This is my second piece in the last week or so spotlighting the exodus of Republican House members from Congress…
It IS another indication of the fear the Grand Ole Party has about Donald Trump’s ability to wrangle another term in office and Trump’s watering down the power and influence of the Republicans in Congress with his inept actions….
House Republicans plotting to win back their majority in Congress fear they are on the brink of a massive wave of retirements that could force them to play defense in a high-stakes presidential election year.
Three House Republicans said last week they would not seek another term next year, catching party strategists off guard. Those announcements came earlier than in a typical election cycle, when members who are ready to hang up their voting cards usually wait until after the August recess or after the Christmas break.
Republicans in Congress strategizing to win back the House say the rush to the exits reflects the depressing reality of life in the minority and a pessimistic view of the GOP’s chances of regaining the majority.
“We are in the minority. That is never much fun in the House,” said one senior Republican member of Congress, who asked for anonymity to provide a candid assessment. “The odds are against us retaking the majority.”
Transitioning from the all-powerful majority to the back-bench minority can refocus one’s outlook on public service, said Tom Davis, a former Virginia congressman who ran the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).
“Moving from the majority to the minority changes your mindset about why am I here, am I getting things done,” Davis said. “It’s a very frustrating life for some of these members right now. There’s been no pay raise for 11 years. You’ve got to maintain two households.”
The job of serving in Congress itself has changed in recent years. Members of Congress now routinely skip town hall meetings to avoid being confronted by angry constituents, they are frequently asked to defend President Trump’s Twitter habits and the House Republican Conference is increasingly influenced by a small group of hard-right conservatives.
“Serving in the era of Trump has few rewards. He has made an already hostile political environment worse. Every day there is some indefensible tweet or comment to defend or explain. It is exhausting and often embarrassing,” the member of Congress said. Even if Republicans were to win back the majority, “our edge would be narrow which means we would live under the tyranny of the Freedom Caucus. Frankly I wonder if this conference is capable of governing.”…
Note…
I’ve been say……Almost everything Donald Trump touches turns to shit…..
Jake Sherman
@JakeSherman
NEWS … Texas GOP Rep. Mike Conaway is retiring after 15 years in Congress. This is the fifth retirement in two weeks.
They keep dropping like flys….
Republican Rep. John Shimkus will not run for a 13th term in his southeastern Illinois district, vacating what will likely remain a safe Republican seat in 2020.
Shimkus announced his decision Friday afternoon, saying he wanted to make his plans known as candidates begin to circulate petitions for office next week….
Roll Call…
Well, he only stayed twice as long as he originally promised to.
Or is it three times?
Shimkus district used to be competititve, before it was rediatricred pretty much out of the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis. Now it’s mostly rural and pretty red. The other two GOP held districts near me in Southern Illinois were close in 2018 with Rodney Davis and Mike Bost both eeking out wins. They will both be targers again in 2020.
Shimkus will be replaced by another Republican though.
There are gonna be a whole lot more GOPer’s deciding to NOT run again….
Democrats should make good sized gains on the majority in the House….