Washington, D.C. — House lawmakers are leaving Washington a day earlier than planned, delaying consideration of Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth until after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Speaker Mike Johnson canceled Thursday’s scheduled votes, making Wednesday the House’s final legislative day before a roughly seven-week recess. The change means Massie’s privileged impeachment resolution will not receive consideration until lawmakers return after Election Day.
Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment Tuesday accusing Hegseth of continuing military operations in Iran without congressional authorization and of other alleged abuses involving U.S. actions in Venezuela and Yemen. The allegations have not been adjudicated, and the Pentagon has defended Hegseth.
Because Massie designated the resolution as privileged, House rules require leadership to address it within a limited number of legislative days. With the chamber now leaving town, that procedural clock effectively pauses until members return.
Massie had predicted Republican leaders might cancel votes to avoid dealing with the resolution before the election. Johnson rejected that explanation Wednesday, calling the impeachment effort a “publicity stunt” and saying the schedule change was intended to let members return home and campaign.
The dispute comes amid growing congressional friction over the Iran war. On Tuesday, the House voted 220-204 for a third time to direct an end to unauthorized U.S. hostilities with Iran, with seven Republicans joining Democrats.
The impeachment resolution remains pending and can be taken up when the House reconvenes after the midterms.
Sources
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