Kevin McCarthy is leaving Congress. He’s not alone.

The “young gun” from California who rose rapidly through Republican ranks and eventually became speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives announced Wednesday that he would resign later this month. 

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, whose nine-month speakership ended with his ouster in October, announced his departure in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. He touted the American dream, with a nod to his journey as a firefighter’s son who became a golden boy of GOP politics.

Why We Wrote This

The unusually high number of lawmakers stepping down has been interpreted by some as a sign of greater congressional dysfunction.

While he didn’t mention the rancor that surrounded his toppling this fall, it’s no secret that the political environment in Congress had become intolerable. And not just for Mr. McCarthy. 

In November alone, 13 senators and members of the House announced they were leaving, the highest number in more than a decade. Among those leaving are committee chairs, and members who disproportionately care about making a difference in legislation, says GOP pollster Whit Ayres. 

The wave of retirements has been interpreted by many as further evidence of dysfunction in Congress – though some stepping down are running for higher office or have cited health issues. 

“It probably reflects the level of duress that members have been experiencing,” says Kevin Kosar of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. “The level of partisan rancor just keeps ratcheting up.”

The “young gun” from California who rose rapidly through Republican ranks and eventually became speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives announced Wednesday that he would resign later this month. 

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, whose turbulent nine-month speakership ended with his abrupt ouster in October, announced his departure with a characteristically upbeat op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. He touted the American dream, with a nod to his own journey as the son of a firefighter who became a golden boy of GOP politics, first in California’s state Legislature and then in Congress. 

But while there was no mention of the personal and political rancor that surrounded his toppling this fall, it is no secret that the political environment in Congress had become intolerable for Mr. McCarthy 16 years after he took office. 

Why We Wrote This

The unusually high number of lawmakers stepping down has been interpreted by some as a sign of greater congressional dysfunction.

“His ouster from the speakership and his decision to retire from the House are the product of a Congress in which polarization has become the norm and trust the exception,” said veteran Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer in a statement, noting that despite opposing policy views the two became friends over their years. 

Mr. McCarthy’s departure comes on the heels of an unusually high number of lawmakers announcing that they are stepping down or will not seek reelection. In November alone, 13 senators and members of the House announced they were leaving – the highest number in more than a decade. The wave of retirements has been interpreted by many as further evidence of dysfunction in Congress, with more members concluding the personal sacrifices are no longer worth it – though those stepping down have given a range of reasons for their decision, including running for higher office. 

Rep. Abigail Spanberger speaks during an interview at her congressional offices in Washington Feb. 8, 2023. The Democrat has announced she will run for governor of Virginia.

“It probably reflects the level of duress that members have been experiencing,” says Kevin Kosar, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, noting that House members spent an unusual 10 straight weeks in session this fall, dealing with two narrowly averted government shutdowns and the speakership saga. “The level of partisan rancor just keeps ratcheting up and makes it a truly stressful, unpleasant environment to work in.”

Mr. McCarthy’s departure leaves Republicans with an even slimmer House majority. With the recent expulsion of Rep. George Santos last week, the GOP ranks fell to 221 members – just three above the 218 majority needed to pass legislation. 

A special election to replace Mr. Santos is expected in February, in a district that’s considered a toss-up. GOP Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio announced last month that he would step down by March to lead Youngstown State University.

Of the roughly three dozen members of the House who will not be seeking reelection in 2024, two-thirds are Democrats. Some are leaving to run for higher offices, including state attorney general, governor, and senator. Others have just had it.

“When we’re doing work that is satisfying, like we did in the last Congress, it’s a lot easier … for my family to say, ‘Yeah, this is important and meaningful work,’” Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan said on MSNBC recently, explaining his decision to step down after a health scare earlier this year. 

“For me, the personal decision really is the larger part of this,” he added. “But it’s hard to erase the fact that the Congress that I’ve seen in the last few years is not even close to what I saw when I was elected in 2012.”

It’s not uncommon for the minority party or the party that expects to be in the minority after the next election to see departures. But this early, it’s still unclear which party is likely to hold control after the 2024 elections. In addition to 21 Democrats, more than a dozen Republicans, including some who are leading committees and subcommittees, are stepping down. 

Then-U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., stands in an elevator to attend a series of votes, including a vote that expelled him from the House of Representatives, on Capitol Hill in Washington Dec.1, 2023.

“The GOP in the House has had so much bad media [attention] on them because of all these scandals and the fights and the struggle to be able to govern and the very limited productivity,” says Dr. Kosar. “It’s not wrong for GOP representatives to be saying, ‘You know, maybe we’re going to get wiped out next autumn and lose our majority, in which case I’ll get out.’”

Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, a McCarthy ally who chairs the House Financial Services Committee and served as speaker pro tem during the chaotic three-week effort this fall to elect a new speaker, announced yesterday that he would not seek reelection. Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, is also retiring. And Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, who chairs a select subcommittee on the pandemic that has investigated key GOP concerns, including alleged government obfuscation about COVID-19 origins, is also among those leaving. All three are Republicans.

Republican pollster Whit Ayres says that while there’s always turnover in the House, it’s highly unusual to have so many people leave early – particularly leaders of the party. 

“It speaks to the incredibly toxic atmosphere in the House,” he says. The members leaving “are disproportionately the kinds of people who really want to make a difference in legislation, and really care about the reputation of the House.”

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