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.
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.
It’s the latest round of cancelations at the hands of Johnson, who had already cut the pre-election session short by two weeks. Democrats have reacted angrily, encouraging Johnson to keep lawmakers on Capitol Hill before the midterm recess beginning on Friday.
“I think it shows the cowardice of the Republican Party. 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,” Democratic rep 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.
“We cannot have a moratorium on the development of AI,” the House speaker told reporters on Tuesday. “Because then we will lose our edge to China, and that has serious national security implications for every American family.”
More than ۱۰۰ House Democrats had urged Johnson, via a letter, to cancel the upcoming recess to allow them to vote on the AI safeguards.
The Guardian has asked Johnson’s office for comment.
In a notice on Wednesday, House leadership told members that other votes on EPA regulations, originally planned for Thursday, would instead take place Wednesday afternoon.
