What happened
The House Wednesday passed sweeping legislation to punish Russia and voted to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas tied to Jeffrey Epstein, then adjourned until after the Nov. 3 midterms.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) “decision to send the House home early — again” — exacerbated his “increasingly bitter feud” with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) over his alleged use of the calendar to “dodge politically painful votes,” Axios said.
Who said what
Massie “seized control” of the House for a “blistering hourlong speech” in which he accused Johnson of cutting out a day early to stymie “his bipartisan effort to force the release of more” Epstein files and his resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, The Associated Press said. It was a “colorful capstone” to Johnson’s “tumultuous” two-year tenure, during which he “repeatedly and abruptly canceled House voting days” to avoid “disruptions from his own rebellious flank — particularly those legislative efforts that threatened to rebuke President Donald Trump.” By one count, Johnson cut a net 24 days this year, “about one-fourth of the total scheduled.”
What next?
The Russian sanctions bill, which passed 262-159, now goes to Trump’s desk for his expected signature. The legislation “targets Russia’s energy and defense industries” to “deprive Moscow of funds used to pay for its war with Ukraine,” Reuters said. But it “faced pushback because it also authorizes Trump to impose stiff tariffs of up to 100%” on countries that don’t “reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas.”
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie admonished House Speaker Mike Johnson for sending lawmakers home early to campaign for the midterms
