In a big day for Republicans in Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed the $1.2 trillion spending bill, U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) filed a Motion to Vacate against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for allowing that to happen, and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) announced that he’s resigning from Congress early and will not run for re-election.
Gallagher’s move means the Republican majority will shrink again, though given the divisions within the GOP the Republican conference has hardly functioned as a majority, with 101 House Republicans joining Democrats to pass the spending bill — even after Greene threatened that “any Republican who votes for the budget bill” would get “absolutely obliterated by their districts.”
A statement from Congressman Mike Gallagher. pic.twitter.com/dOBcM8kbNV
— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) March 22, 2024
[Note: Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) who also is not seeking re-election, is resigning from Congress on Friday. When Gallagher leaves, the Republican majority will shrink to 217-213. Gallagher’s last day in office is Friday, April 19.]
In addition to those departures, the expulsion in December of fabrication-prone Congressman George Santos (R-NY) also reduced the GOP majority when Santos’s seat was regained by his predecessor, Democrat Tom Suozzi.
Despite being ignominiously ousted from his seat, however, Santos is running again for Congress in New York’s 1st congressional district, challenging incumbent Republican Nick LaLota, who had advocated for Santos’s expulsion or resignation. LaLota learned today that he won’t face the notorious Republican when he seeks reelection in November — because Santos announced today that he is leaving the Republican party and will instead run as an Independent.
Here’s the flip Santos is performing: Expelled for being a big enough embarrassment to his party that they were willing to risk a seat to get him out, Santos now says that the Republican Party is too embarrassing for him.
Santos wrote: “After today’s embarrassing showing in the house I have reflected and decided that I can no longer be part of the Republican Party.”
Hahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahjahahahjahahahahhahaha
Forever hahas https://t.co/PyO2ZdQ9bg
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) (@AdamKinzinger) March 22, 2024
He added, “I in good conscience cannot affiliate myself with a party that stands for nothing and falls for everything. I am officially suspending my petitioning in #NY01 to access the ballot as a Republican and will be filling to run as an independent… I will take my Ultra MAGA/Trump supporting values to the ballot in November as an Independent.”
Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), another victim of Republican infighting who left his seat after being censured by his party, replied to Santos with a long and hearty laugh: “Hahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahjahahahjahahahahhahaha Forever hahas”