(RepublicanDaily.org) – Only last year, Republicans in the House of Representatives were bickering amongst themselves over the speakership. Even now, the new Speaker, Republican Louisiana Representative Mike Johnson, could lose his seat without even holding it for a year. And then there’s the surprise announcement of Republican Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell that he is stepping away from the GOP’s leadership come November.
Political experts warn that the loss of veteran lawmakers from the GOP’s ranks of decision-makers does not bode well for the party.
Speaking to the Daily Caller, Kevin Kosar, who is a co-founder of the Legislative Branch Working Group said that the Republican party is losing “seasoned chairpersons” who have great experience working with other legislators on both sides of the aisle, know the ins and outs of leading committees and “have great sway over policy-making and oversight of the executive branch.”
Kosar, who was also a former acting research manager of the Congressional Research Service, said that the loss of “many very good legislators” should be “particularly distressing” for the GOP.
“[I]t’s never great to lose people with years of expertise,” Josh Chafetz, a law and politics professor at Georgetown University, told the news outlet.
That so many leaders among its ranks have decided to step down is “not a great sign” for the party, Chafetz added, saying that such moves imply that many believe that the Republican party will soon lose its control of the Chamber.
Besides McConnell, a number of Republican committee chairs in Congress are calling it quits—Texas’ Kay Granger, from Appropriations; Washington’s Cathy McMorris Rodgers, from Energy and Commerce; North Carolina’s Patrick McHenry, from Financial Services; and Wisconsin’s Mike Gallagher, who chairs the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party. Mark Green, who represents the 7th congressional district of Tennessee and is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has also said that he plans to retire, but is reportedly having second thoughts.
All in all, 21 Republicans have indicated that they will not be running for re-election for their Congressional seats in November. Some have said that they will be retiring, while others have chosen to run for a different position.
Copyright 2024, RepublicanDaily.org
