House Republicans' already slim majority shrinks after Wisconsin member resigns ... trends now
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The departure of Rep. Mike Gallagher shaves off yet another Republican from the already razor-thin GOP House majority, further weakening the GOP's already loose grip on power.
With Gallagher's resignation, House Republicans can only afford to lose a single Republican vote to get legislation passed along party lines.
If they lose more than a single GOP vote, Republicans will need Democrat support to pass any legislation.
As it stands, there are 217 Republicans and 213 Democrats and five vacancies in the House.
This means if two Republicans vote with Democrats the vote would be 215 - 215, and a tie results in a loss for any measure.
Further complicating the matter is the Thursday announcement from Rep. Jake LaTurner, R-Kan., that he will not seek re-election this fall.
Speaker Mike Johnson's Republican majority can only afford to lose member on 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 'distressing,' an apparent nod at the chaos that may have prompted so many members to seek employment outside of Capitol Hill this cycle.
In addition to Gallagher and LaTurner, many influential members of the GOP have also stated their desires to get out of Congress.
