Did 70 democrats vote no to impeachment
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Executive summary
No — available reporting shows far fewer than 70 House Democrats voted “no” on motions that would advance impeachment; in the December 11, 2025 vote on Rep. Al Green’s privileged impeachment resolution the House tabled the motion 237–140 with 47 Democrats voting “present” and roughly two dozen Democrats joining Republicans to block it, not 70 Democrats voting “no” [1] [2] [3].
1. What happened in the December vote: a quick read of the tally
The House voted 237–140 to table Rep. Al Green’s impeachment resolution; that means the effort was shelved. Major outlets report 47 House Democrats cast “present” votes, and nearly two dozen Democrats — typically described as “about 23” — voted with Republicans to block Green’s motion rather than voting to advance it, leaving the remainder of House Democrats opposing tabling or not joining the GOP-led move [1] [2] [3].
2. Where the “70 Democrats” claim likely came from — conflated tallies and earlier votes
Some stories and aggregations refer to earlier or different impeachment-related roll calls in 2025 in which different counts occurred (for example, a June tabling vote or separate efforts listed in Newsweek and other outlets), producing varying numbers of Democrats who voted to table vs. oppose tabling; one Newsweek summary said 23 Democrats opposed Green’s effort while 47 voted present and another Newsweek story described large numbers tabling an earlier set of articles — these differing contexts can be conflated into an inaccurate “70” figure if present votes and different roll calls are mixed together [4] [5] [1].
3. How reporters and outlets framed Democratic dissent
News organizations described the outcome not as mass defections but as Democratic leaders and many rank-and-file Democrats choosing procedural caution: leaders voted “present” citing the need for a full investigation and process before impeachment, while a smaller group of Democrats sided with Republicans to table Green’s motion — the coverage consistently frames this as internal party restraint rather than a 70-member rebellion [1] [3] [2].
4. Official roll-call records and discrepancies
The House Clerk’s roll (Roll Call 175) and multiple wire reports show the tabling motion passed with a broad bipartisan majority; individual vote tallies in June and December vary by resolution and date, and some summaries (including later aggregations and summary pages) list different counts for Democrats voting to table versus those voting against tabling, with “not voting” and “present” categories adding complexity. That complexity helps explain why simple claims like “70 Democrats voted no” can be misleading without specifying which vote and how “no” is defined [6] [7] [1].
5. Alternative viewpoints and political motives behind the vote
Democratic leaders publicly argued impeachment requires investigations and process, a position that explains many “present” votes; progressives said the party’s caution amounts to avoiding accountability. Conservative outlets emphasized Democrats’ procedural votes as evidence of weakness or disunity. Both framings draw on the same roll-call facts but push different political narratives — mainstream outlets like ABC and The Hill emphasize procedure and numbers; partisan outlets spin the same vote to suit political messaging [1] [3] [8].
6. Why precise language matters — “no” vs. “present” vs. “tabled”
“Voting ‘no’” can mean voting against tabling (i.e., wanting to proceed with impeachment) or voting against an impeachment resolution itself; in this case the decisive action was a motion to table (kill) Green’s privileged resolution. Forty-seven Democrats voting “present” did not cast a conventional “yea” or “nay,” and about two dozen Democrats voted with Republicans to support tabling — none of these figures equal a clean “70 Democrats voted no” in the sense that phrase is commonly used [1] [2] [3].
7. Bottom line and limitations of the record
Available sources do not show a vote in which 70 Democrats clearly and directly voted “no” to an impeachment motion in December 2025; contemporary reporting and roll-call summaries place the number of Democrats voting with Republicans at roughly two dozen and record 47 “present” votes on the tabling motion [1] [2] [6]. If you have a specific date or roll-call number in mind, point to it and I will match it against the cited roll-call and news reports; current reporting does not support the blanket “70 Democrats voted no” statement [1] [6].