GOP Rep. Sean Duffy Resigning from Congress
Republican Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, announced Monday that he is resigning next month.
Duffy posted his announcement on his Facebook page.
“Next to marrying Rachel, representing you — the people and families of Wisconsin’s 7th District — in Congress has been the highest honor of my life. Together, we have engaged in the most important battles of our time: protecting freedom of speech and religious liberty, taking care of our veterans, defending the unborn, and saving American jobs and American capitalism,” he wrote.
“After eight and a half years, the time has come for me to focus more on the reason we fight these battles — family,” he wrote.
Duffy then explained why family matters now more than ever.
“As you all know, raising a family is hard work. It’s especially true for one as large and busy as mine. Being away from home in Washington four days a week is challenging and for that reason, I have always been open to signs from God when it comes to balancing my desire to serve both my family and my country,” he posted.
“Recently, we’ve learned that our baby, due in late October, will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications, including a heart condition. With much prayer, I have decided that this is the right time for me to take a break from public service in order to be the support my wife, baby and family need right now. It is not an easy decision — because I truly love being your Congressman — but it is the right decision for my family, which is my first love and responsibility,” he wrote.
He said that as a result, he needs to be with his family.
“On September 23, I will step down and allow others to step forward to begin laying out their own vision and plans for leading this beautiful district and the most honest, hard-working, family-oriented, patriotic, and God-fearing constituents in America.”
Duffy closed by thanking his constituents “for the prayers said on behalf of our family. We hope they keep coming!”
Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, will call a special election to fill the vacancy. Politico noted that Duffy’s northern Wisconsin district is solidly Republican, and that in 2018, Duffy won his re-election by 22 points. Trump won the district by 21 points in 2016.
Duffy rose to Trump’s defense earlier this summer in the House after Trump tweeted his criticism of four Democratic House members who refer to themselves as “the Squad.”
“I’ve looked closely at the chain of three tweets sent out by President Trump, and in those tweets, I see nothing that references anybody’s race. Not a thing. I don’t see anyone’s name being referenced in the tweets. But the president’s referring to people, congresswomen, who are anti-American.
“And lo and behold, everybody in this chamber knows who he’s talking about. Who are the anti-American members of Congress? He didn’t say their names. He did not say their race, but he commented on how they view America. And we all know who he’s talking about,” Duffy said, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
When asked later about the tweets concerning Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Duffy said Trump’s meaning was crystal clear.
“I wouldn’t use the president’s language or the president’s tone. I’ve always said that. But did I think he’s making a point that you have some people who don’t like this country and make anti-American comments? I don’t think he went too far (in that regard),” Duffy said.
Duffy and his wife, Rachel Campos Duffy, spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
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