āJeffries didnāt even whip the vote,ā one critic said about the House minority leader, who wants to be speaker. āThis is why people want a stronger leader.ā
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 votesāan outcome that may have been averted if more Democrats showed up to vote.
The 211-204 procedural vote effectively torpedoed Congressman Thomas Massieās attempt to impeach Hegseth by sending the outgoing Kentucky Republicanās resolution to the House Judiciary Committee, where it will likely gather dust during the remainder of the GOP-controlled congressional term.
Voting by our representatives should take place over the course of a week. They can use web cameras to discuss the topic, a publicly recorded version of Discord, and so on. I want my reps to drink coffee, talk out the issues, and be able to submit their vote without time pressure.
Our systems are rooted in being physically present, yet make mental presence optional.