Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the House’s new Select Committee on China and a member of the Armed Services Committee, announced Friday he will resign from Congress on April 19.
Gallagher’s decision, which follows his announcement last month he would not seek reelection, opens up several key committee leadership roles and further narrows the House GOP’s already-razor thin majority.
“I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party,” Gallagher said in a statement on Friday. “Four terms serving Northeast Wisconsin in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime and strengthened my conviction that America is the greatest country in the history of the world. I will forever be proud of the work I did on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, chairing the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and chairing the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. It has truly been an honor to serve in the House of Representatives.”
With Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) leaving Congress on Friday, Gallagher’s upcoming departure will bring Republicans’ majority down to 217-213, leaving the House GOP with a one-vote margin.
Gallagher, a Marine Corps veteran, has represented Wisconsin’s solidly-red 8th district since 2017 and quickly established a reputation as a national security hawk, with a particular interest in issues ranging from China concerns, DoD technology innovation, cyber security challenges and artificial intelligence.
His announcement in February that he would not seek reelection arrived as Gallagher, considered a moderate, faced scrutiny from his conservative colleagues after he was one of three Republicans to join all Democrats in voting against the first attempt at impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (Defense Daily, Feb. 12).
The House established the Select Committee on China in January 2023 and named Gallagher as its chair and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the ranking member, with the two lawmakers having cited the panel’s bipartisan approach to examining issues and working on policy recommendations related to the U.S.’ competition with Beijing (Defense Daily, Jan. 11).
While the China Committee, which focuses on examining Beijing’s technological and security priorities and ongoing competition with the United States, may or may not be extended past this current Congress, Gallagher’s imminent departure will open up the chairmanship opportunity and a broader high-priority opening for House GOP leadership on the issue.
Top Republicans on the panel who could possibly succeed Gallagher in the leadership role include Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), a senior member on HASC, or Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who previously led a bipartisan task force focused on how the Pentagon is prepared for defense innovation challenges over the next 30 years.
Gallagher’s upcoming resignation will also open up his seat on the House Armed Services Committee and the chairmanship role for its Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation Subcommittee. His departure would leave Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as the senior GOP member of the panel.