House lawmakers will leave Washington on Wednesday night for the last time before the November midterm elections, after GOP leaders announced the cancellation of votes scheduled for Thursday. This change means that the House will not vote on Republican Rep. Thomas Massie's resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth until after Election Day. GOP leaders stated that their decision was not related to Massie's impeachment efforts, but they aimed to avoid a challenging vote for vulnerable Republican members who have expressed concerns about Hegseth's leadership during the ongoing war with Iran.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., criticized the impeachment effort, calling it 'ridiculous' and defended Hegseth's performance. 'It’s a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention. It will immediately be tabled, of course. ... We’ll probably do it when we come back, but it’s a stunt,' Johnson said, indicating that tabling would effectively kill the measure. He praised Hegseth's work, stating, 'Secretary Hegseth has done an extraordinary job, the Department of War. We’re in the middle of international conflicts right now, and we should not be playing games with national security.'
Massie filed his resolution to impeach Hegseth as 'privileged' on Tuesday, which required the House to act on it within two legislative days, setting up a vote by Thursday. However, GOP leaders canceled the votes that day, postponing the impeachment vote until after the election. The House is scheduled to return on November 9, while the Senate will remain in session for the next three weeks.
Johnson emphasized the importance of his members returning to their districts to campaign, stating, 'It’s time for our members to go home to their districts and make their case to the American people, to go and explain all the great things we’ve done.' He highlighted achievements such as the largest middle- and working-class tax cut in U.S. history and a violent crime rate at a 126-year low.
Massie, who has been in Congress since 2012, has had ongoing conflicts with House GOP leaders, President Donald Trump, and Hegseth regarding the Iran war. He has previously voted for several resolutions aimed at restricting Trump's military actions in Iran and Venezuela. Last year, Trump and his team supported former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein in a primary challenge against Massie, who ultimately lost. On Tuesday, Massie unexpectedly took to the House floor to read his impeachment resolution, stating that Hegseth 'has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution, if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law.'