House Republicans cancel final two weeks of September session before midterms

Sep 3, 2026

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican leadership have canceled the final two weeks of the September legislative session, reducing the voting window to a single week starting September 14, 2026. The decision allows lawmakers to return home early to campaign for the November midterms, a move facilitated by President Donald Trump signing a stopgap spending bill keeping the government open through December 11, 2026. Critics, including Representative Thomas Massie, accuse leadership of using the recess to avoid sensitive votes like the Epstein Transparency Act II.

House September session cancellation

▪Under the revised schedule announced on September 3, 2026, the House of Representatives will return for votes on September 14, 2026, and members are expected to clear out of Washington, D.C. by September 17, 2026
▪House members were advised on September 3, 2026, that the legislative schedule could change again if the Senate adopts a budget resolution to lay the groundwork for a reconciliation bill
▪House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican House leadership canceled the final two weeks of the September legislative session, reducing the scheduled voting period before the November midterm elections to a single week

Stopgap spending bill passage

▪Representative Robert B. Aderholt stated that the passage of the stopgap spending bill negated any compelling reason for the House of Representatives to remain in session late in September 2026
▪President Donald Trump signed a stopgap spending bill on September 2, 2026, that will keep the federal government open through December 11, 2026

Midterm campaign focus

▪Representative Anna Paulina Luna stated on September 3, 2026, that House members were sent home because of a lack of cooperation in the chamber as everyone focuses on their reelection campaigns
▪House members are cutting the legislative calendar short to return to their home districts to focus on campaigning for their own reelections ahead of the November midterm elections

Epstein Files vote avoidance

▪Speaker Mike Johnson previously called Representative Thomas Massie's suggestion that the House would be sent home early to avoid voting on the Epstein Transparency Act II "stupid" and "nonsensical."
▪Representative Thomas Massie claimed on September 3, 2026, that Speaker Mike Johnson recessed Congress early to stymie a vote on the Epstein Transparency Act II

Lutnick Iran casualty misstatement

▪Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick issued a statement on September 3, 2026, apologizing and clarifying that he misspoke, noting that 18 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iranian conflict
▪Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick falsely claimed during a CNBC interview on September 2, 2026, that no Americans had been killed in Iran, describing the conflict as an economic choke-out

CDC measles death count manipulation

▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention delayed its weekly measles update and added a note stating that available information did not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the Pennsylvania deaths
▪Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to remove two measles deaths from the Pennsylvania state tally