House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that he would send lawmakers home one day early ahead of the midterm election recess by canceling votes scheduled for Thursday. The decision marks the latest schedule modification under Johnson’s leadership, following an earlier two-week reduction to the pre-election session.
The cancellation avoids a vote on Republican Thomas Massie’s resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Johnson characterized Massie’s measure as “a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention” and stated it would be postponed until after the recess, citing ongoing international conflicts as the reason. However, the resolution was filed as privileged, which means it will be fast-tracked for consideration when lawmakers return to Capitol Hill following election day in November.
Democrats have criticized the schedule changes. Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal said the move reflects “the cowardice of the Republican party,” arguing that lawmakers are avoiding votes on business for the American people out of fear that the impeachment resolution could pass on a bipartisan basis. More than 100 House Democrats had previously urged Johnson to cancel the recess to allow time for crafting AI regulation legislation.
Johnson has resisted calls for AI oversight measures, stating that such action could cause the United States to “lose our edge to China” with serious national security implications. His office moved EPA regulation votes from Thursday to Wednesday afternoon and characterized the schedule adjustment as reorganizing rather than canceling future votes. Johnson told reporters that lawmakers have completed their work and should return to their districts to meet with constituents before the election. He cited legislative productivity metrics, claiming the current House ranks as the second most productive since 1789, though fact-checkers have questioned whether the session’s output matches earlier sessions this decade.
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