WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives canceled all floor votes Thursday and shut down until June. The sudden recess killed a war powers resolution that was about to pass with bipartisan support. Members walked out in confusion. The sergeant at arms locked the doors at 4:15 p.m.
The Senate had already approved the resolution 50 to 47. Four Republicans crossed the aisle to block Tangerine Cock-Womble's military escalation in Iran. The conflict has cost $37 billion so far. It has killed 14 U.S. service members. Gasoline prices jumped another 40 cents. The administration called the campaign 'limited and necessary.'
House leaders learned midday that they did not have the votes. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick told GOP leadership the resolution would pass. 'I said, next time you bring it, it's passing,' Fitzpatrick told reporters. 'So they canceled the vote and sent us home.' Another Republican, Tom Barrett, had privately confirmed he would also vote yes.
Speaker Mike Johnson then announced an immediate recess. He did not take questions. His office issued a short statement. 'Maintaining the integrity of the legislative calendar required this recess. The war powers vote was not a factor.' A spokesman later called it 'a routine scheduling adjustment.'
The maneuver stunned Democrats. Congressman Jim McGovern asked on the floor what was happening. No one answered. Rep. Ozowski said later, 'They didn't have the votes to keep the war going, so they packed up and ran home. Meanwhile, we're losing troops and getting crushed at the pump.'
The House will not reconvene until June 3. Military operations in Iran will continue without a vote. The Pentagon confirmed it does not need congressional approval to keep bombing. The House Appropriations Committee had already funded the war through August.
This tactic is not new. Republicans used the same procedural move last year to block release of Epstein-related files. 'We have a study group that looks at which scheduled votes could embarrass the president,' one GOP aide said. 'If a vote is about to lose, we just cancel the House. It works fine.'
Democratic leaders accused Johnson of abusing his power. 'This is a cover-up,' said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. 'The Speaker shut down the people's House to protect a failed war. You cannot claim to support the troops while hiding from a vote about them.'
Rank-and-file Republicans were more direct. 'It's a mess,' said one member who asked not to be named. 'We're going home for three weeks because we can't win a vote. And everyone knows we'll lose it when we come back. The only question is how much worse the war will be by then.'
The Pentagon issued a brief comment. 'We remain mission-focused.' A Pentagon spokesperson added that operations in Iran are 'proceeding as planned' and the recess 'does not affect our timeline.'
The House majority leader's office sent an email to members titled 'Important Scheduling Update.' It listed no agenda for the recess period. It did not mention Iran. The email ended with a reminder to submit expense reports by Friday.
