Congress in Flux as Johnson Prunes Schedule and AI, Vaccines, and Tax Debates Roil Capitol Hill

House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled Thursday votes and announced a seven-week recess, sidelining a floor vote on Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, while other items— including a Surgeon General nominee defending vaccines, Comer’s Survivor’s Voice Protection Act on NDAs, Democrats’ push for bipartisan AI safeguards led by Rep. Ted Lieu, and efforts to curb federal tax breaks for data centers—underscore Capitol Hill’s juggling of AI policy, public health, and fiscal debates amid a broader political stalemate.