House Freedom Caucus gives Ken Buck the boot days before he exits Congress

Washington DC - The Republican House Freedom Caucus voted to expel Colorado Representative Ken Buck, only days before he was set to retire from congress.

Members of the House Freedom Caucus voted out Colorado Representative Ken Buck on Tuesday, only three days before he was scheduled to retire from congress.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus voted out Colorado Representative Ken Buck on Tuesday, only three days before he was scheduled to retire from congress.  © Kevin Dietsch / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

According to The Hill, the group privately voted Buck out on Tuesday and informed him of their decision that night.

One caucus member claimed that Buck was kicked out because his membership with the group has not been in "good standing", as he "hasn't been with conservatives on several major issues" and "is leaving the conference hanging with a historically narrow margin."

The vote came after Buck, who was set to retire by the end of the year, announced last Tuesday that he would "depart Congress by the end of next week."

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With only three days left, the move appears to be a petty attempt to spoil the ending of his nine-year tenure in the House.

Buck's departure dealt a blow to his fellow Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, who is running for his district but not in the new special election to fill his seat, which could lead to her losing her race for re-election entirely.

His absence also helped further narrow the GOP's already thin majority of the House, leaving them with 218 members alongside 213 Democrats.

Why did the Freedom Caucus expel Ken Buck?

Rep. Ken Buck speaking to reporters outside the House Chambers in the US Capitol Building in Washington DC on May 31, 2023.
Rep. Ken Buck speaking to reporters outside the House Chambers in the US Capitol Building in Washington DC on May 31, 2023.  © Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

While Buck was once considered a staunch conservative, he has distanced himself from the Republican Party in recent years.

He has notably dissented with his fellow caucus members and his far-right colleagues on a number of key issues, such as the impeachment of President Joe Biden and the continued push of Donald Trump's stolen election claims.

He was also one of only a few Republicans who voted against impeaching Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

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After announcing his early retirement, Buck said he was happy to leave, as Congress has been "going downhill."

"It [has been] the worst year of the nine years and three months that I've been in Congress," he said. "And having talked to former members, it's the worst year in 40, 50 years to be in Congress. But I'm leaving because I think there's a job to do out there that I want to go do."

Buck is now the second member to be booted from the caucus, along with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was expelled after she cursed out Boebert during a confrontation on the House floor last year.

Cover photo: Kevin Dietsch / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

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