House Republicans Are Biting Their Nails Over Flood Of Departing Colleagues

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 25: (R-L) U.S. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks as House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Rep. Liz Cheney (WY) listen during a news co... WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 25: (R-L) U.S. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks as House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Rep. Liz Cheney (WY) listen during a news conference June 25, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. House Republicans had a conference meeting to discuss GOP agenda. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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House Republicans are reportedly getting nervous over the early slew of retirement announcements from their GOP colleagues in Congress.

Congressional Republicans told the Hill that morale in the caucus is low after functioning as the minority party in the House, and President Donald Trump isn’t helping.

“The odds are against us retaking the majority,” an unnamed senior Republican lawmaker told the Hill.

The lawmaker partly put the blame on Trump, who’s “made an already hostile political environment worse.”

“Every day there is some indefensible tweet or comment to defend or explain,” the Republican said. “It is exhausting and often embarrassing.”

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) told the Deseret News on Monday that he wouldn’t seek reelection.

And the House Republican caucus was hit especially hard last week when Reps. Martha Roby (R-AL), Pete Olson (R-TX) and Paul Mitchell (R-MI) all announced that they were leaving Congress.

Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) plans to drop out of the House to run for governor in 2020, while Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL) is aiming for Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL)’s seat.

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