Ken Buck Abruptly Quits Amidst Controversy

(UnitedHeadlines.com) – On March 12, Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, 65, announced he is resigning from the House at the end of the day, March 22.

March 22 is also the deadline to pass the next group of spending bills in order to avoid a government shutdown.

In a statement, Buck said serving as the representative for Colorado’s 4th District for nine years “has been an honor” and thanked the people of his District for “their support and encouragement.” He added that he looks forward to continuing to be “involved in our political process.”

Though Buck did not elaborate on how he wants to remain in politics, he did tell CNN’s Dana Bash that he wants to get involved in the process of choosing presidential candidates, calling the current system “broken.”

First elected in 2014, Buck is currently assigned to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Judiciary Committee.

Following the report from special counsel Robert Hur, Buck introduced a resolution calling for President Joe Biden to be removed from office using the 25th Amendment because of Biden’s mental and physical health. He is one of three members of the House who opposed impeaching Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Buck, who previously announced he would not be seeking reelection, is the third member of the Republican Party to leave office before the end of the 118th Congress. The Democrats have one member who resigned early. The move by Buck leaves the House with 431 members and the Republicans with a 218-213 majority.

In a statement, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis thanked Buck for “his deep commitment” to improving public safety and serving our nation. Polis is required to set a date for a special election to determine Buck’s successor no later than 90 days before the November general election.

A special election for the seat occupied by former Democrat New York Rep. Brian Higgins is set for April 30. May 21 is the special election for the seat occupied by former House Speaker and Republican California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, and a special election is scheduled for June 11 for the seat formerly occupied by Republican Ohio Rep. Bill Johnson.