House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference on Nov. 4, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Tom Brenner/Getty Images hide caption

Tom Brenner/Getty Images

Democrats are not in the majority yet , but the first post-election test of their ability to get things done was a failure.

The House was unable to advance an impeachment effort of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Eleven Democrats were no-shows for the vote. Based on the math in this vote: If those 11 had been there and if no more Republicans showed up, the attempt would have gone forward.

Now, for those who want to see Hegseth impeached, it's fair to ask why only one Republican was in favor of it, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who led the effort , especially after an election that saw GOP wipeouts in no small measure because of the Iran war?…