Republican House Majority to Shrink as Mike Gallagher Steps Down – The Republican dominance in the US House of Representatives is poised to diminish even more as Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, once touted as a rising star within the party, departs early. Gallagher, a former US Marine with two deployments to Iraq under his belt, at 40, represents a comparatively moderate stance within the party, though he finds himself overshadowed by the influence of the far right.
He had already announced his decision to retire but in a statement on Friday he said: “After conversations with my family, I have made the decision to resign my position effective 19 April. I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership on this timeline.” The announcement followed closely on the heels of Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who stands out as an extremist even within a party heavily influenced by its far-right faction.
In response to the approval of a funding bill backed by Democrats, Greene promptly filed a motion to oust Mike Johnson, the speaker from Louisiana. According to reports, allies of Gallagher stated that his departure was spurred by such conduct, notably the expulsion of Kevin McCarthy, the previous speaker, by the right wing last October.
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Friday marked the final day in Congress for Ken Buck of Colorado, a conservative despite being disenchanted by the internal turmoil within his party, who also decided to accelerate his planned retirement. Following Buck’s exit, Republicans will hold a narrow 218-213 majority in the House. With Gallagher’s impending departure, Johnson will only have the luxury of losing one vote if Democrats remain united.
According to Wisconsin elections law, Gallagher’s seat will not be contested until November. On Friday, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the majority leader, told reporters: “It’s tough, but it’s tough with a five-seat majority, it’s tough with a two-seat majority, one is going to be the same. We all have to work together. We’re all going to have to unite if we’re going get some things done.”
In a caucus heavily influenced by Donald Trump from the outside, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, such unity appears highly improbable. In the previous month, Gallagher was among three House Republicans who opposed the impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary. This move was widely regarded as falling short of meeting the criteria for charges of high crimes and misdemeanors but was intended to bolster Republican messaging on immigration during an election year.
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Mayorkas is highly likely to avoid conviction and removal by the Democratic-controlled Senate. Shortly after casting his vote against the impeachment of Mayorkas, Gallagher declared his intention to retire. “Electoral politics was never supposed to be a career and, trust me, Congress is no place to grow old,” he said. “And so, with a heavy heart, I have decided not to run for re-election.”
On Friday, Gallagher cited his work chairing a select committee on China and said “four terms serving north-east Wisconsin in Congress has been the honour of a lifetime and strengthened my conviction that America is the greatest country in the history of the world”.
