- The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has a slim majority of just a few members.
- After the departure of Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., over the weekend the majority is even smaller
- Currently, there are 217 Republicans in the House compared to 213 Democrats
- Republicans can only lose one Republican vote to pass legislation along party lines
The departure of Rep. Mike Gallagher removes another Republican from the already slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives, further weakening the GOP’s already loose grip on power.
With Gallagher’s resignation, House Republicans can only afford to lose a single Republican vote to pass legislation along party lines.
If they lose more than one Republican vote, Republicans will need support from Democrats to pass any legislation.
As things stand, there are 217 Republicans and 213 Democrats and five vacancies in the House.
This means that if two Republicans vote with Democrats, the vote would be 215-215, and a tie results in a loss for either measure.
Further complicating the matter is Thursday’s announcement by Rep. Jake LaTurner, R-Kan., that he will not seek re-election this fall.
President Mike Johnson’s Republican majority can only afford to lose members on party-line voting.
“It’s time to pursue other opportunities and have the benefit of spending more time with my family,” LaTurner wrote in his announcement.
He called the “dysfunction” of the current House of Representatives “troubling,” an apparent nod to the chaos that may have led so many members to seek employment outside the Capitol this cycle.
In addition to Gallagher and LaTurner, many influential members of the Republican Party have also expressed their desire to leave Congress.
Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, who until this month held the powerful position of chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, announced in October that she would not seek re-election. She has served in the House since 1997.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee and has served for nearly 20 years, announced in February that she would not run for another term.
And Rep. Patrick McHenry, R.N.C., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee who served temporarily as chairman after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in October, announced he will not seek another term in December.
In total, there are nearly two dozen Republicans in the House of Representatives who have announced their retirement from Congress or want to seek another position.
How that will affect Speaker Mike Johnson’s ability to get legislation passed in the House is still up in the air, but he’ll likely need to work across the aisle more than he prefers.
President Mike Johnson will have to work with a historically slim Republican majority after Gallagher’s recent resignation from Congress.
“After conversations with my family, I have made the decision to resign from my position as a member of the House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District, effective April 19, 2024,” Gallagher said in a March statement. However, she resigned later than planned to help pass a foreign aid bill over the weekend.
Democrats, however, are also hemorrhaging members.
Currently, there are 25 Democrats who have announced their retirement from Congress or their desire to seek another political position.
Additionally, complicating the left’s vote count is the tragic case of Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J., who has reportedly been in a coma and intubated in a New Jersey hospital since Sept. 6. April.
His prognosis and return to Washington remain unclear.
How the slim Republican majority will affect Johnson’s power is another cause for concern for the president.
Three Republicans have already announced their intentions to back a motion to impeach the president, meaning that if they make good on their threats, Johnson will have to rely on Democrats to retain his control of the gavel.
It is unclear whether Democrats will be willing to prevent Johnson’s impeachment if it comes to a vote.