Tipsheet

Gallagher Is Resigning Early. Here's What's Troubling About the Date He Chose to Exit.

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  March 23, 2024 10:00 AM

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) announced Friday he will be departing Congress sooner than he previously indicated, leaving Republicans’ majority in the House hanging by a thread.

On Friday, the lawmaker said he would be leaving Congress on April 19. The announcement came after he said last month he would not seek reelection. 

“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,” Gallagher said in a statement. 

“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 continued.

“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.

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By the numbers: Republicans are set to be down to just 218 members to Democrats' 213 when Rep. Ken Buck's (R-Colo.) resignation takes effect on Friday. Gallagher will bring that to 217.

Republicans will be able to afford just one defection on any party-line vote when Gallagher leaves — any more would cause a bill to fail.

Higgins' replacement will likely bring Democrats up to 214, but three special elections in May and June to replace Buck and other Republicans will almost certainly give Republicans some breathing room.

Between the lines: Republicans were already panicking when Buck announced his resignation, and Gallagher's departure is likely to set off a five-alarm fire.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has also essentially dispensed with party-line votes in favor of voting on major, bipartisan legislation under a process that requires bills to pass with a two-thirds majority. (Via Axios, emphasis added)

Conservatives were highly critical of the date Gallagher chose to depart.

"This is calculated," argued conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. "Gallagher could leave now, and allow his safe Republican seat to be filled quickly. Instead, he is deliberately leaving on a timeline that will leave it empty until November, leaving the GOP majority even smaller and making a Democrat House takeover a real possibility."

Gallagher's announcement comes after Buck hinted that more GOP resignations were in the works.