Speaker Mike Johnson ‘Surprised’ by Ken Buck’s Retirement: ‘I Did Not Know’ It Was Coming
(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he was “surprised” by Rep. Ken Buck’s (R-CO) decision to resign from Congress, indicating that Buck did not give him a heads-up before announcing his impending retirement on Tuesday.
“I was surprised by Ken’s announcement. I’m looking forward to talking to him about that,” said Johnson before confirming that he “didn’t know” it was coming.
Buck’s retirement shrinks the GOP’s majority in the House from six to five, 218-213. Asked how he plans to manage his already unruly caucus with an even smaller majority, Johnson said that “the strategy is still the same: Build a consensus, keep the coalition together.”
Speaker Mike Johnson was caught off guard by the announcement from Ken Buck retiring early.
“I was surprised by Ken’s announcement. I look forward to talking to him about that,” he told reporters.
He said he did not know in advance: “I did not know.” pic.twitter.com/7egUzQcBRg
— Haley Talbot (@haleytalbotcnn) March 12, 2024
“I’m confident we can do that. We have big things ahead of us but I think everybody understands the stakes and the necessity of working together. Sometimes we have to give up our preferences but we’re never gonna compromise core principles,” Johnson continued. “But we’ll get the job done.”
Buck, who has broken with his party on a number os issues in recent days, released a statement on Tuesday that read:
It has been an honor to serve the people of Colorado’s 4th District in Congress for the past 9 years. I want to thank them for their support and encouragement throughout the years.
Today, I am announcing that I will depart Congress at the end of next week. I look forward to staying involved in our political process, as well as spending more time in Colorado and with my family.
Buck recently told NewsNation that he was excited to leave Congress so he wouldn’t have to “lie on behalf of” former President Donald Trump and the GOP.
