Rep. Mike Gallagher (R–WI), Chairman of the House select committee on China, has announced that he is leaving Congress on April 19.
Gallagher had previously announced that he would not be running for a fifth term in the House, which had surprised many in the Republican Party.
The big picture: Gallagher’s early exit will leave House Republicans with just a one-seat majority, until a special election is held to replace the vacant seats in May and June of 2022.
- Speaker Mike Johnson will only be able to afford to lose one GOP lawmaker on any vote that falls along party lines due to Gallagher’s departure.
- Republicans will have to wait to pick up ground until special elections to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in May and Ohio Republican Bill Johnson.
What they’re saying: “I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party,” Gallagher said in a statement. “My office will continue to operate and provide constituent services to the Eighth District for the remainder of the term.”
