Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has blasted Rep. Mike Gallagher after his announcement of his early resignation, putting the Republican majority in the House of Representatives further at risk.
Greene said this weekend that she thinks Gallagher should be expelled for his sudden announcement that he intends to retire in April.
“What Mike Gallagher did yesterday was intentional, purposeful, and puts our entire majority at risk. I think he should be expelled,” Greene said on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast.
Congresswoman @RepMTG calls for Rep. Mike Gallagher to be expelled from Congress:
“What Mike Gallagher did yesterday was intentional, purposeful, and puts our entire majority at risk. I think he should be expelled.” pic.twitter.com/4q53REEhzo
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 23, 2024
Greene’s pique rose after Wisconsin Republican Gallagher announced on Friday that he intends to leave office on April 19. He had already announced that he is not running for re-election when his term is up in the fall, however, his decision to leave in only a few weeks shocked GOP voters.
Gallagher, a liberal Republican who voted against the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, claimed he has worked “closely” with GOP leadership on his decision.
“I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker [Mike] Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Community Party,” Gallagher said in a statement. “My office will continue to operate and provide constituent services to the 8th District for the remainder of the term.”
A statement from Congressman Mike Gallagher. pic.twitter.com/dOBcM8kbNV
— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) March 22, 2024
Should Mike Gallagher be expelled?
At least Gallagher did his constituents the courtesy of avoiding a special election and the huge cost to the taxpayers that would entail. According to Wisconsin election law, no special election is to be held if a congressman leaves office after April 9, Newsweek reported.
But Gallagher is still leaving his voters without representation as well as taking away a vote from the GOP majority for the rest of the congressional session, just as the GOP majority is shrinking at an accelerated pace.
On the heels of Colorado Rep. Ken Buck’s similar decision to flee too early, that means the GOP majority shrinks to a closer 217 Republicans to 213 Democrats — a margin that will make it very hard for the GOP to get anything done.
The House freedom Caucus already booted Ken Buck from its ranks for his decision to leave early, further endangering the GOP majority. Now Greene wants Gallagher booted from Congress entirely to trigger a special election to maintain the GOP majority.
For sure, this business with Gallagher set Greene off, and for good reason.
“We’re in a very dangerous situation, Steve,” Greene said. “I think he should be expelled preeminently before he’s allowed to just walk out of Congress at a date of his choosing, where his district doesn’t get to replace him until next Congress,” she told Bannon.
“I think that is completely wrong. I think people should be able to have a voice. His district deserves a voice in Congress and we should expel him and that way his district can replace him as quickly as possible with a special election.
“Our majority is too important to throw away and the horrible dishonest and completely irresponsible actions of many in our Republican majority have led us to where we are. When people leave early it’s a math game.
“They’re the ones that put us at risk of losing the majority,” Greene continued. “Every member that leaves early puts us at risk of losing the majority. Expelling Republican members for a Democrat to control and take over the seat like they did to George Santos, puts us at risk of Hakeem Jeffries becoming the Speaker of the House.”
It seems unlikely that Greene’s suggestion will be heeded by the GOP leadership in the House as to Gallagher’s expulsion. But she is certainly right to be incensed over his dangerous actions of handing the Democrats power they did not earn.
