Republicans try to quash concerns of more exits following Marjorie Taylor Greene’s surprise resignation
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s surprise resignation from Congress stunned House Republicans, and sets up an even tighter majority in the lower chamber that could foil major legislative priorities.
But whether it triggers a ripple effect of Republican lawmakers following her lead remains to be seen. Still, there are members of the House GOP that are frustrated by how events have unfolded in recent months, especially after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., opted to keep the House in session for over 50 days during the government shutdown.
Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that he’s “heard rumors” of frustrations among his colleagues, but that from the people he’s spoken with, “They’re committed to being here.”
“This is an incredible honor to serve in the House of Representatives, and when you run for office, I think you should fill out your term,” Haridopolos said.
“This is what the American public wanted,” he continued. “I mean, they affirmatively put Republicans in power. And the only frustration we’ve been through, at least my biggest frustration, is when the Democrats exercise their power to shut the government down for 43 days.”
Greene, in her resignation letter teeing up her departure from Congress on Jan. 5, 2026, aired grievances about how little progress has been made on Capitol Hill since she became a lawmaker in 2021.
She also took aim at President Donald Trump, who she has for weeks been distancing herself from despite being a die-hard Trump loyalist for much of her legislative career, and at Johnson for his handling of the shutdown.
JASMINE CROCKETT CALLS OUT MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE FOR RESIGNING FROM CONGRESS AMID TRUMP FEUD
“During the longest shutdown in our nation’s history, I raged against my own speaker and my own party for refusing to proactively work diligently to pass a plan to save American healthcare and protect Americans from outrageous overpriced and unaffordable health insurance policies,” Greene said. “The House should have been in session working every day to fix this disaster, but instead America was forced fed disgusting political drama once again from both sides of the aisle.”
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, the fifth highest-ranking House Republican, sought to quash any rumors of dissent among the ranks in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Speaker Johnson and the House Republican leadership team have made a diligent effort to listen to all members of the conference for input, policy ideas, and concerns,” he said. “As usual, the media is building a negative narrative, but our record of delivering for the American people with our majority this year speaks to our teamwork and unity.”
And that majority is now headed for a tenuous situation with Greene’s retirement.
Though Republicans are expected to maintain a seat after former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., retired, the special election to replace the late former Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, is expected to stay in Democratic control, effectively nullifying the results.
That means when Greene leaves, and if the results in Tennessee in December favor Republicans — Democrats are hoping for a miracle in the race — and the results in Texas in late January favor Democrats, the GOP will be left with effectively a two-vote majority.
FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY WARNS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE IS ‘THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE’
Meanwhile, another lawmaker was tempted to exit the House for a different reason.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., was furious over the White House’s 28-point plan for Russia and Ukraine, and told Fox News Digital that he found it, “So appalling, so embarrassing.”
Bacon argued that the plan, which has broadly been viewed as giving Moscow much of what it wants and leaves Ukraine with little other than an end to the ongoing war, was “a recipe for Ukraine being abused for decades to come, and to be basically a vassal state under Russian control, and that was unacceptable.”
His preference is that if Ukraine is pushed to give up territory to Russia, at the very least, they should be allowed to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
He noted that he ran on a pro-Ukraine platform, and for a moment, considered resigning, fast-tracking his planned retirement from Congress at the end of next year.
“I was so frustrated, it went through my mind,” Bacon said. “You know, I don’t want to be a part of this team, frankly, but I don’t — I knew it was wrong. It was short-lived.”
“I think people would be doing a disservice to a lot of people just to resign,” he continued. “I frankly think you should only resign if you got, like, an illness, or your spouse has an illness, or you got a legal issue. You know, when you run, there’s a commitment.”
Latest Political News on Fox News
