Dozens of Members of Congress Heading for the Exits

We are getting close to the deadline for members of Congress to declare if they will run for office or not in 2024.

I wish I could say I am surprised, but the fact that dozens of long-time members of Congress in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle are calling it quits is not unexpected.

With rogue factions taking charge of both parties, a lot of the older members are frustrated, now leaving rather than dealing with the hot mess that is Congress these days.

Time to Go

There are about a dozen members who are not running for re-election because they are seeking other offices, but the rest of them are just walking away altogether.

For the most part, the members retiring are sick of the games being played in Congress right now, as it seems more like a playground with petulant children than a chamber of lawmakers.

Honestly, the changeover will be good for Congress because we surely need an injection of new blood.

Having said that, it is hard to argue with the sentiments of many as they walk out the door.

For instance, Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) stated, “I like the work, but the politics just no longer made it worth it.”

Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) added, “That has contributed to the sense of frustration, and this feeling that the sacrifice we’re all making in order to be in Washington, to be witness to this chaos, is pretty difficult to make.”

Sacrifice… is he kidding? These people have the cushiest jobs on the planet with amazing benefits, not to mention all the freebies, but he is right about the chaos.

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) is also walking away, stating, “We lost our way.

“We have an identity crisis in the Republican Party. If we can’t address the election denier issue and we continue down that path, we won’t have credibility with the American people that we are going to solve problems.”

I blame social media for it all. Members of Congress have become far more interested in generating shares and likes than they are in actually legislating.

The other notable change I have seen is that members are putting measures on the floor that help them get re-elected, not necessarily things that are good for the party and the American people as a whole.

The impeachment of Joe Biden is a perfect example…

This is something that is destined to fail in the Senate, and it may not even have the full support of the GOP House caucus, but it was put out there so certain members in deep red territory can claim they were a part of it.

To be quite honest, so far, Speaker Johnson has been a bit of a disappointment, allowing chaos to run rampant when he should be looking at the 2024 cycle and how Republicans can crush Democrats and extend their majority.

If this nonsense continues, I would be shocked to see the GOP hold the House.