The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Massie saying Johnson is sending the House home early to prevent Hegseth impeachment
Rep. Thomas Massie argues that an early House adjournment blocked a potential vote on his eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) filed eight articles of impeachment against Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
Under House rules, the House would have to consider Massie’s articles by tomorrow.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is sending the House home early today.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There will be no session tomorrow. That means the House won’t reconvene for business until after the midterms in mid-November.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to send lawmakers home early could prevent the House from considering Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
Massie contends that Johnson sent everyone home early to avoid a vote related to Hegseth.
If the House had brought up Massie’s impeachment articles, Republicans would likely have offered "a motion to table." This is an effort to kill Massie’s gambit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Thus, the vote would not have been on impeaching Hegseth, but whether or not to set aside Massie’s plan.
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If the House were to table Massie’s articles of impeachment, the gig is up. It’s done.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The House never even considered the actual impeachment resolutions.
Rep. Thomas Massie has aruged that the House adjourned early to avoid a potentially consequential vote related to his impeachment effort against Hegseth. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
But, if the motion to table fails, the House then considers the articles of impeachment.
The motion to table inoculates members from having to take a tough vote on the actual issue.
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I asked Massie the following:
Pergram: That would have put them in a tough spot because they would have had to vote on it. Would it have passed?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Massie: A vote on a motion to table. He may not have survived that vote.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is the subject of eight articles of impeachment filed by Rep. Thomas Massie. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
In other words, Massie believes the House could have defeated the motion to table.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}That would have triggered votes on actually impeaching Hegseth.
And, from Massie’s standpoint, that’s why Johnson sent the House home.