Democrat Rep. Melanie Stansbury apologizes after missing impeachment vote on Pete Hegseth

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) missed the House vote on the impeachment of Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, contributing to the measure’s defeat by a 211-204 margin. Eleven Democrats, including Stansbury, were recorded as not voting. Stansbury posted on X that she was blocked from entering the Capitol because of a traffic incident and a police escort of a bus, and later released a four-minute video apologizing for her absence.

In the video, she said she was driving toward the Capitol when a traffic jam on Independence Avenue prevented her from arriving in time, noting that she could see the Capitol and that staff were monitoring the situation. An Axios reporter reported that some members who missed the vote were returning from a Democratic Women event held about 1.5 miles from the Capitol and were caught in a bumper-to-bumper jam. Stansbury, a board member of the event’s host organization, said she was stuck in the right-hand lane and asked her staff to inform the floor of the traffic conditions.

The apology video was met with criticism on social media, with users questioning the excuse and emphasizing the responsibility of elected officials to attend votes. When questioned by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, Stansbury reiterated that she was trapped in her vehicle due to a police motorcade and that the vote was not open long enough for her to join. The reporter noted that the vote, originally scheduled for 15 minutes, remained open for more than 30 minutes. Stansbury’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.