More evidence that Republicans are going to get slaughtered in November. They are being ruled by the least among them. They may lose majority soon, and then that gives Democrats all kinds of advantages heading into the election.
The decisions to depart are yet another sign of the broader drop in morale within the GOP conference. Many Republican lawmakers have largely accepted that their inability to govern is a predicament of their own making. They acknowledge that overcoming their legislative impasse relies not only on keeping control of the House in November, but also on growing their ranks significantly enough to neutralize the handful of hard-liners who wield influence by taking advantage of the narrow margins. But many also continue to say privately what few have acknowledged publicly: Republicans believe they are likely to lose the majority.
And members are also worried that some lawmakers who have already decided to leave will consider resigning early, threatening Republicans’ current majority. Former congressman Ken Buck (R-Colo.), who resigned after condemning how unserious his party has become, has hinted that several additional colleagues are mulling leaving before the new year.
“This is a dysfunctional place, and I’m not making an observation that others haven’t made,” Buck said.
Forty-three lawmakers, almost evenly split between both parties, won’t return to the House next year. While the number of retirements is on par with previous years, examining exactly which Republicans are retiring and how soon tells a more complex story.
Five of 21 retiring Republicans will have resigned before the end of the term. Four GOP committee chairs are leaving, but Republicans were particularly shocked at the announced departures of Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Gallagher, who are not term-limited from continuing to oversee their committees. Eight lawmakers are retiring from the coveted Energy and Commerce Committee and eight subcommittee chairs are leaving. Four former members of a different GOP leadership era also have called it quits: former speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), his trusted deputy Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.), former deputy whip Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.), and McMorris Rodgers, who previously served as conference chair.
Following the historic ouster of McCarthy last year and the difficulty governing afterward, several lawmakers — who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss personal plans — seriously considered retiring. But what motivated these more pragmatic Republicans to seek reelection was the possibility that their absence could open up the seat to a candidate more willing to stonewall than govern.
‘Increasingly chaotic’: Why House Republicans are heading for the exits
The decision by 21 Republican lawmakers to depart is indicative of the broader morale problem within the GOP conferenceThe decisions to depart are yet another sign of the broader drop in morale within the GOP conference. Many Republican lawmakers have largely accepted that their inability to govern is a predicament of their own making. They acknowledge that overcoming their legislative impasse relies not only on keeping control of the House in November, but also on growing their ranks significantly enough to neutralize the handful of hard-liners who wield influence by taking advantage of the narrow margins. But many also continue to say privately what few have acknowledged publicly: Republicans believe they are likely to lose the majority.
And members are also worried that some lawmakers who have already decided to leave will consider resigning early, threatening Republicans’ current majority. Former congressman Ken Buck (R-Colo.), who resigned after condemning how unserious his party has become, has hinted that several additional colleagues are mulling leaving before the new year.
“This is a dysfunctional place, and I’m not making an observation that others haven’t made,” Buck said.
Forty-three lawmakers, almost evenly split between both parties, won’t return to the House next year. While the number of retirements is on par with previous years, examining exactly which Republicans are retiring and how soon tells a more complex story.
Five of 21 retiring Republicans will have resigned before the end of the term. Four GOP committee chairs are leaving, but Republicans were particularly shocked at the announced departures of Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Gallagher, who are not term-limited from continuing to oversee their committees. Eight lawmakers are retiring from the coveted Energy and Commerce Committee and eight subcommittee chairs are leaving. Four former members of a different GOP leadership era also have called it quits: former speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), his trusted deputy Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.), former deputy whip Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.), and McMorris Rodgers, who previously served as conference chair.
Following the historic ouster of McCarthy last year and the difficulty governing afterward, several lawmakers — who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss personal plans — seriously considered retiring. But what motivated these more pragmatic Republicans to seek reelection was the possibility that their absence could open up the seat to a candidate more willing to stonewall than govern.
That means that Dems who relocated to Florida, experiencing how much better Republican led Florida is vs the shit Dem state they fled, abandoned the Dem party and registered as Republicans.
