3 GOP chairs of U.S. House panels to exit

WASHINGTON — In a single week, the Republican chairs of three House committees announced they would not be seeking re-election, raising questions about whether the chaos that has reigned this Congress is driving out some of the GOP’S top talent.

What makes the retirements particularly noteworthy is that none of the chairs were at risk of losing their position due to the term limits that House Republicans impose on their committee leaders. They conceivably could have returned to the same leadership roles in the next Congress, but chose instead to leave and give up jobs they had worked years to obtain.

The three are Reps. Cathy Mcmorris Rodgers of Washington, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Mark Green of Tennessee.

Mcmorris Rodgers was the first to announce she would be leaving after four years as the top GOP member on the Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the most prestigious panels on Capitol Hill. Past chairmen such as Republican Billy Tauzin helped add prescription drug coverage to the Medicare program, while Democrat Henry Waxman authored the Affordable Care Act, expanding health coverage for millions of Americans.

The second retirement announcement came from the new chair of a special committee focused on China. Gallagher, announced “with a heavy heart,” he would not seek re-election.

Gallagher’s announcement came days after he voted against impeaching Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, frustrating the right flank of the GOP and generating a likely primary challenge. But Gallagher told the local Fox affiliate in his Wisconsin district that he and his wife were thinking about his leaving Congress long before the impeachment vote. He also said the pushback was nothing compared to what he endured when he refused to object to the Electoral College count in 2021.

And, on Wednesday, Rep. Green, now in just his second year as chair of the Homeland Security Committee, announced he would not seek re-election. The move came one day after he led the Mayorkas impeachment vote on the House floor. He said he wanted to get in front of a pending story about his retirement that had leaked to the media.

Green came the closest to acknowledging the chaos of the last 14 months played a role in his decision.

“Well, the work-to-productivity ratio may have had a little bit to do with it,” Green said.