“I think this place is dysfunctional.” These were the words of long-time Trump critic Republican Ken Buck after mic-dropping his resignation from Congress to an oblivious Republican House. Here are the full details.
Surprise Departure
In a statement on Tuesday morning from his office, Buck announced he was leaving Congress “at the end of next week,” narrowing the already slim Republican majority to just five seats: 218 to 213, with three vacancies.
Buck’s resignation comes at an awkward time for Republicans, as House Speaker Mike Johnson is struggling to assert his authority during a months-long deadlock.
Two-Seat Margin Raises Concerns
This effectively means that the GOP only has a two-seat majority, so it can only afford to lose two votes when passing legislation. In a time when Republicans are struggling to make headway in Government, Buck’s announcement has turned things upside down and taken everyone by surprise.
When asked about his reasons for leaving, Buck was straightforward, “Instead of having decorum, instead of operating in a professional manner, this place has just devolved into this bickering and nonsense and not really doing the job for the American people.”
For Buck, it wasn’t about any individual politicians, but rather that “our system is broken in how we chose candidates, and I want to get involved in that process.”
Buck’s Take on Trump and Biden Era
Buck explained to CNN, “I hear that people are not happy with Trump, and they’re not happy with Biden.” He went on to attack the GOP, stating, “It is the worst year of the nine years and three months that I’ve been in Congress, and having talked to former members, it’s the worst year in 40, 50 years to be in Congress.”
Buck didn’t announce he was leaving to anyone in leadership, with Mike Johnson remarking to reporters, “I was surprised by Ken’s announcement. I didn’t know.”
Buck, part of the freedom caucus (an ultra-far-right bloc within the Republican party), has been a vocal critic of Trump. Following Trump’s 2017 win, Buck wrote an opinion piece announcing that “The Republican Party is dead.”
GOP Turmoil
He’s been critical of Trump’s attempts to get the election results overthrown and highly critical of other politicians who have been involved in the movement.
In a recent interview, Buck said, “I am not going to lie on behalf of my presidential candidate, on behalf of my party. And I’m very sad that others in my party have taken the position that as long as we get the White House, it doesn’t really matter what we say.”
Buck’s Warning to Republicans
While this is bad news for the Republican party (despite Buck’s opposition to Trump), his parting comments have made them panic a lot more than they typically would. When asked whether he faced any pressure from fellow Republicans for his quick decision, Buck replied, “I think it’s the next three people that leave that they’re going to be worried about.”
It remains to be seen whether his prediction is based on insider knowledge or was simply made to make the party sweat.
Buck’s colleague Lauren Boebert, with whom he had a minor feud, announced in December that she would be running for Buck’s district seat. There were fears she may lose it as she’s struggled to gain popularity, and his district has always been a GOP-safe seat.
However, Buck’s early exit has thrown a monkey wrench in the gears. His seat will be up for reelection in June in a special election, which Boebert will be unable to run for unless she steps down.
Impact of Buck’s Early Departure
Adam Kizinger explained on social media, “By resigning early, Ken Buck is giving an advantage to anyone but Lauren Boebert.” If Boebert were to step down and win his seat, there’s no guarantee that she’d win the primary come November. In that case, she’d be out of office, an outcome Republicans will desperately want to avoid.
Buck’s resignation has left House Republicans scrambling, worried about their falling majority.
House Republicans Scramble for Solutions
Their thin margins between failure and success will complicate an already tough situation and could potentially spell failure for any unity within the House. All eyes are on his district as the GOP thinks up a plan to navigate this situation.
The post GOP’s Ken Buck Criticizes Party Dysfunction, Announces Departure first appeared on From Frugal to Free.
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