Kevin McCarthy, the former speaker of the House, has declared his intention to depart Congress at the end of this year. This significant decision comes two months after his unusual removal from the speakership. McCarthy’s exit will further erode the already historically thin majority held by the House GOP. 

Their numbers have already been reduced by the recent expulsion of former New York Representative George Santos. The results of multiple special elections in 2024 will determine how much power the Republicans have in the upcoming year.

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In the op-ed, McCarthy outlined his accomplishments throughout his 17 years in Congress, much of which he spent at the leadership table, and he expressed no regrets about that time. Even though McCarthy had to fight hard for the speaker’s gavel for fifteen rounds in January, he was ousted in less than nine months. His right side was displeased with his choice to push a stopgap spending bill with Democratic support, which finally resulted in his resignation.

McCarthy’s announcement propelled him to the top of the private sector’s roster of desired former Congressmen who may have a significant impact on a company’s hiring decisions. McCarthy was able to build a strong network of CEOs and significant donors thanks to his skill as a fundraiser both while serving as the Republican leader and as speaker.

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Although the 20th Congressional District in California is consistently Republican, it is unlikely that McCarthy’s resignation will result in the election of a Democrat to take his place. However, his absence will temporarily reduce the House GOP’s numbers, compounding the challenges of its already narrow majority and impacting legislative initiatives.

McCarthy’s statement took place the week before the House was supposed to vacate Capitol Hill for the remainder of the year, meaning that his time in Congress would officially come to a close even before the end of December.

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In his opinion piece, McCarthy emphasized the Republican Party’s continuous growth and reaffirmed his commitment to carrying out efforts to find gifted people to run for public office. He promised to use his knowledge to help the upcoming generation of leaders.