Key facts
- The House voted 211-204 to refer eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth to a committee.
- Eleven Democrats missed the vote, and the effort failed by seven votes.
- The articles, introduced by Republican Thomas Massie, included charges of violating congressional authority by waging war in Iran.
- Several absent Democrats said they support impeachment but were delayed by traffic or other events.
- Julia Brownley said Speaker Mike Johnson closed the vote before she reached the floor.
- Nancy Pelosi missed the vote while in San Francisco to meet veterans, her spokesperson told SFGate.
The US House voted 211-204 on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, to refer eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to a committee, shelving the effort. Eleven Democrats missed the procedural vote, and the measure failed by seven votes.
The articles, introduced by Republican Thomas Massie, included charges of violating congressional authority by waging war in Iran. The effort followed the 2026 midterms, in which voters cast ballots for Democratic candidates in what the report described as a rebuke of the Trump administration's policies, including the war in Iran.
Democratic lawmakers criticized their absent colleagues. Abdul El-Sayed, the senator-elect of Michigan, said on CNN: "You should show up and do your job." Richard Ojeda, the representative-elect of North Carolina, told CNN the Democratic senators "failed" by not voting and said: "Shame on them for not showing up." Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California told MeidasTouch there was "no reason why we should have lost this vote because of attendance issues."
Several absent Democrats said they supported the impeachment effort. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico wrote on X that she was blocked from entering the Capitol by a traffic incident and a police escort of a bus, and that she filed a report of her "NO" vote after the vote had ended. Laura Gillen of New York and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois wrote on X that they were stuck in traffic. Brittany Pettersen of California wrote that she was "denied" the ability to vote, and a member of her office later told 9News she was stuck in traffic.
Julia Brownley of California wrote on Facebook that Johnson "closed the vote" before she could reach the floor. Marilyn Strickland of Washington missed the vote by one minute because she was stuck behind a motorcade, her office told Politico, and she would have voted to impeach. Nancy Pelosi of California missed the vote because she was in San Francisco to meet local veterans and accept a Lifetime Advocate for Veterans Award, her spokesperson told SFGate. Lou Correa of California wrote on Instagram that he was undergoing a medical procedure. Steven Horsford of Nevada, Haley Stevens of Michigan and Frederica Wilson of Florida did not provide public reasons for their absence.
Pat Ryan of New York wrote on X that he was recovering from back surgery but left the hospital early to cast his vote.