Hours after Reps. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and Albio Sires, D-N.J., became the 21st and 22nd members of their party to announce they were leaving the House of Representatives next year, the White House on Monday would not say whether the president was concerned or not about this modern high of an exodus.
"Is this something the president talks about?" Newsmax asked press secretary Jen Psaki at the regular briefing of reporters at the White House. "And does he have an opinion on the exodus of members of his own party?"
In response, Psaki confirmed that there had been retirements but refrained from commenting further.
"I have learned my lesson in not talking too much about politics from here," Psaki shot back, "But it is true that there are retirements. That happens typically every cycle. The president, as the leader of the party, obviously, I’m sure, will be out there [campaigning] next year."
Ironically, as Psaki was replying to Newsmax, California’s Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard was announcing her retirement from Congress after 30 years. The daughter of the late Rep. Ed Roybal, D-Calif., and the first woman of Hispanic heritage to serve in Congress, Roybal-Allard is now the 23rd House Democrat to either retire or seek another office.
This is the highest number of Democrat House members to announce at this point that they were not seeking re-election since 1991 — when public outrage over the scandal surrounding misuse of the House bank helped convince 64 lawmakers (40 Democrats and 24 Republicans) to stand down.
On the Republican side of the aisle, 13 incumbent House members have said they are not running again, seeking another office, or resigning.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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