House speaker calls early recess before midterms amid AI regulation frenzy
House speaker calls early recess before midterms amid AI regulation frenzy. Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesHouse speaker calls early recess before midterms amid AI regulation frenzyMike Johnson cancels votes on Thursday, meaning House members will avoid voting on impeaching Pete Hegseth US politics live – latest updates The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, announced on Wednesday that he would again cancel votes scheduled for Thursday, sending lawmakers home one day early ahead of the midterm election recess.
What happened
Mike Johnson cancels votes on Thursday, meaning House members will avoid voting on impeaching Pete HegsethUS politics live – latest updatesThe Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, announced on Wednesday that he would again cancel votes scheduled for Thursday, sending lawmakers home one day early ahead of the midterm election recess. The latest change to the legislative schedule means House members will avoid voting on Republican Thomas Massie’s resolution to impeach the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and comes amid a frenzied attempt to propose legislation on artificial intelligence. Continue reading. . .
The House speaker insisted it would be “immediately” postponed and he would not address it before the recess because the US is in the middle of international conflicts. "There's really only one explanation for why they would cancel votes tomorrow and send us home early before the midterms, and that's because they are afraid that the House of Representatives will vote to impeach Pete Hegseth," Rep. Skip to main contentSkip to navigation The speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, speaks to reporters at the US Capitol on 16 September 2026 in Washington DC.
The latest change to the legislative schedule means House members will avoid voting on Republican Thomas Massie’s resolution to impeach the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and comes amid a frenzied attempt to propose legislation on artificial intelligence. “Because then we will lose our edge to China, and that has serious national security implications for every American family. ”More than 100 House Democrats had urged Johnson, via a letter, to cancel the upcoming recess to allow them to craft legislation on AI safeguards.
In a notice on Wednesday, House leadership told members that other votes on EPA regulations, originally planned for Thursday, would instead take place on Wednesday afternoon.
The wider picture
A spokesperson for Johnson characterized the House speaker’s latest move as simply moving up scheduled votes, not canceling future votes. The House was already operating on a diminished schedule, after Speaker Mike Johnson earlier this month canceled two weeks in session for late September. House as early as Thursday will now be avoided, at least until after this year's midterm election. House Speaker Mike Johnson's decision cuts short by a day an already light congressional work period, in a month that will see the House in session for just six days.
Democrats have reacted angrily, encouraging Johnson to keep lawmakers on Capitol Hill before the midterm recess beginning on Friday. Speaking to reporters outside of his office on Wednesday, Johnson said he was modifying the schedule because “the House has done its work”. This House has been the second most productive in terms of legislation in the history of the institution since 1789,” Johnson said, repeating a claim he also made earlier this month at the Republican midterm convention.
However, so far, the current session has fallen short of passing legislation to surpass the two previous House sessions, according to the fact-checking website Snopes.
What has been reported
Explore more on these topicsHouse of RepresentativesMike JohnsonPete HegsethRepublicansUS-Israel war on IranAI (artificial intelligence)US CongressnewsShareReuse this contentMost viewedMost viewed House leadership decided to leave Washington a day earlier than planned. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. , who introduced the articles of impeachment, claimed the early dismissal was because Republican leaders feared holding the politically awkward vote, which attacks Hegseth for his role leading the Iran war. In announcing the schedule change, House leaders did not reference the vote to impeach Hegseth, plans for which were unveiled on Tuesday in a surprise move from Rep.
Massie seeks Hegseth’s impeachment over IranTrump calls Supreme Court mail ballot ruling ‘big loss for Republicans’"And there it is. Massie, a libertarian-leaning GOP rabblerouser, has often been at odds with the White House since the start of President Donald Trump's second term, in particular over Massie's push for transparency relating to Epstein, with whom Trump was once friends. We shouldn't be cancelling Congress because of the optics," Massie said from the House floor on Wednesday.
Massie's push to oust Hegseth comes amid increased scrutiny of the war.
What happens next
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. "And the speaker obviously, and obviously the president, does not want that. It’s the latest round of cancellations at the hands of Johnson, who had already cut the pre-election session short by two weeks. They are canceling votes to do business for the American people because they are afraid that that impeachment resolution of Pete Hegseth would pass on a bipartisan basis,” the Democratic representative Pramila Jayapal told MediasTouch.
Lawmakers also hoped to address regulating AI development after industry executives and whistleblowers expressed a dire need for oversight. Johnson, however, has been reluctant to intervene – aligning himself with Donald Trump.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across theguardian.com, cnbc.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.