Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, stated Tuesday that the escalating number of Republican lawmakers announcing they will leave Congress should serve as “a wake-up call” for House party leaders heading into next year’s midterms.
Sessions highlighted a growing list of GOP Capitol Hill departures, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who has indicated she will not seek reelection to Congress. He emphasized that such exits underscore the critical need for party unity and sustained effort as Republicans work to retain their majority ahead of 2026 elections.
Sessions recalled his experience chairing the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 2009-2012 cycle, noting that holding a House majority is historically difficult when the party also controls the presidency. He cited midterm setbacks for former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama as examples of this challenge.
When asked about Rep. Jason Crow’s claim that Americans would not see meaningful Justice Department findings on Jeffrey Epstein until there was a different White House occupant, Sessions dismissed the allegation, stating Democrats are attempting to shift focus.
He defended ongoing DOJ reviews of Epstein-related materials, noting that redactions are necessary to protect innocent individuals while ensuring thorough investigations. Sessions also referenced Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who has advocated for transparency regarding Epstein documentation, and addressed concerns about former President Donald Trump’s remarks regarding photos of Clinton in Epstein-linked material.
Sessions stressed that the key question lies not in who appears in photographs but in what investigators can establish about criminal conduct.
