New Mexico Political Report – Riding high from a national rebuke of President Donald Trump’s economic policies and the war in Iran, Democratic voters and members of Congress filled social media on Tuesday with criticism of Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury and 10 other Democrats who missed a critical vote to advance impeachment proceedings against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Impeaching Hegseth had become a Democratic priority after outgoing Republican Thomas Massie (KY), a vocal critic of Hegseth and President Donald Trump, introduced articles of impeachment following last week’s “blue wave” election seen as a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s policies, including the war in Iran overseen by Hegseth.
Dembers of the Democratic caucus did not hold back from public scolding of their colleagues after the measure failed by just seven votes, 211-204. In an interview with Meidias Touch, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a Democrat from California, said, “There’s no reason why we should have lost this vote because of attendance issues. This is what the people have been talking about … so shame on folks who were not here because these people lost.”
A short text statement posted to social media on Tuesday saying that she had been stuck in traffic failed to quell Democratic outrage, in part because it did not explain why she was away from the Capitol during debates on the vote.
Stansbury’s New Mexico voters were equally upset. In a Facebook group for the progressive Indivisible Albuquerque, a Stansbury volunteer posted “Primary Stansbury in two years. Her excuse for missing this vote on Hegseth’s impeachment is utter BS. I just found out that she gets money from AIPAC-almost 56,000 in the last election alone. . And the event she went to that was supposed to be about women in politics was organized by a group that funnels dark money to AIPAC. I’m utterly gutted by this. I’ve felt so grateful to have had her representing me. I’ve campaigned for her. I’ve gone to events and town halls just to see her speak.There is ZERO excuse for this absence.”
Stansbury’s office did not respond on Wednesday to text questions from New Mexico Political Report asking for additional information, though Congressional offices were closed for the Veterans Day holiday. Later that afternoon, however, Stansbury returned to social media, this time with a video, saying that “no one is more disappointed with myself” and “I am sincerely sorry.” Still, Stansbury says the effort to impeach Hegseth is not over and will return under Democratic control.
Neither statement from Stansbury directly addressed why she was off The Hill during debate and votes on the measure, but reporters quickly identified that some missing members were attending an event for the political group Elect Democratic Women. Stansbury is a vice-chair of the group. EDW has been criticized from progressives for taking funding from AIPAC, a pro-Israel politicall committee, and redistributing it to Democratic women, including Stansbury.