Is Mike Johnson the Weakest Speaker in American History? House Sent Home Until After the Midterms
Speaker Mike Johnson has sent the House of Representatives home until after the November midterm elections, and the move has members of his own party talking.
Earlier this month Johnson canceled all House business for the final two weeks of September. Then on Thursday, September 17, he canceled that day's votes too and sent lawmakers home for more than six weeks. The House will not return until after voters head to the polls on November 3. That leaves the chamber almost empty for the stretch when campaigns are loudest. Members had been left with just four scheduled voting days before the election. Just days before the decision, Johnson had told reporters, "Republicans are here to work," and "We are going to work all the way through September."
Johnson defended the change. "The House has done its work," he said. "It's time for our members to go home to their districts and make their case to the American people." Many members in close races had been pressing leadership to let them get back on the campaign trail, and the Speaker gave them that.
Critics inside his own conference pushed back hard. Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina said Congress has canceled at least 63 scheduled voting days this Congress. For voters who expect Congress to show up, that number stands out.
The early exit has other effects. It means no vote before the election on the eight impeachment articles Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Massie argues the Iran war ran past the 60-day limit allowed without approval from Congress. Leaving town takes that fight off the calendar until after the votes are counted. Democrats called the move an attempt to avoid tough votes before the election. Democrats had also urged Johnson to keep the House in session to take up rules on artificial intelligence. He declined, saying AI companies should "self-police" and "self-regulate."
Before leaving, the House was expected to vote on Russia sanctions and a consumer data protection bill. The Senate, by contrast, is staying in session through September to work on college sports and permitting reform bills.
Johnson has led the House since October 2023, after Kevin McCarthy became the first Speaker ever removed by a vote of the chamber. He came into the job as a little-known Louisiana congressman and has governed with one of the thinnest majorities in modern history. His critics point to canceled votes, missed deadlines and repeated fights inside his own party. His supporters say keeping that narrow majority together at all is the real test, and that he has passed the bills President Trump asked for.
How voters judge him will show up on November 3. If Republicans hold the House, Johnson likely keeps the gavel. If they lose it, the question of his record gets asked again.
Do you think Johnson is the weakest Speaker in American history? YES OR NO?
