Democrat roasted for blaming missing vote for Hegseth’s impeachment on traffic - The Independent
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A Democrat who missed the vote to impeach Pete Hegseth has been slammed online after posting a video apologizing — and blaming her tardiness on traffic.
The effort to impeach the Defense Secretary for “high crimes and misdemeanors” over the war in Iran and bombing alleged drug boats in the Caribbean failed in the House after a 211-204 vote on Tuesday. Eleven Democrats were among the 18 lawmakers who did not vote on the move.
Democratic Reps. Julia Brownley, Lou Correa, Lauren Gillen, Steven Horsford, Jonathan Jackson, Nancy Pelosi, Brittany Pettersen, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland, Frederica Wilson and Melanie Stansbury were all recorded as not voting.
Stansbury, a Democratic representative from New Mexico, issued an initial explanation for her absence Tuesday evening, writing on X, “Like other Members of Congress, Rep. Stansbury was blocked from entering the Capitol to vote due to a traffic incident and a police escort of a bus during the vote.”
The Democrat later released a four-minute-long apology video on Wednesday, writing: “I am genuinely and sincerely sorry. But this is not the end — it is just the beginning.”
“Let me start by saying I am so sorry,” Stansbury says in the video. “There is no one more disappointed in myself than me that I was not here at the moment that gavel dropped as the Republicans were trying to bury this impeachment of Pete Hegseth.”
“As many of you know, I was one of the original co-sponsors of one of the very first impeachment resolutions earlier this year when it become clear that Pete Hegseth was breaking the law,” she added.
Some Democrats who missed the vote were on their way back from an Elect Democratic Women event about 1.5 miles away when they got stuck in a major traffic jam, according to Axios reporter Andrew Solender.
However, some members found other ways to get to the Capitol even though their cars were stopped on the road. At least one got out and walked and another got dropped off on the Senate side to avoid the traffic, according to Solender.
“I was stuck in the right hand lane,” Stansbury said in the video, adding, “I could literally see the Capitol, my staff were watching closely. I asked them to call…to let the floor know that the traffic was horrific outside. There were other members who were stuck in it.”
Stansbury noted, “This is not the end” in regards to taking action against Hegseth. She concluded the video with another apology, saying, “I am sincerely sorry with all of my heart.”
However, her heavy-handed apology didn’t seem to smooth over the matter for some, as social media users lambasted her for failing to show up.
“Save it. You knew when that session was,” one social media user commented under the post.
“Pass a law that states if a representative misses three votes they are expelled,” another social media user added.
Another person commented: “You had a single job and you didn’t show up. What happens to your constituents if they did such a thing? Disgusting.”
“I was waiting all day for the vote. You were at a reception for Elect Democratic Women, an organization with ties to AIPAC. The reception started at 4:30. How in the hell did you think that you were going to be there to vote at 5:30? Your priorities are all wrong,” one X user added.
“’I missed a crucial vote because I discovered this phenomenon known as D.C. traffic,’” one user quipped
The Independent has contacted Stansbury’s office for comment.
