Topline
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) won’t seek reelection next year, pointing to the Republican Party’s reliance “on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen” and the “January 6 narrative,” he said on MSNBC, making him the second GOP member to announce their retirement from Congress on Wednesday.
U.S. Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) casts his vote as the House of Representatives holds its second round of … [+]
Key Facts
Buck announced his decision to MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, attributing his retirement, in part, to his disappointment with the “inability in Congress to deal with major issues” and the GOP’s claims that convicted January 6 rioters are “political prisoners.”
In a subsequent video news release, Buck, 64, said “too many Republican leaders are lying to America claiming that the 2020 election was stolen.”
Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), 80, and the first female Republican House member from Texas, also announced Wednesday she will retire from Congress, citing the need for “the next generation to step up and take the mantle.”
The retirements come on the heels of a tumultuous GOP-led search to find a replacement for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)—Buck was one of the eight Republicans who voted alongside Democrats to remove him last month and both he and Granger were among the 20-some Republicans who opposed right-wing firebrand Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-Ohio) speaker bid.
Crucial Quote
“Americans are rightfully concerned about our nation’s future and are looking to Republicans in Washington for a course correction, but their hope for Republicans to take decisive action may be in vain,” Buck said. “Our nation is on a collision course with reality and a steadfast commitment to truth, even uncomfortable truths, is the only way forward.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
