House Speaker Cancels Thursday Votes Ahead of Midterm Recess
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the House will skip Thursday votes, avoiding a scheduled resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Democrats criticized the move as an attempt to dodge accountability.
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that he would cancel votes scheduled for Thursday, sending lawmakers home a day early ahead of the midterm election recess beginning Friday.
The schedule change means the House will avoid voting on a resolution from Republican Thomas Massie to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The cancellation also comes amid a rushed push to advance legislation on artificial intelligence oversight.
Pattern of Cancellations
This marks the latest in a series of schedule cuts by Johnson, who had already shortened the pre-election session by two weeks. Democrats reacted with anger, urging Johnson to keep lawmakers in Washington before the recess.
Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal told MediasTouch that the cancellations reflect cowardice within the Republican Party, suggesting they fear the Hegseth impeachment resolution could pass with bipartisan support.
AI Legislation Stalls
Lawmakers had also hoped to address AI development regulation after industry executives and whistleblowers called for stronger oversight. Johnson has been reluctant to act, aligning with President Trump's position.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Johnson said a moratorium on AI development was not an option, warning it would cause the US to lose ground to China with serious national security consequences for American families.
More than 100 House Democrats had sent a letter urging Johnson to cancel the recess so votes on AI safeguards could proceed. The Guardian has requested comment from Johnson's office.
In a Wednesday notice, House leadership said votes on EPA regulations, originally scheduled for Thursday, would instead take place Wednesday afternoon.
