Feb 16, 2024
The House Republican Conference has seen an unusual flurry of high-profile retirement announcements that has some political observers wondering whether this trend is a silent admission that the GOP will lose its majority this year.
So far, 15 House Republicans have announced their retirements, doing so without plans to seek higher office. However, more unusual than the sheer number of retirements is some of the individuals who’ve chosen to leave.
Tennessee Representative Mark Green, who announced his retirement Wednesday, is 59 and chairs the Committee on Homeland Security. Wisconsin Representative Mike Gallagher, who announced his retirement on February 10, is just 39 and has been described as a “rising star,” in part due to his high-profile work chairing the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
Washington Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the 54-year-old chair of the powerful Energy & Commerce Committee, announced her retirement on February 8. And 48-year-old North Carolina Representative Patrick McHenry, chair of the powerful Financial Services Committee and the former speaker pro tempore, said he’d retire on December 5.
“We’ve seen moments where there are more heavy exits from Congress, and that it is like a canary in the coal mine,” Grant Reeher, a political science professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, told Newsweek. “If I’m the speaker, I’m definitely worried.”
Reeher said the exiting of governance-oriented members should be a sign of concern, particularly when their exit will create open seats that could be vulnerable to a challenge from the opposing party. This could be especially worrying for Republicans representing districts that expect their elected officials to deliver results.
The 118th Congress has been one of the least productive in history, passing just 39 bills since its inception in January 2023. ABC News reported that this puts it on track to be “one of the least functional sessions ever.”
While the Democratic-controlled Senate has maintained some semblance of bipartisanship, passing an aid bill on February 13 to fund war efforts in Ukraine and Israel, the House has faced heated division.
Not only have Democrats and Republicans come into conflict, making the body’s most basic job of funding the federal government an arduous task, but Republicans have faced bitter intraparty divisions.
It took former Speaker Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds to become speaker, and he was removed from the position just 269 days into his tenure after conservative Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida filed a “motion to vacate” that resulted in eight Republicans joining Democrats to vote for his removal.
Under his successor, Speaker Mike Johnson, Republicans have continued to argue over policy priorities, sometimes sinking bills supported by the speaker publicly on the House floor. The conference briefly unified to elect Johnson in October, but after the Louisianan moved to extend government funding deadlines to March, chatter emerged from some Republicans calling for his ouster.
“They’re quitting because they know that they’re going to lose, and they’re sick of the bulls***—plain and simple,” Democratic Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts told Newsweek. “I think that’s why you’re seeing so many people leave. Some of these people are in key positions, and they would remain in key positions, even in the minority.”
McGovern, who has served in the House since 1997 and is the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, said some of the people leaving are his friends, and while they may not speak ill of their party publicly, they’ll talk about their dismay with its dysfunction behind closed doors.
The National Republican Congressional Committee, which is responsible for maintaining the GOP’s majority, did not return Newsweek‘s inquiry into whether the retirements should serve as a warning sign to the party. Neither did Johnson’s office.
However, Florida Representative Byron Donalds, an emerging star within the party and a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, dismissed concerns. He noted that some of the people leaving, like the 81-year-old chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, Kay Granger of Texas, are term limited in their positions.
“We have a lot of members who are nearly done with their term as chairman, so why stay around at that point?” Donalds told Newsweek. “I think chairmen leaving after they’re done makes sense.”
Donalds said with veteran lawmakers leaving, Republicans will see a wave of fresh talent that may hold ideologies more cohesive with younger members of the conference, which could lead to less infighting.
Additionally, the U.S. House of Representatives Press Gallery reported that 23 Democrats are retiring from the House as opposed to 21 Republicans. The caveat to this, however, is that 12 of the 23 are doing so to seek higher office while just six of the 21 Republicans are seeking political promotions.
Regarding term limits, while Granger and McHenry may have to forfeit their positions under GOP rules, McMorris Rogers, Green and Gallagher are not term limited. Some of those leaving have openly admitted to contentious House politics as influencing their decision.
In a January interview with the Indiana-based newspaper The Republic, Republican Representative Greg Pence—brother of former Vice President Mike Pence—admitted that when people ask whether “chaos in the House of Representatives” is a reason behind his decision to retire, he responds by saying, “that certainly didn’t incentivize me to change my mind.”
For Democrats looking to flip the House and elect Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries as speaker, such comments are music to their ears.
“House Republicans are sprinting for the exits because they know they are going to lose the majority,” Jacob Haythorn, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Newsweek. “They are either too embarrassed or too exhausted by their litany of legislative failures and complete surrender to extremist politics to stick around.”
https://www.newsweek.com/chaos-mounts-congress-are-house-republicans-throwing-towel-1870788
“The 118th Congress has been one of the least productive in history, passing just 39 bills since its inception in January 2023. ABC News reported that this puts it on track to be “one of the least functional sessions ever.”
When a tower falls over, it always starts very slowly, gaining speed as it crashes to the ground. This might be the GOP in the near future. They have the bigger fault for this Congress not only being the most unproductive, but also the most destructive and most dishonorable ever.
Sadly, true, Mr. Ofp. And I’m concerned this is the inevitable consequence of a systemic mistake by the founding fathers, who made it too difficult to change the constitution of their brand new republic. This has resulted in the political system, especially the polarizing winner-takes-it-all rule and the now anachronistic electional college, to become increasingly outdated, to the point where it can’t work properly anymore. It simply hadn’t been foreseen that not individual lawmakers and executives, driven by patriotic motives and willing to compromise, would share power, but rather only two big parties, resulting in a huge division. Adjustments should have been made like one hundred years ago, but never happened.
And so, now a crazy quarter of the population, or even less (gerrymandering does have an impact, too) are able to hold the majority of the people hostage. That’s a perversion of democracy, putting the whole nation on a road to ruin, but unless the majority overcomes political divisions and unites in one huge movement to rescue democracy, nothing can be done to prevent further decline and eventual fall, I’m afraid. I hope that sanity can prevail, but that requires a highly charismatic leader, who manages to gather enough support behind his vision of a better democratic system. That saviour can’t emerge soon enough, or else demagogues will seize the opportunity to establish a dictatorship. Now truely is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the nation.
The US governmental system is flawed, no doubt. But, every system on this planet has faults.
Churchill put it nicely, having once said, democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.
My biggest issue is the fact that Trump, who is not even a member of this government anymore, holds sway over certain “Republicans”. This is NOT what our founding fathers had in mind when they created this nation and its governmental system. The ones that the members of Congress are liable for are their voters. The voters are their bosses, not an ex-president. This is the core problem with all of this.
Apparently, it’s the smartest Republicans who can’t stand the madness any longer. Sadly, this will enable stoopid to gain even more leverage in the formerly GOP. The outlook for democracy in the US is grim, I’m afraid.
I’m still hoping for the electorate to wake up to reality and choose their candidates more carefully. This would solve many problems in the government.
I know, I’m a hopeless optimist.
The GOP should split. The serious ones should set up a new party, the Republican Party of America, for example. And leave the maga trash behind in their shitty GOP. The RPA could then vote with the Dems or GOP, depending on their positions. In my view the GOP is dead. It’s a zoo, a circus.
This makes sense, Mike, but to establish a new major party in the US will be very difficult. There have been several attempts, without success (just look at the Third Way movement now). When even popular Teddy Roosevelt failed with his Progressive Party (a.k.a. “Bull Moose Party”), it takes an even more charismatic leader to pull this through, me thinks. Where’s that guy? He needs to step up now.
“Where’s that guy?”
John McCain or Ronald Reagan, but they’re dead.
I understand where that republican centered view comes from (I’m more on the Dems’ side, obviously), and admit that maybe Ronald Reagan could have managed to reign the radicals in, in his prime. Let’s remember that the horrible “drown government in a bath tub” mentality came up after his presidency. John McCain, though, evidently wasn’t really made of the right stuff. He appeased the nutcases, instead of fighting them, by chosing unhinged Sarah Palin as a running mate. That was a matter of great concern for many centrist Americans and may have cost him the presidency. I call failure.
McCain, like every other person on this planet was not perfect. But, he was a straightforward man who was not afraid to challenge leaders. He was also a staunch pro-Ukrainian and a very anti-ruskie/anti-putler politician. Having him in Congress or the White House would be a boon to the country and to Ukraine.
McCain’s big problem was Sarah Palin. Had he chose someone with intelligence, he might have got elected instead, of the useless bastard that sold Ukraine down the river.
I wish we wouldn’t call them Republicans in the first place. Fascists or at least semi-fascists would be more fitting.
I think the term “Trumpists” shows that this has become a personality cult without any reason behind it.
Yes, that description would also be a good alternative.
Sir OFP and Sir gray, I’m typically someone who sees my glass is half empty looking at the negatives however, I’ve also believed to run towards chaos as that is where opportunity rears its head. I’ve seen at times when both parties have had difficulties and their demise were echoed by the media. I am hopeful that an awakening or realization by the GOP will result in return of the Reagan Republicans who see government positions as a way to enhance the lives of its citizens and the world rather then satisfying their own childish tantrums and egotistical behavior. So I hope !!! 🇺🇦🇺🇦🙏🇺🇸🇺🇸
Hope dies last, Captain, but democracy will die sooner. It takes a highly popular leader to drum up support for the rescue of the nation now. And that’s the problem, since as far as I can see, there’s nobody of the necessary stature and character around. So, who’s gonna do this? To paraphrase Simon and Garfunkel, “Where have you gone, Franklin Roosevelt? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”
Hope springs eternal!
Never lose your optimism, Captain. It’s a source of energy! 🖖🙂
Not sure I’m an optimist but I am the first one to run into a burning building.
Hear, hear, Sir Cap. I hope that the chaos has already reached its climax and tact and wisdom will soon regain control.
Not sure Sir OFP. I was hoping the recent special election would open the GOP eyes with more impact. But who knows perhaps it has started. When you see seasoned representatives like McCaul and Ward publicly questioning the leadership and the extremes in their party, perhaps it’s a beginning
Sane and basically uncorrupted people Must question what’s going on in Congress, Sir Cap.