Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher announced Friday that he will be resigning from Congress early, leaving House Republicans with a razor-thin majority.
“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. The congressman’s exit means there will be now a 217-213 majority in the House.
“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. My office will continue to operate and provide constituent services to the Eighth District for the remainder of the term,” he continued.
Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) presides over a hearing of the House (Select) Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party Committee on Capitol Hill on January 31, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“Four terms serving Northeast Wisconsin in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime and strengthened my conviction that America is the greatest country in the history of the world. I will forever be proud of the work I did on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, chairing the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and chairing the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. It has truly been an honor to serve in the House of Representatives,” Gallagher added.
Gallagher serves as the Chairman of the Select Committee Investigating The Chinese Communist Party.
Earlier in March, Republican Colorado Rep. Ken Buck announced that he would be leaving Congress sooner than he previously indicated. Buck decided in November of 2023 to not seek reelection. (RELATED: Ken Buck Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection)
“It has been an honor to serve the people of Colorado’s 4th District in Congress for the past 9 years. I want to thank them for their support and encouragement throughout the years,” Buck wrote. “Today, I am announcing that I will depart Congress at the end of next week. I look forward to staying involved in our political process, as well as spending more time in Colorado and with my family.”
Experts recently told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the several more high-profile exits of senior House Republican committee chairs, including Gallagher, may spell both policy and electoral trouble for them throughout 2024. The lawmakers include House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry, and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, however Green is reportedly reconsidering retirement.
“Particularly troubling is that the GOP is losing seasoned chairpersons, these are people who lead committees and therefore have great sway over policy-making and oversight of the executive branch,” Kevin Kosar, a co-founder of the Legislative Branch Working Group and former acting research manager of the Congressional Research Service, said. “It should be particularly distressing to the Republican Party that so many very good legislators are calling it quits.”