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Republican Party Loses Another Member

Representative Justin Amash, a Republican from Michigan, formally quit the Republican Party today, just in time for Independence Day. Amash has been an open critic of President Trump and has joined with Democrats in calling for his impeachment.

In an open letter published by the Washington Post, Amash decried the “hyperpartisan” style of American politics, and said our party system is in a “death spiral.”

Amash, the son of Palestinian immigrants who were also Republicans, said he once believed strongly in the party’s values, but the party has lost its way under Donald Trump. He also suggested that members of Congress are more loyal to their political party than to the people they serve.

“These are consequences of a mindset among the political class that loyalty to the party is more important than serving the American people or protecting our governing institutions,” Amash wrote. “The parties value winning for its own sake, and at whatever cost. Instead of acting as an independent branch of government and serving as a check on the executive branch, congressional leaders of both parties expect the House and Senate to act in obedience or opposition to the president and their colleagues on a partisan basis.”

Amash is now an “Independent,” with no party affiliation.

“Today, I am declaring my independence and leaving the Republican Party,” Amash wrote. “If we continue to take America for granted, we will lose it.”