Congress is checking out early after Speaker of the House Mike Johnson scrapped Thursday’s entire voting schedule.
Lawmakers will now be heading home tonight for a lengthy vacation on the taxpayer’s dime.
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives also canceled the schedule for the last two weeks of September.
So now, they will not return to Capitol Hill until after the November midterm elections are over!
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin was the first to break the news:
BREAKING: House Speaker Mike Johnson tells reporters tomorrow’s House votes are cancelled & the House will likely leave after votes tonight and go on recess until after the November midterms.
This, after 100+ House Dems called for him to cancel the recess to deal w/ “AI crisis”.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_)
September 16, 2026
Watch what Speaker Johnson had to tell CBS News about his decision to call it quits early:
House Speaker Mike Johnson has canceled Thursday’s planned votes, sending members home early ahead of the November midterm elections and telling reporters Wednesday that the House has “done its work.”
“It’s time for our members to go home to their districts and make their case…
pic.twitter.com/TFDS590Ora
— CBS News (@CBSNews)
September 16, 2026
This move comes after Democrats urged Speaker Johnson to cancel the upcoming recess over an impending “AI crisis.”
But, that’s not the only vote left hanging now that Congress is breaking early.
Politico reported:
The decision lops another day off a preelection legislative schedule that Johnson had already truncated by two weeks. It also allows members to avoid having to take a vote on an impeachment resolution introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which would have hit the floor no later than Thursday under House rules.
Johnson called the idea of impeaching Hegseth “ridiculous” Wednesday.
“It’s a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention,” he said. “It will immediately be tabled, of course, but we probably won’t do that today. We’ll probably do it when we come back. But it’s a stunt. Secretary Hegseth has done an extraordinary job.”
Leadership staffers indicated in a notice to members that other votes expected Thursday, on overturning some EPA regulations, would now take place Wednesday evening. The House could also vote on holding hedge fund mogul Leon Black in contempt of Congress over his refusal to testify in the Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation, Johnson said.
Rep. Thomas Massie believes the reason that Speaker Johnson decided to cancel tomorrow’s schedule is because he introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
In response to Speaker Johnson’s decision, Rep. Massie issued a scathing rebuke on the House floor:
HAPPENING NOW: Rep. Thomas Massie rebukes Speaker Mike Johnson on the House floor over an early recess that delays the Hegseth impeachment vote: “When other people want to go home, I’m here to work.”
Full story:
https://t.co/Be0f4lnKwx pic.twitter.com/SwIaQL9yVm
— Donny Evans (@iamdonnyevans)
September 16, 2026
Now, don’t get me wrong: Rep. Massie’s attempt to impeach Hegseth is nothing more than a political stunt.
But, it’s still incredibly frustrating that Congress can just call off for weeks or months at a time at will like this.
A lot of everyday Americans — whose tax dollars are used to pay Congress members’ salaries — are rightfully angry.
Take a look at some of these responses:
Is there a way we can arrange to stop paying these legislators when they aren’t in DC actually LEGISLATING? Or dock their pay for every day of recess or vacation they’re not legislating?
Senate gone for 5 weeks but still blocks recess appointments. House goes away for 2 months…
— Shiro1961 (@Shiro1961198483)
September 16, 2026
These people never work. I need to get into politics. Never work. And end up worth billions somehow.
— Nikki Gist (@NikkiNic9384)
September 16, 2026
Congress is corrupt and USELESS in so many ways. Dems and Rep alike. We have no representation. Where’s the damn tea?
— Diana W
(@DianaW890)
September 16, 2026
Then they’ll work for two weeks and go on Thanksgiving/Christmas vacation.
— GG
(@ggrosek2)
September 16, 2026
What are your thoughts?
If it fair that Congress is able to take weeks-long vacations at the taxpayer’s expense?
Continue reading...
[ H/T WLT Report ]
(@ggrosek2) September 16, 2026
