And House Speaker Mike Johnson didn’t know this was coming….
Republicans are now walking a tightrope on keeping their US House Majority and the Speakership…..
This fits in with the Donald Trump choas times for the GOPer’s….
Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., who frequently defied his own party and announced last fall he would not seek re–election, said Tuesday he will resign from Congress at the end of next week, further shrinking the GOP’s already razor-thin majority.
“Today I am announcing that I will depart Congress at the end of next week,” Buck said in a statement. “I look forward to staying involved in our political process, as well as spending more time in Colorado and with my family.”
His departure will cut the House Republican margin to 218-213; Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will continue to have two votes to spare before needing Democrats to govern. But illnesses and other unexpected absences could make his already difficult job even more challenging.
Buck said later that he was tired of the way the House functions now. “We’ve taken impeachment and we’ve made it a social media issue as opposed to a constitutional concept. This place keeps going downhill and I don’t need to spend more time here,” he said.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the news broke, Johnson suggested he did not get a heads-up from Buck.
“I was surprised by Ken’s announcement. I’m looking forward to talking with him about that,” the speaker said.
But Buck said he did, in fact, inform Johnson, leaving a message for the speaker and discussing his departure with other members of leadership. “Frankly, I’m not leaving for a week so they have a week to prepare,” he said.
Other GOP colleagues said they were taken aback by Buck’s decision. “Very surprising, very disturbing, very alarming, very concerning,” said Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas.
Buck is a member of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, but he made a name for himself in Washington for frequently breaking with his party on major issues….