US House Speaker Mike Johnson cancels Thursday session, sending lawmakers into seven-week recess and avoiding Hegseth impeachment vote

On September 16, 2026, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson canceled the House session scheduled for Thursday, sending lawmakers into a seven-week recess that will last until after the November midterm elections. The decision avoided a vote on a resolution by Representative Thomas Massie to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war in Iran. More than 100 House Democrats had urged Johnson to keep the House in session to vote on artificial intelligence safety legislation. Johnson defended the recess, calling the Congress one of the most productive in decades, while Democrats accused Republicans of inaction on affordability and AI.