Lame-Duck House Members Accelerate Impeachment and Discharge Petitions

Departing representatives are using the final weeks of the congressional term to force votes that would not have passed under regular leadership control. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) unveiled eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, half of which target the Pentagon’s conduct of the war in Iran. Massie also filed a discharge petition to compel the Justice Department to release all files related to convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. He says Republicans Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) have supplied the remaining signatures needed to meet the 218-signature threshold for a floor vote after the recess. Mace signed a separate petition to expand benefits for disabled veterans, becoming the 218th signature on that effort.

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The surge mirrors a broader pattern among outgoing lawmakers who lost primaries or announced retirements. In the Senate, Senators John Cornyn (Tx.), Bill Cassidy (La.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) formed a self-styled “YOLO” caucus after primary defeats tied to former President Donald Trump. In the House, the same dynamic is driving bipartisan defections, with some Democrats—such as Rep. Jared Golden (D-Me.) and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wa.)—joining Republicans on select votes to aid Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) late-campaign agenda.

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Speaker Johnson dismissed Massie’s claim that leadership shut down the Legislative Branch as “ridiculous,” characterizing the impeachment effort as a publicity stunt. Massie, however, framed the recess cut-short by GOP leaders as an attempt to avoid a contentious vote on Hegseth. Democratic leader Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) criticized the cross-party defections, saying there is “no excuse for it, really.” Rep. Al Green (D-Tx.) continued his long-standing push to impeach former President Trump, a move that has drawn mixed reactions from Democratic leadership.

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• “They shut down the Legislative Branch of the United States of America because I was outmaneuvering the Speaker to expose a global sex trafficking ring and impeach a rogue cabinet secretary,” — Rep. Thomas Massie

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• “When we return from recess that @SpeakerJohnson imposed until the election, @RepRoKhanna & I will have 218 names required to force a vote!” — Rep. Thomas Massie

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• “We signed this discharge petition because enough is enough,” — Reps. Nancy Mace

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These actions could shape the legislative agenda in the lame-duck period, potentially forcing votes on high-profile impeachment and transparency measures before the new Congress convenes.

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