On Sunday, former President Donald Trump lashed out as a Republican lawmaker reportedly confirmed plans to retire early from the House, part of an exodus that is shrinking what had already been a narrow GOP majority after the 2022 election.
A post to Trump’s page on Truth Social offered a disgusted reaction to a Washington Examiner report on how Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) is still planning to step down in April, even after House leadership urged him to remain in office.
“Never forget our cowards and weaklings! Such a disgrace,” said Trump, who is seeking re-election to the White House this year and has secured enough delegates to clinch the GOP nomination.
According to Scripps News, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had asked Gallagher not to resign on April 19 as he had previously announced.
Several members of the House have parted ways with Congress over the past several months for various reasons. Not all of them were Republicans, but enough GOP members have departed or announced plans to leave to diminish leadership’s ability to make headway on party-line issues.
Among those not completing their two-year term was Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who left after losing the speakership. Others include Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), who resigned from office to become president of Youngstown State University, and Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO).
One Democrat, Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), stepped down in February to become president and CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center. And Democrat Tom Suozzi took office after his victory in a special election that followed the expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R-NY).
There are currently 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats in the House, with four vacancies. Although special elections have been set up to fill in the gaps, Gallagher’s impending exit in the coming weeks would leave the chamber with a fifth vacancy for the time being.
“After conversations with my family, I have made the decision to resign my position as a member of the House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District effective April 19, 2024,” Gallagher said in a statement announcing his plans to retire early.
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“I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party,” he added. “My office will continue to operate and provide constituent services to the Eighth District for the remainder of the term.”
In January, Speaker Johnson talked about the political situation for House Republicans as he faced pushback from a group of conservatives amid negotiations on spending and border security with Democrats in control of the Senate and White House.
“Everyone understands the reality of where we are,” Johnson said at a news conference. “The House Republicans have the second-smallest majority in history. We’re not going to get everything that we want. But we’re going to stick to our core conservative principles.”