Lawmakers Ponder Retirements

Punchbowl News: “This recess brings a bit of a temporary reprieve to Washington. Lawmakers depart for the holiday, leaving staffers to scramble drafting legislation and setting up hearings for December. Codels are heading all over the world.”

“But this holiday also tends to bring another dynamic to the fore — retirements. Members of Congress, facing political uncertainty or peril, remember how good it is to be back at home. Other opportunities pop up and they seem better than serving in a deeply divided, unhappy Congress. Once-a-decade redistricting also is playing a role this year. And potentially losing the majority will influence veteran Democrats in the coming weeks and months.”