Rep. 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.
“Let me start by saying, I am so sorry,” Stansbury said in the video posted Wednesday. “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. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to the Judiciary Committee, effectively blocking the effort. Stansbury was among 11 Democrats who missed the vote, along with seven Republicans.
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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.
“As the vote was approaching, I ran back to my car,” Stansbury said. “I got in my car, and I began driving towards the Capitol and as I approached the Capitol, it was rush hour on Independence Avenue. They closed one of the lanes. I was stuck in the right-hand lane.”
The congresswoman said she could see the Capitol from her vehicle and instructed her staff to notify House officials that she was delayed. A police motorcade escorting a bus away from the Capitol complex then blocked traffic in both directions, she said.
“I should have been there sooner,” Stansbury acknowledged. “I understand that it is my responsibility, and I am sincerely sorry, but there were definitely factors that were out of my control.”
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Several Democrats who missed the vote were returning from an Elect Democratic Women event about 1.5 miles from the Capitol when they encountered bumper-to-bumper traffic on Independence Avenue, Axios reporter Andrew Solender reported, citing multiple lawmakers.
Some lawmakers found alternative ways to reach the Capitol after traffic brought their vehicles to a standstill, according to Solender. One got out and walked, while another was dropped off on the Senate side of the Capitol to avoid the congestion.
The 11 Democrats who missed the vote were Stansbury and Reps. 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.
Stansbury also acknowledged that Democrats lacked the votes to advance the impeachment effort even if she had been present.
“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.
Massie’s resolution included eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of misconduct related to U.S. military operations, including the war in Iran and strikes in Yemen and Venezuela.
Hegseth rejected the allegations during a Pentagon news conference Tuesday, characterizing the impeachment effort as an attack on the military.
“This is not patriotism,” Hegseth said. “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.