Republican dysfunction drives a wave of House retirements

WASHINGTON — Some House lawmakers wait their entire political careers to reach one of the pinnacles of power on Capitol Hill: seizing a coveted committee gavel.

That’s why it sent shockwaves around Capitol Hill this month when not one, but three Republican committee chairmen — Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Mike Gallagher and Mark Green, members in their prime who had not yet hit party term limits for their posts — announced in rapid succession that they were calling it quits. McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Green, R-Tenn., are in their 50s and Gallagher, R-Wis., is not yet 40 years old.

Two other powerful GOP chairmen, Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry of North Carolina and Appropriations Chair Kay Granger of Texas, previously announced they're leaving Congress. Both McHenry and Granger faced term limits as chairmen and McHenry has had his eyes on the exits since his longtime ally Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker, briefly making McHenry the temporary House GOP leader.

The wave of GOP retirements comes in the middle of one of the most tumultuous congressional sessions in recent memory and after a year of nasty GOP infighting that forced out McCarthy, further slashed the party’s paper-thin majority and ground the lower chamber to a halt.

Republican colleagues said mounting frustration with the paralysis and dysfunction in the House is driving out experienced, pragmatic dealmakers on Capitol Hill. And with Republicans now down to a three-seat majority, the prospect of voters sending them back to the minority next year may be exacerbating the brain drain.

The sentiment is: “If we are not successful in doing our work here and we wind up in the minority, who wants to finish out your career here in the minority?” said House