Departing GOP Lawmakers Can Still Rack Up Victories in 2018

Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-Calif.) retirement announcement marks another instance of a growing trend. More and more Republican lawmakers are retiring after this legislative session — some to seek higher office at the federal and state level, some to private-sector ventures, and some simply out of a desire to be at home and with their families.

The media has been quick to spin this trend as a sign of further fragmentation within the Republican Party, speculating about its implications for the 2018 midterm elections. But this recent wave of retirements is not a sign of fragmentation or failure at all. On the contrary, it presents Republican leadership with a unique opportunity.

2017 was a landmark year for the party. Soon after the inauguration, the Trump administration began clearing away a tangle of regulations and requiring a greater degree of oversight for federal agencies. Congressional Republicans crafted significant and historic tax reform legislation. Tax reform will renew American entrepreneurship and empower ordinary citizens across the country to invest in their communities and families.