Republican who quit the GOP gets punished for rogue action
California Congressman Kevin Kiley has been stripped of his committee assignments after changing his party registration.
Kiley shockingly resigned from the GOP to run as an Independent after recent boundary changes forced him into a blue-leaning Sacramento district.
His switch means Republicans now hold 217 seats compared with Democrats' 214, with three vacancies. Kiley is the only Independent in the House.
It puts the GOP in a precarious position as they struggle to maintain their tiny majority in the House.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Kiley noted that the removal was 'completely expected' and that he looked 'forward to being reappointed as an Independent.'
To return to his seats on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Education and the Workforce, and Judiciary committees, Kiley must be reappointed by the House Republican Steering Committee.
Louisiana Republican Steve Scalise, the House Majority Leader, told reporters Wednesday that Kiley's removal from the committees was 'a temporary thing' and that members could look at reinstating him at a later date.
The change was triggered under existing House rules.
Kiley switched his party registration earlier this month, filing for reelection with 'No Party Preference.' He still plans to caucus and vote with Republicans.
Kevin Kiley and his wife Chelsee Gardner
Kiley with his wife at the White House
Representative Kevin Kiley, a California Independent, speaks to reporters at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, on March 18, 2026
'As an elected representative, I've always seen my role as being an independent voice for our community, holding politicians in Sacramento and Washington accountable to serve my constituents. I answer to you, not party leaders,' Kiley noted at the time.
'That's the kind of representation I believe the newly-drawn Sixth District deserves. It is no secret I've been frustrated, at times disgusted, by the hyper-partisanship in Congress,' he continued.
'In the last year, it's led to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, a massive increase in healthcare costs, and of course, a pointless redistricting war. The epidemic of gerrymandering has spread from Texas to California to states all across the country. Both parties are complicit,' he also noted while filing to run for reelection.
California voters approved Prop 50, the state's mid-decade redistricting ballot measure championed by Governor Gavin Newsom, last November.
The gerrymandered lines were drawn to affect five seats presently held by Republicans.
