Democrat Jonathan Jackson missed Pete Hegseth impeachment vote over reported traffic

Representative Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat from Illinois, was seen directly outside the United States Capitol during a House vote on the impeachment of War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Daily Mail reported that Jackson was one of 11 Democrats who missed the vote. Jackson stated that a traffic incident and a police escorted bus caused a delay that resulted in the vote closing before he reached the floor. [1][2][7]

The missed votes were critical to the outcome of the resolution. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 to refer the impeachment articles against Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee. The resolution was originally introduced by Representative Thomas Massie on eight counts against the War Secretary. [6][7]

The absence of the 11 Democratic lawmakers prevented the measure from advancing to the next stage. The Daily Mail noted that if nearly a dozen absent Democrats had attended, they could have potentially moved Hegseth to the first step of removal from the Pentagon. [1][7]

The vote follows growing effort on Capitol Hill regarding Hegseth. As FTMQ News previously reported, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries had voiced full support for impeaching Hegseth, while some Republicans had also refused to rule out supporting the measure before the House blocked the resolution. [6][7]