House Republicans who are planning to quit before the end of their terms could hand over control of the House to Democrats before elections take place, according to a Fox News reporter in a series of posts to X this Monday.
"Control of the House has never changed in the middle of a Congress. But if it’s going to happen, the 118th Congress is as ripe for that possibility," wrote Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram.
"House Republicans face chaos in their conference. Members who planned to retire next January are now ditching Capitol Hill early. The House is an acrimonious place with yet another move afoot to dethrone the Speaker," Pergram wrote, adding that some Republicans are "angling to get out as soon as they can" so they can land a "big payday in the private sector."
As Salon points out, New York GOP Rep. Claudia Tenney echoed those concerns during an interview with Fox News on this Monday.
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“We can get a special election. It’s a very safe Republican seat. We’ll add to our majority. We don’t have the other special [election] to fill Kevin McCarthy’s seat until April 30th. And we’re perilous. We could end up being– having a Speaker Hakeem Jeffries in the interim here while we’re waiting for special elections,” Tenney said.
“Personally, if you’re going to make a commitment to the people that elect you, that you’re going to serve for two years unless you have a really good reason not to serve, then why would you do that? And aren’t we team Republican?” she added.
Pergram noted that "Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., resigned last Friday. Buck hit the door after refusing to vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., also refused to impeach Mayorkas. Gallagher initially planned to stay until January."
"But now the Wisconsin Republican departs on April 19. That’s immediately after the date which mandates a special election in Wisconsin. But since Gallagher checks out in mid-April, the seat remains empty until after the election," Pergram wrote.
