Republican Congressman LaMalfa dies at 65, cutting House majority
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Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa's death was announced in a statement on Jan 6.
PHOTO: MAX WHITTAKER/NYTIMES
WASHINGTON – Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa has died, further shrinking the narrow GOP House majority, according to party leaders.
The California Republican’s death after 13 years in Congress was announced as House Republicans headed into a party retreat at Washington’s Kennedy Center
President Donald Trump, who said Mr LaMalfa died on Jan 5, praised the lawmaker as a reliable ally in a speech to lawmakers at the retreat.
“He was with us all the way,” Mr Trump said.
Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned as at this week following bitter recriminations against party leaders
Small groups of hard-line conservatives have repeatedly pressured party leaders by withholding their votes and swing-district moderates have applied pressure recently by forcing a vote on extending Obamacare subsidies over the opposition of party leaders. That vote is expected later this week.
Republican Representative Richard Hudson, the party’s House campaign chairman, announced Mr LaMalfa’s death at age 65 in a statement on Jan 6, lauding the lawmaker as “a principled conservative”.
Neither Mr Trump nor Mr Hudson provided information on how Mr LaMalfa died. The lawmaker’s death shrinks the Republican House majority to 218 members to 213 Democrats.
Mr LaMalfa’s once-safe Republican seat has been redistricted by California Democrats to make it competitive. The loss of the incumbent will make the seat even harder for the GOP to defend in the 2026 midterms.
Republican Representative Jim Baird of Indiana is hospitalised due to a car accident, further imperiling the fragile majority, according to a person familiar with the situation.
With Mr Baird absent, Republicans can only lose one vote on party-line votes when all Democrats are present and united in opposing GOP legislation. BLOOMBERG
