Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth escaped a House impeachment push Tuesday after Democratic absences let Republicans bury it in committee.
The House voted 211-204 to refer the resolution to the Judiciary Committee, a procedural move that effectively kills it, reporter Jamie Dupree posted. Eleven Democrats skipped the vote, more than enough to have flipped the outcome had they shown up and voted no. Seven Republicans also missed it, while the chamber's lone independent sided with the GOP.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who forced the vote with his eight-article resolution, was the only Republican to oppose shelving it, NBC News reported. The articles targeted Hegseth's conduct of the war in Iran and military strikes in Yemen, Venezuela and the Caribbean, according to the outlet. The White House had formally urged lawmakers to send the measure to committee, CNN reported.