The House is going home early, and the timing is hard to miss. On Wednesday morning, GOP leadership told members that votes were no longer expected Thursday, September 17, ending the current stretch ahead of a break that runs nearly two months, until the midterms.
“Members are further advised that upon completion of today’s legislative business, votes are no longer expected in the House tomorrow, September 17th,” read a message from the office of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. The last votes of the week were expected at about 4:45 p.m. “This is a change from the previously announced schedule.” Votes on cutting Environmental Protection Agency regulations were moved up to Wednesday.
The vote nobody wanted
What leadership most visibly avoids is a vote on eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, filed by outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. They cover Hegseth’s handling of the Iran war and other alleged “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Massie’s articles accuse Hegseth of waging the Iran war with no declaration of war, statutory authorization, attack on the United States or imminent threat, and of continuing to attack Iran after the War Powers Resolution expired. They also cite his suppression of Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s free speech, an unlawful war in Yemen, and “ignoring laws that minimize civilian casualties.”
Massie said he kept the resolution from House leadership. It is privileged, which means it forces a vote within 48 hours. He criticized the decision to send members home. The New Republic noted that Congress pulled a similar disappearing act last summer, when Massie demanded a vote on releasing the Epstein files.
