Speaker Johnson Recesses House Early, Avoiding Hegseth Impeachment Vote

House Republican leaders canceled the chamber's final scheduled voting day this week, sending lawmakers home early for nearly seven weeks before the November 3 midterm elections.

This early finish means lawmakers will not have to take a vote on impeaching Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth before the elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled votes planned for Thursday, cutting the work week short and sending members home until after the November midterm elections. Lawmakers will be away from Washington for more than six weeks, returning November 9.

The House had been scheduled to meet for about 121 days between January and November 8, 2026, around 39 percent of the 312 calendar days during that period. House members are set to receive roughly $91,051 in salary each, or about $39.6 million collectively, for the 191 days they will not have been in session.

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war on Tuesday. The resolution is privileged, meaning Johnson has two legislative days to act on it. Johnson's cancellation of Thursday's votes pushes the issue to early November. Massie seized the House floor for more than an hour Tuesday afternoon, reading the 34-page resolution aloud.

The resolution asserts Hegseth acted in a manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and subversive of constitutional government. Speaker Mike Johnson argued the House has completed its work for now and members should return to their districts, stating, "It's time for our members to go home to their districts and make their case to the American people."

Johnson called Massie's impeachment resolution ridiculous and a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention. He indicated Republicans will move to kill it in early November. Representative Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina, called canceling Thursday's votes unacceptable, stating, "The Founders did not envision taking this much time off and still getting paid." The impeachment resolution against Hegseth is delayed until early November.