Rep. Mike Gallagher’s (R-WI) betrayal of his constituents will continue at least one day longer.
The maybe-soon-to-be-ex-Congressman announced March 22 – after a leak forced his hand – he would resign from his Congressional seat on Friday, April 19.
But after Speaker Mike Johnson’s Wednesday announcement that the House will vote Saturday, April 20, on a foreign aid package with tens of billions in aid to Ukraine, Gallagher is once again changing his tune.
“The congressman has the flexibility to stay and support the aid package on Saturday,” a spokesperson told Politico.
The initial timing of Gallagher’s long goodbye was intentional. As Breitbart News reported earlier:
By delaying his departure almost four weeks, Gallagher will extend his stay in Congress beyond the April 9 deadline to trigger a special election for his seat, denying his constituents a voice in the House until January 2024 — as Congress fights over government funding and oversight of President Joe Biden and his administration.
Gallagher reportedly is leaving after leveraging his Congressional experience to take a job with Palantir, a data analytics and security firm. The company’s data services are used by governments including the U.S. and Ukraine in security, defense, and intelligence sectors.
Gallagher’s decision is expected to give him the opportunity to vote on two of his priorities — a bill to provide billions in taxpayer funds to Ukraine for its faraway war with Russia, and legislation to extend the authorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The House passed a FISA reauthorization – with Gallagher’s support – in April after a contentious battle which further weakened Johnson’s standing inside his party.
The Speaker, formerly a staunch privacy advocate, reversed another long-stand position when he fought against an amendment to block warrantless surveillance of American citizens by the intelligence community. That amendment failed in a tie, with Johnson the deciding vote.
Gallagher negotiated his then-departure date with Speaker Johnson, who flip-flopped from his prior long-held position to become, like Gallagher, a fervent advocate for Ukraine funding.
It is far from certain Johnson’s foreign aid scheme will continue on his desired timeline. The rule allowing its components to proceed to the House floor will need Democrat support. It is incredibly rare for the minority party to support a majority’s rule, even if it supports the underlying legislation, and it is possible Democrats will hold out in an attempt to extract concessions from Johnson.
Breitbart News asked Gallagher’s office if he would consider staying beyond Saturday but did not receive a response.
Gallagher’s start date with Palantir has not been reported, but his delayed departure might benefit the company. As Breitbart previously reported:
Gallagher’s final priorities in Congress seem to dovetail with those of his future employer, which would benefit from additional aid to Ukraine as well as the extension of FISA.
Palantir signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine in March, days before Gallagher’s announcement he would quit Congress and before reports he would take a job with the company. The company also provides services for intelligence agencies, including those which utilize the controversial FISA Section 702.
If Gallagher jets from Washington after voting to send tens of billions in taxpayer dollars, he might also leave Johnson hanging. The embattled Speaker appears likely to face a motion to vacate soon, in which he will need every vote he can get to save his gavel.
Although Gallagher’s chosen timeline denied the people he represents Congressional representation for the rest of the year, the November election for Wisconsin’s Eighth District is heating up.
Donald Trump has endorsed small businessman Tony Weid in that race.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
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