A Democrat who missed a critical vote on the impeachment of Pete Hegseth has been roasted after posting a video apologizing for her tardiness.
The impeachment effort against Hegseth failed in the House after a 211-204 vote on Tuesday. Crucially, 11 Democrats were among the 18 lawmakers who did not vote. Republicans had previously feared they lacked the votes to defeat the impeachment, according to The New York Times; the missing 11 Democratic votes gave them victory.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury has posted a long apology video.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Those 11 Democrats recorded as not voting were Julia Brownley, Lou Correa and Nancy Pelosi of California, Laura Gillen of New York, Steven Horsford of Nevada, Jonathan Jackson of Illinois, Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, Haley Stevens of Michigan, Marilyn Strickland of Washington, and Frederica Wilson of Florida.
Stansbury’s X account offered an explanation on Tuesday evening. “Like other Members of Congress, Rep. Stansbury was blocked from entering the Capitol to vote due to a traffic incident and a police escort of a bus during the vote.” It did not explain where she was before missing the vote.
The Democrat then posted an apology video on Wednesday that ran for over four minutes, as criticism of the lawmakers heightened. “I am genuinely and sincerely sorry. But, this is not the end—it is just the beginning,” the post read, with the folded hands emoji.
Democrat Melanie Stansbury releases an apology video on X.
“Let me start by saying I am so sorry,” Stansbury says in the video. “There is no one more disappointed in myself than me that I was not here at the moment that gavel dropped as the Republicans were trying to bury this impeachment of Pete Hegseth.”
After mentioning her support for impeaching Hegseth, she addressed why she was absent, saying that as the vote approached, she got in her car and began driving toward the Capitol.
Stansbury did not say in her video where she was driving from; however, Axios reporter Andrew Solender claimed some missed the vote because of an earlier event.
“Some of the House Democrats who missed the Hegseth impeachment vote were on their way back from an Elect Democratic Women event at a venue about 1.5 miles down Pennsylvania Ave but got caught in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam on Independence Ave.”
He added, “Some members found other ways to get back to the Capitol because their cars were effectively stopped on the road. One got out and walked. Another got dropped off on the Senate side to avoid the traffic.”
The venue for the event, the Goldfinch Social, a members-only area inside The Roost, is 1.5 miles southeast of the U.S. Capitol. It is a 33-minute walk, a nine-minute bike ride, or an eight-minute drive without traffic, according to Google Maps.
While Stansbury did not say she was at the event, she is on the board of directors of the group.
“I was stuck in the right hand lane,” Stansbury said, noting “I could literally see the Capitol, my staff were watching closely. I asked them to call… to let the floor know that the traffic was horrific outside. There were other members who were stuck in it.”
CNN list the 11 Democrats who did not vote against Hegseth’s impeachment.
She added that “this is not the end” in regard to taking action against Hegseth, adding, “this is just the beginning.” Stansbury made yet another apology as the video concluded, saying, “I am sincerely sorry with all of my heart.”
The apology-heavy video was blasted by many social media users. One said under Stansbury’s post, “Save it. You knew when that session was.”
Another noted, “When most people fail to show up for work, they face real consequences,” while one user said, “You had a single job and you didn’t show up. What happens to your constituents if they did such a thing? Disgusting.”
Ranking Member Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) speaks at a House Committee on Oversight and Government Efficiency Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 21, 2026.
Reps for Stansbury did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Wednesday, Stansbury was also asked by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin about missing the vote.
When asked why she didn’t come sooner, she said, “Because I did, and I was trapped in my vehicle because of a police motorcade.”
The Fox reporter told her, “The vote was public since Monday, and the vote was left open for a while. Do you think traffic is gonna work as an excuse?”
She replied, “It was not open for a while. They gaveled the vote as soon as they could.”
After the interview, Melugin wrote on social media that the vote, which was originally scheduled for 15 minutes, remained open for more than 30 minutes.
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