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Congress Watch · Report · File No. 261113-139

Eleven House Democrats missed a Hegseth impeachment vote that failed by seven votes

The House voted 211-204 on Nov. 10 to send Rep. Thomas Massie's Hegseth impeachment resolution to committee. Eleven absent Democrats and a second stumble on a veterans bill now raise questions about Democratic readiness to run the House in January.

By the Capitol Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Hakeem Jeffries
Hakeem Jeffries. Photo: Office of Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Public domain

The House voted 211-204 on Tuesday, Nov. 10, to send Rep. Thomas Massie's resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee. That motion kept the House from taking an up-or-down vote on impeachment itself 13.

Eleven Democrats did not vote, and so did seven Republicans 13. Critics say the seven-vote margin could have been avoided with better Democratic attendance 3.

On tapeCNN · Nov 11
CNN report on 11 House Democrats and 7 Republicans not voting; Jeffries was asked about the absences.Video: CNN on YouTube, “11 House Dems missed the Hegseth impeach vote”. It plays from YouTube when you press play.

Why members said they missed it

Several absent Democrats blamed a traffic jam and a police-escorted bus. Many had been coming from a reception for newly elected women lawmakers 1. Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada cited a personal emergency 12.

Rep. Lou Correa was recovering from a medical procedure and could not travel, and Nancy Pelosi was at a veterans event in San Francisco. Her office said she supports impeachment and would have voted no on the motion 123.

From Channel GOPJeffries: House Democrats have taken back CongressHakeem Jeffries · 152 plays · captioned, with the source named

Rep. Steven Horsford took full accountability for missing the vote 1. Others were sharper. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California said, "Shame on folks who were not here" 1.

Sydney Kamlager-Dove
Shame on folks who were not here
Sydney Kamlager-Dove, U.S. Representative, D-California1

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called the outcome "unacceptable" 1. Minority Whip Katherine Clark reportedly told colleagues that even full attendance would not have been enough, because too few Republicans crossed over 1. She also told her caucus in a closed-door meeting that Democrats had let the public down 2.

On tapeCBS News · Nov 11
CBS News reports Republicans blocked the Hegseth impeachment effort and 11 Democrats did not attend the vote.Video: CBS News on YouTube, “11 House Democrats fail to attend vote on Pete Hegseth's impeachment”. It plays from YouTube when you press play.

A second stumble on a veterans bill

On Wednesday, Democrats did not demand a recorded vote on a veterans' benefits bill. Rep. Mark Takano, the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee, said the bill would cut benefits 2.

Rep. Becca Balint said Republicans told Democratic staff they had "technical changes" and then called the vote while Takano was away reviewing them. A Republican floor aide said preventing such moves is the minority's job 2. The bill is unlikely to pass the Senate 2.

What Jeffries says happens next

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he had not discussed the absences with his floor team 3. He said the effort would continue, and Democrats may target Hegseth again now that they hold majorities in both chambers 23.

Hakeem Jeffries
this is not the end of it. It's just the beginning.
Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader, D-New York3

Jeffries's office did not respond to questions from the Washington Sun about leadership's role 2. Critics outside Congress have been blunt. Writer Laura Bassett said Jeffries "didn't even whip the vote" 3. That means he did not press members to show up and vote.

The Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee will probably let the resolution stall for the rest of this term. Numerous Democrats say they will renew impeachment efforts once they control Congress in January 3.

That matters because the new majority will have little room for error. Margins on the floor will be tight, and Republicans will look for any chance to exploit missed votes. Rep. Jamie Raskin said the episode would teach the incoming class to vote before attending events 2.

The Record

  1. House votes 211-204 to send Massie's Hegseth impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee; 11 Democrats and 7 Republicans did not vote 13.
  2. Democrats do not demand a recorded vote on a veterans' benefits bill Takano says would cut benefits 2.
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Sources

  1. MS NOW, “'Shame on folks who were not here': A failed vote on Hegseth's impeachment turns into a Democratic debacle” (2026-11-11). ms.now/news/shame-failed-vote-hegseth-impeachment-democratic
  2. The Washington Sun, “House Democrats Flub Two Big Votes After Winning Election” (2026-11-11). washingtonsun.com/congress/house-democrats-floor-votes-hegse
  3. Common Dreams, “Jeffries Dragged for 'Serious Leadership Problem' as Hegseth Impeachment Bid Falls 7 Votes Short With 11 Dem No-Shows” (2026-11-11). commondreams.org/news/hegseth-impeachment-fails

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