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Dem rep blames 'horrific' traffic for missing Hegseth impeachment vote: 'I am so sorry'

HOUSE GOP LEADERS BLOCK MASSIE'S HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT PUSH Stansbury said she was driving toward the Capitol ahead of the vote when she encountered "horrific" rush-hour traffic on Independence Avenue, where a lane closure had contributed to congestion.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 1 source•1 min read•Updated November 12, 2026, 1:48 PM UTC
Key points
  • "There is no one who is more disappointed in myself than me, that I was not here the moment that gavel dropped." The House voted 211-204 Tuesday to refer the impeachment resolution introduced by Rep.
  • "This is sabotage." President Donald Trump also defended Hegseth and celebrated the House vote, describing the outcome on social media as an exoneration of the defense secretary.
  • The vote comes as Democrats prepare to take control of the House and Senate in January, potentially setting the stage for another impeachment attempt.

Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., apologized in a social media video Wednesday for missing a key House vote on an effort to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying she encountered heavy traffic and a police motorcade while trying to reach the Capitol.

Additional details
  • Hegseth rejected the allegations during a Pentagon news conference Tuesday, characterizing the impeachment effort as an attack on the military.
  • "We did not have the numbers to move forward to impeach Pete Hegseth at this moment," she said, also noting that a conviction in the Senate would require a two-thirds majority.
  • Some lawmakers found alternative ways to reach the Capitol after traffic brought their vehicles to a standstill, according to Solender.
  • Stansbury also acknowledged that Democrats lacked the votes to advance the impeachment effort even if she had been present.
  • Marilyn Strickland of Washington, Julia Brownley and Lou Correa of California, Laura Gillen of New York, Steven Horsford of Nevada, Jonathan Jackson of Illinois, Nancy Pelosi of California, Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, Haley Stevens of Michigan and Frederica Wilson of Florida.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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