11 House Dems missed the Hegseth impeach vote

On this vote, the yay's are 211, the  nays are 204. The motion is adopted. The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. And  that is the sound of renegade Republican Thomas. Massiey's effort to impeach Secretary Hegsth  failing. 211 Republicans tonight killed it. 11. Democrats, including House Speaker Ember and Nancy  Pelosi, did not vote. Seven Republican members, you see them there, also did not vote. None  of the 211 Republicans who did vote to block.

impeachment stood with Massie. So, what are  Democrats Democrats saying about why a bunch. of their members did not show up for this  vote? Well, we're still learning about that, Anderson. In fact, Democratic leaders when they  came off the floor, they were uncertain why some. of their members didn't make it. Sometimes  members are doing other things and they just. simply don't make it to the floor in time for  a vote. Republicans are still in control of. the House chamber and they can gavvel close  a vote really at any time when they have the.

requisite number of votes and that seems to have  been what happened here. But there was serious. frustration within the ranks when I talked to  a number of Democrats afterwards because they. thought they had a chance of succeeding and this  could have kicked the effort over to the United. States Senate if they were able to pass these  articles of impeachment. The Senate would have. to consider a trial. trial seemed very possible  to at least happen, meaning they could tie up the. Senate floor. And even though there were not  the votes to convict pet convict Pete Hexet,

that could at least be a distraction of sorts from  the remaining weeks of the Republican controlled. Congress. And I caught up with Congresswoman  Alexandria Cortez on this issue and she made very. clear she thought some of those Democrats should  have made it to the floor in time for the vote. I mean, the people send us here to do a job. I  can't speak to I don't know if anyone had any. real health issues or anything significant to to  that respect. So, I want to leave room for that.

But that being said, at the end of the day, we're  here to do a job. And the same way I had a clock. in when I worked at a restaurant, we got to clock  in and and do our work here. Um, but again, I I. don't know if anyone had any outstanding health  issues and I want to keep room for that as well. And you want this to be a top priority, the hex of  impeachment in the new Congress. Well, hopefully. we don't even have to wait for the new Congress. I  think that should we have the appropriate numbers, Massie could bring it again or anyone else.  So, actually, Thomas Massie just told reporters.

Anderson as he walked off the floor that in  quote, "This is done. his efforts to try to. impeach Pete exit are done for this Congress. But  any member could re resurrect this in any certain. way because it's what's known as privilege in the  United States House, meaning they can actually. force this vote in the House, which means that if  it doesn't come up this year, it could certainly. come up again next year. And you heard from Colin  Alexander Cortez, she's not the only one. Other. Democrats want to go after Pete Hexet. They want  to go after other cabinet officials like RFK Jr.,

Cash Patel. Some even pushing to impeach Donald  Trump himself. And that's what Hakee Jeff when. he becomes speaker, assuming he gets the votes  to become speaker, which everyone pretty much. expects that he will, he'll have to prioritize who  to go after when, what investigations to launch, and make sure it does not distract from  their key parts of their agenda, which is. about affordability. The reason why Democrats  say that they are now in power. Anderson Roger, thanks very much. My dem my next guest is  Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Hulahan, an Air.

Force veteran who sits on the House Armed Services  and Intelligence Committees. Last year, she came. under fire from the president for participating  in this video, informing service members it was. their duty to refuse illegal orders. She had  this to say about Secretary Hicks earlier today. Since the day he was nominated, I have been clear.  Secretary Hegathth is not qualified for this job. Unfortunately for our nation and for our people,  he has literally signaled and doubled down on.

that incompetence ever since day one. He is not  a serious man. He is not a capable man. And our. nation deserves a real secretary of defense  who will not be laughed out of every room in. the Pentagon. And Congresswoman Hulahan joins me  now. Thanks for being with us. Um, do you have. any idea why these 11 Democrats didn't show up? I  mean, the rep Republicans as well didn't show up, but I mean, was isn't it somebody's job to count  the votes ahead of time to know what's going to.

happen? Sure. And first of all, thank you for  having me tonight. It is, as as Alex Okasio, of course, has said, part of my job to be there  and to show up for votes. And certainly, barring. some sort of medical issue, it is um a failure of  of duty to not show up for the vote. uh especially. something as important as this. And so I think  there are different reasons. My understanding for. why uh various Democrats didn't show up, but more  importantly to me is the fact that my Republican.

colleagues and I have very good relationships with  many of them disappointed me. those who did show. up as well in the fact that they also did not  support the impeachment of pre uh of Secretary. Hegsth and many of them I know in their hearts  knew that it was the right thing to do to vote. to impeach uh or to vote to move this process  forward and they didn't do that. Uh and that I. think is every bit if not more of a disappointment  to me that they uh failed in their duty as well.

We we should Democratic Congresswoman Melanie  Stanbury uh just put out a statement saying she. and other lawmakers weren't able to get to the  vote because of a traffic incident. Um obviously. the president's taking a victory lap. He's still  facing big Democratic majorities come January. In the meantime, I mean it's kind of a political  gift to him. It does Pete Hegath come out stronger. now from this? I don't think so. I think that uh  what we as as Democrats heading into a majority. are responsible for is as as Manu uh mentioned  two things. One is um affordability and making.

sure that we address what people were asking for  in the results of the election just a week ago and. the other is accountability and we need to be able  to do both of those things at the same time and to. me with a heavier emphasis on the affordability  aspect and a very strategic and tactical um plan. on the accountability. And so how do we execute  that? And Alex Okasiocort Cortez mentioned this a. little bit. It needs to be with a plan. It needs  to be disciplined. And and I I'm almost hopeful.

that this is almost a gift to us as well. The  fact that this failed this time around because. remember this impeachment is just literally like  the grand jury getting together and saying there's. enough there there that we need a trial. And so  we move forward or if we move forward with this. particular impeachment process, then we can  organize what would be the trial that would. would be uh holding this particular uh part of the  administration accountable. It's it's unclear what. how we will proceed in this. What is it about Pete  Heget that you think makes him comp inappropriate.

for this job? Well, we I can start with the fact  that he's wholly unqualified, but that's of course. not my my call to make because I'm part of the the  House and not the Senate in terms of my ability. to to to hire him, so to speak. Uh he also, I  believe, is uh harming the the the warrior uh. ethos to be honest in the fact that he is acting  against the will of the people. He is these wars.

um the articles of impeachment that's Mr. Massie  put together four or five of them had to do with. the fact that he was contravening or going against  the will of the people in the congress. He also. is taking um what could be judicial uh extra  judiciary uh killings in the places like the. Caribbean and those kinds of places. And so the  list is long. I mean it's seven or eight you know. versions of things that he could be impeached for  and secret and Mr. Massie just put those together. in in a series. And it was our job to move that  forward if we thought there was a there there.

as I mentioned, and it would be the Senate's job  to see that in in a hearing or a trial of sorts.