House Freedom Caucus members, speaking anonymously to The Hill, disclosed that they voted to expel Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) from the group on Tuesday night.
This decision, made just days before his retirement from Congress, was due to his prolonged absence and lack of active participation in caucus meetings.
The source stated that Ken Buck, known for his divergence from party lines on several key matters, was ousted because of his departure from conservative positions on numerous significant issues. His decision to retire was seen as leaving the conference vulnerable due to its historically slim majority.
The source also noted that Buck was informed of the group's decision on Tuesday night.
Buck’s retirement further reduces the GOP majority in the House. With Republicans now able to afford losing only two members on party-line votes, the margin for error is slim. It reduces the cushion available to GOP lawmakers when considering partisan measures.
