When U.S. Congressman Dick Durbin retires from Congress, there is one thing he won't miss: air travel. This Democrat member has been traveling from the capital to his home state of Illinois since 1982, when he was first elected to the House of Representatives. After serving seven terms in the House, he spent another five terms in the Senate, eventually rising to some of the highest leadership positions in the legislative body, but after four decades, he will be leaving Washington next year, and he is not alone. According to official data, more than 50 other lawmakers are not planning to run for re-election to their current seats, with the bulk of this growing number coming from the House of Representatives, where more than 40 representatives have signaled their intention to leave Congress. These retirements come at a difficult time for Congress as an institution, and if the recent longest-ever government shutdown is any indication, it suggests that the political gridlock in the United States has reached its peak. Personal Safety Lawmakers from both parties (Democrats and Republicans) are increasingly concerned about their personal safety, especially following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Extensive efforts to redraw electoral districts have changed lawmakers' understanding of the areas they represent. Despite passing significant domestic political legislation since the beginning of 2025, there is growing frustration from both parties in the White House over their efforts to strip spending powers from the legislative branch. Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman from Maine Jared Golden announced last month that he will not seek re-election, saying, "Simply put, what I can accomplish in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison to what I can do in that time as a husband, father, and son." Frustration Like Congressman Dick Durbin, Congressman Michael McCaul has worked in Congress for decades. This Republican from Texas has held important positions, including chairman of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees, however, he announced in September that he will not run again. He told "USA Today": "For me, it was a natural time, I'm still young enough to start a second career." Since McCaul came to Congress from Austin in 2005, he said the environment has become "toxic" more than ever, and added: "I was surprised to see how Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia for years has been a staple of President Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan and its embodiment." McCaul continued: "There's a lot of frustration among our members about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the House," he said. "If you're someone who runs for Congress to accomplish this or that, and it becomes hard to accomplish those things, does that affect a representative's decision to stay in office? I'm sure it does." Important Law Nevertheless, an important law was passed this fall, largely due to rebellious lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Congress passed a Jeffrey Epstein transparency law for the convicted sex offender, which will force the Department of Justice to publicly release all legally available information about its investigation into the case later this month, and the president signed it into law just before Thanksgiving. Source: "USA Today". Lawmakers expressed their frustration over the effectiveness of the House of Representatives, confirming the increasing inefficiency of Congress.
