Another Republican will leave the United States House of Representatives before the end of his current term.
Congressman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin announced on March 22 that he will resign on April 19.
“I’ve worked closely with the House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker [Mike] Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party,” he wrote.
“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,” Gallagher continued. “I will forever be proud of the work I did on the Armed Services Commission, and chairing the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. It has truly been an honor to serve in the House of Representatives.” A statement from Congressman Mike Gallagher. pic.twitter.com/dOBcM8kbNV
— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) March 22, 2024
Gallagher co-sponsored a controversial bill aimed at restricting TikTok’s influence on young Americans by requiring the company to divest from China.
“America’s foremost adversary has no business controlling a dominant media platform in the United States. TikTok’s time in the United States is over unless it ends its relationship with CCP-controlled ByteDance,” Gallagher said of the policy, which was passed by the House.
It is not immediately clear what the congressman's professional plans are after leaving the federal government.
Gallagher was one of three Republicans to vote against the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandros Mayorkas in February. Shortly after the first unsuccessful vote, the 40-year-old announced that he would not seek reelection. He was first elected in 2016.
Colorado Congressman Ken Buck, who also opposed Mayorkas’s impeachment, also resigned early from Congress. After nine years in office, Buck’s last day was March 22.
“Americans are rightfully concerned about our nation’s future and are looking to Republicans in Washington for a course correction,” Buck said in his recorded announcement. “But their hope for Republicans to take decisive action may be in vain. Our nation is on a collision course with reality.”
With the two representatives’ departures, House Republicans control the chamber 217-213 pending any upcoming special elections.
Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy left Congress in December rather than complete his term after losing his leadership position. The California Republican said he would “serve Americans in new ways.”
In January, Congressman Bill Johnson of Ohio announced that he would leave his office to become the president of Youngstown State University. His Jan. 22 departure further narrowed the margin between Republicans and Democrats in the House.
