Source: Fox News
Summary
House Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home early this week, cutting two additional weeks from the schedule. Johnson stated the House had completed its work and members would return to their districts. Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie claimed the move was to prevent a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment, which required a 48-hour consideration period. The House passed a Russia sanctions bill and legislation on data center costs, but did not address AI concerns. Massie argued Johnson’s actions were to avoid a vote on his impeachment measure.
Our Reading
As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
House members left early. Johnson said work was done.
Massie claimed the move was to stop impeachment. He had 48 hours to act.
The House passed bills. No vote on Hegseth.
Impeachment could return in November. The cycle continues.
Author: Evan Null
House Schedule Changes
House Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home a day early this week. This is in addition to the House lopping off two additional weeks from its schedule later this month and into early October. Johnson said the House had done its work and members would return to their districts. He claimed they would make the case to the American people on what they had delivered on their behalf.
Massie’s Impeachment Push
Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., believes there’s a different reason Johnson cut everyone loose early. Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment for Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. Because Massie’s push for impeachment is “privileged,” the House had 48 hours max to consider the articles. Massie said he figured out why they canceled tomorrow. He believed the vote on impeaching Hegseth would not happen.
House Leadership Claims
A senior House Republican leadership source insisted to Fox last week that members would be on Capitol Hill “for a full week.” But by Wednesday, the House had synced up with the Senate and passed the Russia sanctions bill. It also approved legislation to protect consumers from high electricity and water bills associated with data centers, foisting the cost on tech companies. There were calls by bipartisan lawmakers that the House should remain in session to address AI concerns, but the House was running out of floor traffic.
Parliamentary Mechanics
The House was compelled to consider Massie’s impeachment articles if it met this past Thursday. Otherwise, the resolution covering the eight impeachment articles would expire. The 48-hour window associated with such privileged resolutions disappears. Massie could bring them up when the House next meets in November. But that is seven weeks from now. If the House voted to table Massie’s articles of impeachment, the gig is up. It’s done. The House never even considered the actual impeachment resolutions.
Massie’s Predictions
Massie said Johnson cut two weeks off the calendar to keep him from getting to 218 votes on the Epstein discharge petition. He introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, and the House had 48 hours to vote on that. Massie claimed Johnson cut off the day tomorrow to avoid the vote. He said the House would likely have offered a motion to table, which would have killed his gambit. If the motion to table failed, the House would have immediately skipped to the articles of impeachment.
