Top Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers quits Congress: Powerful chair and ally of Speaker Mike Johnson joins two other chairs and 52 other lawmakers not to seek re-election in 2024
- McMorris Rodgers is known as a close ally of chairman Mike Johnson. Her committee has an interest in everything from energy to health care and technology policy
- Third member to give up a high-profile committee chair, after Patrick McHenry and Kay Granger of Financial Services and Appropriations
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, will not seek re-election, making her the third high-profile committee chair to announce her retirement this term.
“It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the people of Eastern Washington in Congress,” the Republican said in a statement. “After much prayer and reflection, I have decided that the time has come to serve them in new ways.”
McMorris Rodgers is known as a close ally of chairman Mike Johnson. Her committee has an interest in everything from energy to health care and technology policy in the House of Representatives.
Rodgers is the 18th Republican in the House of Representatives to announce his retirement. At the end of this term, 23 Democrats from the House of Representatives will also leave the House of Representatives. Seven senators have announced their retirements so far.
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, will not seek re-election, making her the third high-profile committee chair to announce her retirement this term
Four more Republicans have left office early, including former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and George Santos who were impeached, as well as three Democrats.
A total of 55 members of the House and Senate did not run for re-election during the 117th Congress from 2021 to 2023, and so far 55 members have either left early or announced plans to leave during the 118th Congress, which convenes in January will end next year.
“I pray that God’s purpose for my life will be more deeply rooted in my heart and in gratitude for the remarkable colleagues and people He has brought into my life,” the chairman continued.
She is the third member to relinquish a high-profile committee chair in favor of going private, following Kevin McCarthy ally Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who heads the Financial Services Committee, and Kay Granger, R-Texas, who heads the Appropriations Committee
She is the third member to relinquish a high-profile committee chair in favor of going private, following Kevin McCarthy ally Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who heads the Financial Services Committee, and Kay Granger, R-Texas, who heads the Appropriations Committee .
McMorris Rodgers will have served 20 years in the House of Representatives by the time she leaves, after taking office in 2005. She worked her way up to vice chair and then chair of the GOP conference before leading Energy and Commerce.
Her retirement comes at a time of maximum discord for the majority party. Republicans ousted their president in October and have so far failed to negotiate 12 single-issue bills that could pass the Senate to fund the government in the 2024 fiscal year, and on two key priorities: ousting the Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas and the passage of a standalone Israeli aid bill failed Tuesday.