House recesses early, avoiding Hegseth impeachment vote until after midterms

September 17, 2026 at 12:00 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The U.S. House of Representatives recessed a day early on Wednesday, avoiding a vote to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth until after the Nov. 3 midterm election. House Speaker Mike Johnson cut short the session, which was already scheduled for only six days in October. The move came a day after Rep. Thomas Massie unveiled the impeachment resolution over unauthorized military actions in Iran.

Key Facts

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday that the House would leave Washington a day earlier than scheduled, cutting the October session to six days.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., unveiled the impeachment resolution against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday over unauthorized military actions in Iran.
The House approved a war powers resolution Tuesday night on a 220-204 vote, ordering the White House to end the Iran war, with seven Republicans joining Democrats.
Massie said the early recess would also make it harder to reach 218 signatures on the Epstein Discharge Petition, which had over 190 signatures as of Tuesday night.

The Early Recess

Republican leaders announced Wednesday they would leave Washington a day earlier than scheduled, cutting short an already light congressional work period. House Speaker Mike Johnson's decision means the chamber will not return until after the Nov. 3 election, with lawmakers fanning out to campaign. In announcing the schedule change, House leaders did not reference the impeachment vote, but Massie and other lawmakers cited the politically awkward vote as the reason.

The Impeachment Resolution

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., unveiled the impeachment resolution on Tuesday in a surprise move, arguing that Hegseth carried out unlawful orders, including keeping troops deployed without congressional authorization. Massie said from the House floor on Wednesday, "We should be having this vote. We shouldn't be cancelling congress because of the optics." The resolution was not likely to pass, but it was a shock to GOP leaders, whom Massie said he gave warning. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson defended Hegseth's record in an emailed statement, saying, "By every measurable metric, the Department of War is better under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth's leadership than before."

War Powers Vote

The House approved a war powers resolution Tuesday night on a 220-204 vote, ordering the White House to end the Iran war. It was the third time the House has voted on a measure to end the war, with seven Republicans joining Democrats in support, up from four GOP members in the previous two votes.