Advocacy Blog_ABC_Keystone

By: Brent Sailhamer, Director of Government Affairs

With a year’s worth of stalled policy, gridlock, and uncertainty over the ultimate result of last year’s tax reform bill, Congressional Republicans are headed for the door in record numbers this year, abandoning re-election attempts in what pundits say could be an intensely difficult year for the GOP nationwide.

This week, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) announced his plans to retire from Congress, making him the 31st Republican to sign off from the House this year. In Pennsylvania, Rep. Bill Shuster has already announced his plans to leave Congress, along with Rep. Lou Barletta, who is set to take on Senator Bob Casey. The last time Congress saw such a record number of departures was in 1994, when 28 Democrats left prior to President Bill Clinton’s midterm election. As a result, Republicans forcibly took control of Congress in what is referred to as the Republican Revolution, ushering in former Rep. Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House.