Today: Why Democrats missed a vote to impeach Hegseth, and new hope for accountability over Epstein

Today as it Happened on Wednesday, November 11, 2026: Eleven House Democrats missed a closely watched vote Tuesday on an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, absences that drew scrutiny after Republicans prevailed by just seven votes. The House voted 211-204 to block a resolution seeking Hegseth’s removal over his handling of the war in Iran. Nearly every Republican sided with Hegseth, with Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, an outgoing lawmaker who has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump, the lone Republican exception. Epstein survivors say they are hopeful a Democrat-controlled Congress will bring more accountability. “We need those that harmed us to be held accountable, and we need to see actual people being brought into Congress,” Epstein survivor Sharlene Rochard told Scripps News. “We need the files turned into trials.” Some members of Congress appear to be listening. Outgoing Republicans have supported a petition to circumvent the current leadership and force a House floor vote to release unredacted Epstein files. And the White House has issued a warning to Democrats over their planned probes into the Trump administration, going as far as claiming that such investigations — a standard oversight function of Congress — may amount to “blatant criminality.” White House counsel Will Scharf issued the warning in a letter dated Monday to Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. ------------------------------------- Follow Scripps News on other platforms— Join our newsletter at https://bit.ly/2q1tepr Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scrippsnews/ Follow us on X: https://x.com/scrippsnews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scrippsnews/ Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scrippsnews