Democrats are fretting as several members of their caucus were absent for a crucial vote on President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran, Axios reported on Thursday.
“Any lawmaker could have tipped the outcome — and half a dozen were absent,” noted the report, with Democrats privately raging and one member telling Axios, “People cannot miss votes.”
One of the absent lawmakers was 83-year-old Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL), who has been absent for weeks due to major eye surgery.
“House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) urged Wilson in a recent phone call to return to Washington, D.C., as quickly as possible, according to the senior House Democrat and another source familiar with the matter,” said the report. “‘You’ve got to come. The numbers are too small,’ the Democratic leader said, referring to Republicans’ narrow House majority.”
Wilson reportedly told him she will be back next Wednesday.
Democrats are not alone in being frustrated by absences. The GOP has also seen several, and one member, Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), has been missing for months due to an unspecified medical illness that even Republican leadership hasn’t been informed of.
All of this comes amid mounting pressure on Trump to end the war, particularly as it has gone past the 60-day deadline that gives Congress authority to disapprove.
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