US House Recess Delays Hegseth Impeachment Vote
Speaker Johnson ended the House session early on Thursday. This blocked a vote on Thomas Massie's resolution.
Massie wanted to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. This was over the war in Iran.
Massie is a Republican from Kentucky. He said the early break blocked his impeachment effort.
He argued the timing helped avoid difficult votes. Johnson said the early recess was needed for midterm campaigning.
Massie filed eight articles of impeachment on Tuesday. This started a two-day deadline for the House to act.
The recess also stopped a vote on Massie's Epstein files effort. That effort sought more files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
It had support from both parties. The House is expected to be away for more than six weeks. Both efforts remain pending.
Key Terms 3
- Impeachment A formal process to remove a government official from office.
- Jeffrey Epstein A financier convicted of sex crimes whose case is still being investigated.
- Defense Secretary The top US official who leads the military.