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August 13, 2025

Record exodus from Congress as lawmakers flee dysfunction

Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia
Brennan Center for Justice
Brookings Institu...
CNN
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Unprecedented departures as lawmakers flee loyalty tests and partisan warfare

Record number of House and Senate members announced they won't seek reelection in 2026

Three sitting senators are quitting to run for governor instead of staying in Washington

Departures include Republicans fleeing Trump loyalty tests and exhausted Democrats

Congressional staff report lawmakers spend more time fundraising than governing

Experienced committee chairs and ranking members abandoning decades of institutional knowledge

Three experienced committee chairs abandon oversight roles: Senators Lisa Murkowski (Energy), Mitt Romney (Foreign Relations), and Susan Collins (Appropriations)

Congressional oversight capacity collapsing as veteran investigators retire

🏛️Government🗳️Elections🏢Legislative Process

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People, bills, and sources

What you can do

1

Support candidates committed to constitutional governance regardless of party affiliation

2

Vote for representatives who prioritize institutions over ideology in primaries and general elections

3

Contact your current representatives at 202-224-3121 urging them to protect congressional independence

4

Join civic organizations like Common Cause at commoncause.org advocating for democratic norms

5

Volunteer for campaigns of moderate candidates who can work across party lines

6

Attend town halls to express support for bipartisan cooperation over partisan warfare