House to adjourn early, avoiding Hegseth impeachment vote

Speaker of the U.S. House Mike Johnson on Wednesday said he would send representatives home for a weekslong break after votes are taken Wednesday evening, one day earlier than planned. Johnson said the House session had been one of the most productive in history, and it was time for representatives to go home and focus on their campaigns for the midterms, according to a brief statement recorded by CBS. The recess will last seven weeks. More than 100 House Democrats opposed going into recess at all, saying they wanted time to consider legislation to curb artificial intelligence.

The change in the House’s schedule prevented a vote on articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which Rep. Thomas Massie, R.-Ky., introduced Tuesday. Massie accused Hegseth of unlawfully involving the United States in wars in Iran and Yemen, committing war crimes, kidnapping a foreign leader, and suppressing the free speech of Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.

The chamber was expected to vote Wednesday on a package of sanctions targeting the Russian economy, along with additional sanctions against Iran, before going into recess. The bill was a key project of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. If passed, it will be sent to President Trump’s desk for signing.

Has the House weighed in on the Iran war through other votes? The House late Tuesday voted on an Iran war powers resolution for the third time since the war began. The measure passed 220-204, with seven Republicans joining all Democrats in support of the measure. Four Republicans had voted for the measure last time the House considered it. The resolution directs President Donald Trump to remove U.S. troops from hostilities with Iran.

The House has passed such resolutions before, but none have made it all the way through the legislative process.