“Jeffries didn’t even whip the vote,” one critic said about the House minority leader, who wants to be speaker. “This is why people want a stronger leader.”
As House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries seeks to become speaker when Democrats retake Congress in January, critics questioned his leadership Tuesday after the Republican-led lower chamber effectively blocked a bid to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by just seven votes—an outcome that may have been averted if more Democrats showed up to vote.
The 211-204 procedural vote effectively torpedoed Congressman Thomas Massie’s attempt to impeach Hegseth by sending the outgoing Kentucky Republican’s resolution to the House Judiciary Committee, where it will likely gather dust during the remainder of the GOP-controlled congressional term.
That’s a fair point. January will certainly bring a clearer picture of where things stand. But I think leadership is already being tested by the decisions being made today. The real question is whether the party is prepared to learn from this moment and move forward.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the House is completely unchanged from before the election. The impeachment motion was brought forward by a disgruntled Republican, but it never had a hope of passing. Come January, everything changes.
That’s a fair correction. You’re right that the new members won’t officially take their seats until January. I was more focused on the political pressure and discussions happening right now. January should certainly make things clearer. What changes do you think we’ll see once the new Congress takes over?