“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.
Wins, no matter how small, add momentum. That’s how it works. And it’s a ‘slam dunk’ because it’s a bill proposed by a Republican that dems could have easily gotten passed.
You’re under the illusion that there was a possible win to be had. If Johnson knew that Dems had the numbers, he’d never bring the proposal to the floor in the first place. If he did, it would be because the republicans would bring their majority, cuz incase you forgot, they still own congress.
Well Massie didn’t need Johnson’s permission to bring it to the floor it was a privileged resolution. So guess you’re under the illusion you know how parliamentary politics works.
Privileged resolution just means Johnson’s choice is reduced to two legislative days to bring it up, not that he loses all agency. NT tho. And Johnson steered it to be referred to committee.
Johnson had no way to stop the vote other than adjourning the session. And he wouldn’t have known 11 dems would be absent in 2 days. It had a real chance of passing. He got lucky it didn’t go through.