Rep. Justin Amash, 'the loneliest member of Congress,' quits the GOP


Michigan Rep. Justin Amash is really taking this whole Independence Day thing to heart. The congressman announced in a Washington Post op-ed Thursday that he is leaving the GOP to become an independent.
"Today, I am declaring my independence and leaving the Republican Party," Amash, a libertarian, wrote in a column that denounces the two-party system as an "existential threat to American principles and institutions." He said party loyalty has eclipsed Congress' true purpose of serving the American people, and called upon readers to "join me in rejecting the partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us."
Amash's departure from the GOP was "nearly a decade in the making," says HuffPost's Matt Fuller. Indeed, Amash has been at odds with the party for some time. He remains the only congressional Republican to call for President Trump's impeachment following the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report detailing Trump's possible obstruction of justice. He has frequently joined Democrats in various votes against Trump's initiatives, like the border wall. In June, he resigned from the House Freedom Caucus that he co-founded in 2015 and faces a formal censure from that body.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Recently, CNN dubbed Amash "the loneliest member of Congress," and Amash himself told Vox that "a lot of the people who once stood with me are no longer there."
So, what does his departure mean? As Reason notes, Amash was facing a tough upcoming primary challenge for Michigan's third congressional district. His new affiliation means he can try to run for re-election as an independent. But there's also lingering speculation that he could launch a 2020 challenge against Trump. Unless or until he rules this out, Reason writes, the coming months "will be a festival of guessing, gamesmanship, and gossip." Oh, goodie.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.
-
Nepal chooses toddler as its new ‘living goddess’
Under the Radar Girls between two and four are typically chosen to live inside the temple as the Kumari – until puberty strikes
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland