
California Representative Kevin Kiley announced that he is immediately leaving the Republican Party to become an independent. This move complicates House Speaker Mike Johnson‘s already razor-thin majority.
According to CBS News, Kiley confirmed his decision in a call with reporters, saying he has asked the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to officially update his status on the roster. With Kiley’s departure, the House now has 217 Republicans, 214 Democrats, and three vacancies, making Kiley the only independent in the lower chamber.