Miami
House delays Pete Hegseth impeachment push until after the November elections
The U.S. House is leaving Washington earlier than planned, taking a vote on Thomas Massie’s impeachment resolution off this week’s agenda. Lawmakers are scheduled to return on Nov. 9.
The U.S. House of Representatives will wrap up business in Washington on Wednesday night, ahead of the November midterm elections, after Republican leaders canceled votes that had been scheduled for Thursday, NBC News reported.
The schedule change pushes any action on Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth until after Election Day.
According to NBC News, GOP leaders said the decision was unrelated to Massie’s impeachment effort. But the move also spared many vulnerable Republicans from a difficult vote as some in the party have been uneasy with Hegseth’s leadership during the six-month war with Iran.
Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Massie’s effort while speaking to reporters and defended Hegseth. NBC News reported that Johnson said the measure would likely be tabled when the House returns, a step that would effectively kill it.
Massie filed the resolution on Tuesday as privileged, which meant the House had to act within two legislative days. With Thursday’s votes scrapped, that timetable has now been pushed beyond the election.
The House is scheduled to return to Washington on Nov. 9, while the Senate will remain in session for the next three weeks, according to NBC News.
Johnson said he wants members back in their districts and on the campaign trail. NBC News also noted that Massie has repeatedly clashed with House Republican leaders, Donald Trump and Hegseth over the war with Iran.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
