Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday curtailed the chamber\u2019s pre-election calendar, putting a number of priorities at risk of being delayed until the lame-duck period or axed altogether.<\/p>\n

Johnson cited pre-midterm political pressures and a lack of action in the Senate \u2014 which is due to return Sept. 14 \u2014 as reasons for canceling<\/a> the House\u2019s final two weeks of session before November.<\/p>\n

But that means House lawmakers have just one more work week in Washington before the elections, and a short list of priorities some members wanted to see action on are now in serious doubt:<\/p>\n

\u2014 DATA CENTERS: One key item that could slip off the pre-midterm agenda is a measure to rein in data centers. Several vulnerable Republicans, like Rep. Rob Bresnahan, say they want to respond to voter backlash against the AI infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Rep. Brett Guthrie\u2019s so-called Ratepayer Protection Act was the most promising bill poised for action this month given its bipartisan approval by Energy and Commerce. He\u2019s been pushing<\/a> Johnson for a floor vote for the bill meant to curb data centers\u2019 grid impact \u2014 but the speaker has made no commitments as the broader data center issue has divided Republicans.<\/p>\n

\u2014 RUSSIA SANCTIONS: Legislation aimed at sanctioning Russia\u2019s trading partners is also at risk of languishing in the House after supporters earlier this week<\/a> had hoped for a vote this month. Johnson on Thursday told reporters leaders were still trying to build bipartisan consensus on the measure.<\/p>\n

Foreign Affairs ranking member Gregory Meeks,\u2028\u201capparently is vehemently opposed to it, and I think the Democrat leadership is as well,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThis should be a bipartisan effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 EPSTEIN OVERSIGHT: House Oversight members, including Chair James Comer, wanted to hold a meeting<\/a> as early as this month for Attorney General Todd Blanche to be interviewed as part of the panel\u2019s Jeffrey Epstein investigation. But yesterday Comer sought to temper expectations given the shortened calendar.<\/p>\n

An effort by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna to force a second House vote<\/a> requiring Blanche to provide more Epstein documents could also fall by the wayside. Massie had earlier this week been bullish on getting enough signatures to force the vote before the midterms, saying he thought the transparency effort would \u201chelp anybody who\u2019s in a purple state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anything that gets punted to November joins a lengthy list of other major priorities lawmakers have lined up to deal with when they return, including the annual defense policy bill, government funding legislation, a surface transportation package, a farm bill, a renewal of government spy powers and more.<\/p>\n

The diminished likelihood of some of these members\u2019 priorities reaching the floor before then is a likely welcomed fate to some Republicans, who hoped to avoid what could be politically tricky votes on data centers and further scrutiny of administration officials and the Epstein files.<\/p>\n

Democrats, meanwhile, have cast the curtailed schedule as proof of the GOP\u2019s dysfunction.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo farm bill. No AI regulations. No affordability agenda. No transportation bill. No water resources bill. No college sports bill. No end to this war,\u201d Sen. Brian Schatz posted about<\/a> Johnson\u2019s schedule change. \u201cSee you right before the holidays! Great job!\u201d<\/p>\n

What else we\u2019re watching:\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2014 BATTLEGROUND REPUBLICANS WARY OF TRUMP MIDTERM VISITS: <\/b>Republicans facing tough elections are wary of tying themselves too closely<\/u><\/a> to President Donald Trump despite his eagerness to get on the campaign trail. Trump\u2019s promise to be heavily involved<\/u><\/a> in the final days of the midterm elections has put many Republicans in an uncomfortable spot: Stay too close to Trump and they could be dragged down by the president\u2019s low approval rating. But run too far away and risk alienating MAGA or Trump, whose super PAC is sitting on more than $400 million they desperately need deployed to help them win key races.
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\n \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\u2014 DEM ELECTION CHIEF WANTS FASTER VOTE TALLIES:\u00a0<\/b>Count faster. That\u2019s the message<\/a> from Rep. Joe Morelle, House Democrats\u2019 top election leader, to states ahead of the midterms. Morelle said in an interview with Blue Light News he\u2019s been leaning on states to staff up on election officials to facilitate speedy ballot counting, while emphasizing the process should still be \u201cdone properly.\u201d The advice is part of his efforts to secure the midterm elections and stave off Republican-led conspiracy theories about the reasons for delays. Morelle also said Democrats have wargamed over 150 scenarios of how the Trump administration could attempt to interfere or complicate the November elections and its certification.<\/p>\n

Andrew Howard, Meredith Lee Hill, Erin Doherty, and Riley Rogerson<\/i> contributed to this report.<\/i>
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