GOP Energy and Commerce chair to retire from House

The first House GOP chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee chair, Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), said Thursday that she will retire from the House in 2024 and not seek re-election.

"It’s been the honor and privilege of my life to represent the people of Eastern Washington in Congress. They inspire me every day,” McMorris Rodgers said in a statement. “They are part of the strength and soul of America — the greatest experiment in self-governance the world has ever known.”

Rodgers was first elected to Congress in 2004. She became ECC chair in 2023 when the GOP retook the House majority, after having been the top Republican on the panel since 2020.

“Especially as Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I’ve seen the best of Eastern Washington and the United States of America,” her statement continued. “We will spend this year honoring the Committee’s rich history -- plowing the hard ground necessary to legislate on solutions to make people’s lives better and ensure America wins the future.”

Cook Political Report rates her district in the Spokane area as a solidly Republican district.