Democrats vote to block impeachment of Pete Hegseth

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Eleven Democrats Absent from House Vote on Defense Secretary’s Impeachment

The US House of Representatives voted 211-204 to refer articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee. The vote, which occurred on Tuesday, effectively killed the impeachment drive for the duration of the current Congress’s term.

The resolution was introduced by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie and was primarily backed by Democrats. They accused Hegseth of abuses of power and conducting illegal military operations. However, 11 Democratic lawmakers were absent from the vote, which proved decisive in the outcome.

According to reports, eight representatives were absent from the vote - seven Republicans and one Democrat. The remaining votes fell along party lines. Massie was the sole Republican to oppose the measure.

The absence of the 11 Democratic lawmakers has been attributed to various reasons, including traffic delays in Washington, DC, and personal emergencies. Some Democrats have stated that they would have joined their colleagues in opposing the measure if they had been present.

The vote is unlikely to return to the House floor before its term ends in eight weeks. The resolution will remain in the Judiciary Committee, where it may be further investigated or amended.

In a statement on social media, President Donald Trump congratulated his administration on the outcome of the vote, saying that the Democrats’ impeachment effort had “miserably FAILED!”

Source: Al Jazeera