Correa Absent for Hegseth Impeachment Referral After Heart Surgery

Democratic Congressman Lou Correa missed the House of Representatives vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth because he had undergone emergency open-heart surgery the day before. The politician himself announced this, adding that he supports Hegseth's impeachment. According to available data, the surgery was performed on November 10, one week after Election Day.

Reports indicate that Correa spent the preceding weekend in a condition later described as a heart attack. He is now recovering and intends to return to Washington as soon as doctors give permission to travel. His absence was one of the factors that affected the outcome of the vote, in which, besides him, eleven other Democrats and seven Republicans did not take part.

The vote on Tuesday ended with 211 votes against 204 in favor of referring the articles of impeachment to the House Judiciary Committee. Thus, the House avoided a direct vote on the articles themselves. The articles of impeachment were introduced by Thomas Massie, a departing Republican congressman who was the only member of his party to oppose the referral procedure. He was the initiator of the effort to hold the minister accountable.

Hegseth has been criticized for his position on military aid to Ukraine and for the dismissal of generals. The article also notes that a new attempt to impeach him over aid to Ukraine is possible, meaning the question of the minister's actions could return to the House. Thus, the outcome of the current vote does not close the discussion of his work.

A separate episode was a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington. Hegseth presented an award to a soldier who had shortly before rebuked him and his aides. This took place the day after the minister survived the impeachment attempt and became one of the notable events against the backdrop of the ongoing political dispute over his work.

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Delaney Sawyer

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Delaney Sawyer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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