Key Congressional Vote Missed by Rep. Wesley Hunt

Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) missed an important vote on Thursday, which nearly led to a Democratic win regarding President Donald Trump’s military powers in Venezuela. This absence adds to an ongoing trend as Hunt campaigns in Texas for a competitive Republican Senate primary, contributing to the instability within the Republican majority in the House.

Earlier that day, Hunt missed two crucial votes, arriving 20 minutes late to participate in the Venezuela resolution vote. His support was essential to thwarting the bipartisan initiative, which succeeded by just one vote.

If the resolution had passed, it would have directed President Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from Venezuela, despite the administration’s claims about the inadequacy of the current situation. When asked if he felt he was representing his constituents well, Hunt chose not to respond, noting he had to leave to allow councilors and staff to depart on time.

“I just want to make sure that you’re okay when the storm comes… it’s going to hit you really, really hard,” he said, referring to an impending snowstorm expected in Washington, D.C. After casting his vote, Hunt quickly exited the chamber.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) expressed concerns that Hunt’s absence didn’t ease his responsibilities, especially since the Texas representative missed another key Republican vote earlier that day. The recent passing of Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) resignation means Republicans are now just two votes shy of passing legislation without Democratic assistance. Interestingly, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Calif.) also missed a vote on the same day, although she did participate in the Venezuela resolution vote.

Hunt’s record in Congress reveals a pattern of absenteeism. In 2025, he missed 87 votes, accounting for nearly 25% of the total roster that year. He was notably absent during votes concerning anti-Semitism, legislation on deepfake pornography, and other significant measures. Last September was particularly rough, with Hunt missing 22 votes over two days during discussions on a water and energy spending bill.

As of 2026, he has only participated in votes for two days. However, he usually misses votes on initiatives expected to pass with broad bipartisan support, which often do not require his vote to succeed.

This time was different. Hunt missed a procedural vote necessary to advance a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, which ultimately passed without him. The Venezuela resolution, debated hours before his arrival, was decided by a single vote.

Despite his absences, Hunt’s office maintained that he made every effort to avoid missing significant votes. “Zero bills or Republican priorities have been delayed or canceled because Congressman Hunt prioritizes trashing Texas to get John Cornyn to retire,” his office claimed.

Additionally, it was stated that Republican leaders indicated Hunt was not needed in Washington that week and that Speaker Johnson had personally informed him of the situation change on Thursday afternoon. As Hunt continues to campaign against Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Cornyn criticized his absence, noting it almost resulted in a significant public relations win for Democrats and led to chaos on the House floor as Republican leaders scrambled to introduce legislation blocking military presence in Venezuela.