House Republicans’ already slim majority shrinks after Wisconsin member resigns following passage of foreign aid bill: GOP can now only afford to lose ONE vote to defeat Democrats

  • The Republican-controlled House has a razor-thin majority of just a few members
  • After the departure of Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., the majority is even smaller this weekend
  • There are currently 217 Republicans in the House of Representatives, compared to 213 Democrats
  • Republicans can only lose one Republican vote to pass legislation along party lines

The departure of Representative Mike Gallagher shaves one more Republican from the already razor-thin Republican majority in the House of Representatives, further weakening the Republican Party’s already loose grip on power.

With Gallagher’s resignation, Republicans in the House of Representatives can only afford one Republican vote to pass legislation along party lines.

If they lose more than a single Republican vote, Republicans will need support from Democrats to pass legislation.

As it stands now, there are 217 Republicans and 213 Democrats and five vacancies in the House of Representatives.

This means that if two Republicans vote with the Democrats, the vote would be 215 to 215, and a tie results in a loss on each measure.

Complicating matters further is the Thursday announcement by Rep. Jake LaTurner, R-Kan., that he will not seek re-election this fall.

Chairman Mike Johnson's Republican majority can only afford to lose a member on a party-line vote

Chairman Mike Johnson’s Republican majority can only afford to lose a member on a party-line vote

“It is time to pursue other opportunities and have the benefit of spending more time with my family,” LaTurner wrote in his announcement.

He said the “dysfunction” of the current House of Representatives is “disturbing,” an apparent nod to the chaos that has driven so many members to seek work off Capitol Hill this cycle.

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In addition to Gallagher and LaTurner, many influential members of the Republican Party have also expressed their desire to resign from Congress.

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, who until this month held the powerful position of Appropriations Committee chairman, announced in October that she would not seek re-election. She has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1997.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee and in office for nearly two decades, 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 speaker after former Chairman Kevin McCarthy was ousted in October, announced he will not seek another term in December.

In all, there are nearly two dozen Republicans in the House of Representatives who have announced their retirement from Congress or will seek another office.

How that will affect Speaker Mike Johnson’s ability to get legislation passed by the House of Representatives is still unclear, but he will likely have to work across the aisle more than he wants.

Speaker Mike Johnson will have to work with a historically small Republican majority after Gallagher's recent resignation from Congress

Speaker Mike Johnson will have to work with a historically small Republican majority after Gallagher’s recent resignation from Congress

“After discussions with my family, I have made the decision to resign my position as Member of the House of Representatives for Wisconsin's Eighth Congressional District, effective April 19, 2024,” Gallagher said in a March statement.  However, he resigned later than expected to pass a foreign aid bill this weekend

“After discussions with my family, I have made the decision to resign my position as Member of the House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District, effective April 19, 2024,” Gallagher said in a March statement. However, he resigned later than expected to pass a foreign aid bill this weekend

However, Democrats are also hemorrhaging members.

Currently, there are 25 Democrats who have announced their retirement from Congress or are seeking other political office.

In addition, counting the left-wing votes is complicated by the tragic case of Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J., who has reportedly been in a coma since April 6 and intubated in a New Jersey hospital.

His prognosis and return to Washington remain unclear.

How the narrow Republican majority will affect Johnson’s power is another cause for concern for the speaker.

Three Republicans have already announced their intention to support a motion to remove the chairman, meaning that if they follow through on their threats, Johnson will have to rely on Democrats to salvage his control of the gavel.

It is unclear whether Democrats will be willing to prevent Johnson’s impeachment if it comes to a vote.