House lawmakers began leaving Washington on Wednesday, cutting their final legislative week short ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. As a result of this early departure, House GOP leadership officially scrapped the voting schedule for Thursday, which had been set to include a high-profile resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The decision to clear the floor schedule means that the effort to remove Hegseth will not be addressed until the lame-duck session, which occurs after the midterm elections have concluded. By moving the vote, leadership avoids a potentially divisive floor battle during the final days of the campaign cycle. While the resolution remains on the agenda for the future, the immediate legislative calendar has been cleared to allow members to return to their districts to focus on electioneering. The move effectively removes the controversy from the immediate news cycle, though it ensures the issue will remain a point of contention when Congress reconvenes later this year.