The bipartisan-backed measure accused Hegseth of executing unlawful orders and leading unconstitutional military campaigns in Iran and Venezuela. House Republicans managed to block the initiative in a 211 to 204 procedural decision, aided by the absence of 11 Democratic lawmakers. Lawmakers offered various logistical excuses, but disclosures revealed that several members chose to attend a political action committee function instead. The fallout has escalated into severe political blowback against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as the party approaches leadership elections.
Key points
Sending the impeachment measure to committee effectively terminates the resolution for th…: Sending the impeachment measure to committee effectively terminates the resolution for the current term.
Democratic leadership faced harsh rebuke from colleagues after members skipped the vote f…: Democratic leadership faced harsh rebuke from colleagues after members skipped the vote for a political event.
A public petition opposing Hakeem Jeffries' bid for speaker has surpassed one million sig…: A public petition opposing Hakeem Jeffries' bid for speaker has surpassed one million signatures amid the controversy.
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Republicans in the US House of Representatives blocked an attempt to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, sparking a flurry of criticism online, as 11 Democrats failed to attend the vote.
The chamber voted 211 to 204 to refer the charges to the House Judiciary Committee, where they could remain indefinitely for the duration of this Congress’s term, essentially killing the resolution for now.
The articles were spearheaded by Republican Thomas Massie and backed heavily by Democrats, accusing Hegseth of carrying out unlawful orders and waging unconstitutional wars in Iran and Venezuela.
Notably, there were 18 representatives missing during the votes - seven Republicans and 11 Democrats. The Democrats missing included California's Nancy Pelosi; Michigan’s Haley Stevens; New York’s Laura Gillen; California’s Lou Correa; New Mexico’s Melanie Stansbury; and several others.
Several party members and others heavily criticised the absentee Democrats online, who in response blamed traffic, Representative Mike Johnson closing the vote early, and having conflicting events.
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