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Another House Republican Announces His Retirement From Congress

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Three Republican lawmakers, together with Georgia Rep. Drew Ferguson, have declared their intention to step down from their positions within the House.

Ferguson is well-known for his connections to former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and in addition served as Chief Deputy Whip to Majority Whip Steve Scalise. With McCarthy set to resign on the finish of the yr, the Republican management is altering.

“Julie and I look forward to spending more time with our children and grandchildren while continuing to work to keep Georgia the best state in America to live and do business,” Ferguson mentioned in an announcement.

His fourth time period representing the third District in western Georgia ends on the finish of subsequent yr, however he intends to complete it.

Two months earlier than the announcement, Ferguson claimed that members of his household had been threatened with dying. This incident occurred in the course of the Republican Party’s inner strife over selecting a brand new House speaker after the removing of California Representative Kevin McCarthy.

The threats got here after Ferguson publicly withdrew his support for Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, who’s well liked by far-right conservatives. Ferguson vehemently denied endorsing “a bully” as speaker, calling the threats “unacceptable, unforgivable, and will never be tolerated.”

Ferguson, a former mayor of West Point, was elected to Congress in 2016 for a district that borders Georgia and Alabama and is situated west of Atlanta. He is a member of the Ways and Means Committee, which is answerable for drafting tax laws, and he was chief deputy whip of the House Republicans from 2018 to 2022, Fox News noted.

There is a robust Republican lean in Ferguson’s third District. With 69% of the vote, he simply defeated a Republican main opponent and was re-elected to a fourth time period final yr.

In response to a federal decide’s order, Georgia lawmakers redrawn the state’s congressional map prior to now few weeks to incorporate a district with a Black majority. However, the Republican-controlled legislature has already drawn up a plan—which is now ready for approval from the courts—that will guarantee Republican incumbents within the state’s U.S. House delegation maintain their 9-5 majority.

pic.twitter.com/Rgdi25mzhA

— Congressman Drew Ferguson (@RepDrewFerguson) December 14, 2023

In November, a pair of Republicans in Congress introduced they wouldn’t search re-election subsequent yr, with one in every of them blaming former President Donald Trump for his resolution.

Reps. Ken Buck, R-Colo., and Kay Granger, R-Texas, each made their bulletins, with Buck telling MSNBC his resolution is expounded “in part to his party’s reliance on former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.”

“I’ve decided, Andrea, I’m not going to seek re-election,” Buck mentioned in an interview on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports.”

The Colorado Republican revealed his resolution after Granger, 80, introduced she can be stepping away subsequent yr as effectively.

“I’m joining Kay and probably some others in the near future, but I’ve decided that it is time for me to do some other things,” Buck mentioned. “I always have been disappointed with our inability in Congress to deal with major issues, and I’m also disappointed that the Republican Party continues to rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen and rely on the Jan. 6 narrative and political prisoners from Jan. 6 and other things.”

He famous additional: “If we’re going to solve difficult problems, we’ve got to deal with some very unpleasant truths or lies and make sure that we project to the public what the truth is.”

In her assertion, Granger, chairwoman of the highly effective House Appropriations Committee, mentioned she believes it’s time for somebody youthful to take her place.

“As I announce my decision to not seek re-election, I am encouraged by the next generation of leaders in my district,” she mentioned. “It’s time for the next generation to step up and take the mantle and be a strong and fierce representative for the people.”

“Although I am not running for re-election, I plan to serve out the remainder of my term and work with our new Speaker and my colleagues to advance our conservative agenda and finish the job I was elected to do,” Granger added.

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