'Lying to America': GOP lawmaker blasts his fellow Republicans, vows he won't seek reelection
Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., announced he won’t seek reelection to his sixth term in Congress, accusing his fellow Republicans of too often “lying to America” and being “fixated on retribution and vengeance.”
Buck in a video shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, first criticized Democratic lawmakers in Washington, accusing them of not supporting law enforcement, “politicizing student loans” and more.
But after confirming that he will not run for reelection next year, the Colorado lawmaker quickly turned his ire to the colleagues on his side of the aisle. Buck said while many Americans “are rightfully concerned about our nation's future,” if they’re looking to GOP lawmakers, “their hope for Republicans to take decisive action maybe in vain.”
“Too many Republican leaders are lying to America, claiming that the 2020 election was stolen, describing January 6 as an unguided tour of the Capitol, and asserting that the ensuing prosecutions are a weaponization of our justice system,” Buck said in the video.
Buck’s criticism is an unusual move from a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of the House’s most conservative lawmakers.
Buck did vote to certify the 2020 presidential election, despite false allegations from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans that there was widespread fraud in the race for the White House. The Colorado lawmaker last month also opposed Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as a speaker of the House candidate because he refused to acknowledge Trump lost the election.
“It is impossible for the Republican Party to confront our problems and offer a course correction for the future, while being obsessively fixated on retribution and vengeance for contrived injustices of the past,” he added.
“The Republican Party of today, however, is ignoring self-evident truths about the rule of law and limited government in exchange for self-serving lies,” Buck added. “I made a decision to leave Congress because tough votes are being replaced by social media status.”
Buck last month was one of eight Republican lawmakers who voted to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from his role in the top job. The Colorado Republican has spoken out against McCarthy launching an impeachment inquiry into Biden.
But Buck has particularly criticized McCarthy’s approach to spending legislation in the lower chamber, such as the temporary compromise he passed earlier this year with support from Democrats to dodge a government shutdown.
“We are $33 trillion in debt and on track to hit $50 trillion by 2030,” Buck previously shared on X. “We cannot continue to fund the government by continuing resolutions and omnibus spending bills. That’s why I voted to oust @SpeakerMcCarthy. We must change course to sensible budgeting and save our country.”
Contributing: Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Ken Buck? Republican lashes out at GOP, won't seek reelection
