Pete Hegseth impeachment effort dies in the House as absent Democrats couldn't beat the traffic

Most of America bemoans political gridlock in the nation’s capital.DC area commuters deplore the city’s transit gridlock.But Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth may now be a fan of DC’s legendary traffic snarls.

It appears that crosstown traffic may have prevented him from becoming only the third Cabinet secretary ever impeached by the House of Representatives.The House voted 211-204 this week to divert an effort by Rep.Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to impeach Hegseth.House Republicans moved to block a straight, up-or-down vote on impeachment.Rep.

Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speaks on impeaching U.S.Secretary of War Pete Hegseth outside the U.S.

Capitol on Nov.9, 2026 in Washington, D.C.

(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)Instead, Republicans forced a vote on sending the articles to the Judiciary Committee.That’s where they’d go to die.If the House failed to sidetrack the articles, Members would have then voted on actual impeachment.If a simple majority voted to impeach, Hegseth would join 19th century Secretary of War William Belknap and former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as the only Cabinet Members impeached by the House.But DC’s streetside congestion altered the parliamentary traffic on the House floor.All Democrats said they were intent on impeaching Hegseth.But Republicans faced an attendance problem.Seven of their Members were missing.

The vote on sending the impeachment articles to committee was tight.The tally read 204-204 at one point.By rule, tie votes fail.

That would have compelled a vote on actual impeachment.But a few more Republicans trickled in.

The absent Democrats never did.Rep.

Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) presided over the vote.He gaveled it closed at 211 yeas to send the articles to the committee and 204 votes against.That was it.The Hegseth impeachment quest was dead.

Eleven Democrats missed the roll call.It’s about the math.Flip four votes and Hegseth would have been impeached, 208-207.HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT VOTE LOOMS AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS...