley and other lawmakers blamed their absence on Washington traffic, despite knowing about the scheduled vote for at least 18 hours prior.

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