55 Representatives are not running for reelection

MS NOW-   The number of House members who have opted not to run for re-election has surged, marking the largest wave of departures in three decades.A handful of them are Republicans from swing districts who appeared to be headed toward a loss in the November elections. But a lot more are from safe GOP seats that would likely withstand the biggest of blue waves, and their possible reasons for leaving are an indication of what’s going wrong in Washington.

In all, 55 incumbents have announced they will not run for re-election, the highest since 1992, when a record 65 members of both parties retired after it was revealed that many of them were intentionally overdrawing their House bank accounts by thousands of dollars without paying a penalty.

In the past, a lawmaker who literally could not lose might have stuck around even when in the minority, since they could still influence bills while going through committee or as part of a negotiation with the majority. But partisan polarization has turned more legislating into party-line votes and massive omnibus bills introduced at the last minute, leaving members of the minority with little to do.

Even being in the majority has not been much fun for the current crop of Republicans, who not only have to answer questions about President Donald Trump’s constant controversies but also don’t have much to show for it. The current Congress is likely to be one of the least productive sessions in history, with fewer votes taken and laws passed than usual.