Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) said Friday that he will quit from Congress in April. This will make the Republicans’ already small majority in the House of Representatives even smaller.
According to a statement from Gallagher, he has decided to step down as a member of the House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District “effective April 19, 2024.” This choice was made after talking with his family.
For this schedule, he said, “I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership. I’m looking forward to seeing Speaker Johnson choose a new chair to carry out the important work of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.” “For the remainder of the term, my office will continue to run and serve the people of the Eighth District.”
Wisconsin law says that Gallagher’s seat can’t be filled until after the election in November, if the lawmaker sticks to his plan to retire.
The state could hold a special election before November to fill his empty spot if he quit before the second Tuesday in April.
The GOP already didn’t have much control over the lower house before Gallagher quit.
The Republican majority in the House will drop to 217–213, which means that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R–La.) can only lose one Republican member on any given vote if Democrats vote along party lines.
There were 222-213 Republicans in the House after the 2022 midterm elections.
Galagher, who is in charge of the committee looking into the Chinese Communist Party, is the most recent Republican to quit Congress early.
On Friday, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) will step down.
In January, Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) quit.
Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who used to be House Speaker but was removed from his position, left at the end of last year.
Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was kicked out of the party soon after being charged with fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and lying. Democrat Tom Suozzi took his place.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), House Financial Services Chairman Patrick McHenry (R-NC), and House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-Texas) are just a few of the other Republicans who have said they will be leaving the House at the end of the year.
“Four terms in Congress representing Northeast Wisconsin has been the honor of a lifetime and made me even more sure that America is the best country in the history of the world,” Gallgher said. “I will always be proud of the work I did as chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, member of the Armed Services Committee, and member of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.”