Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced Monday that he will retire at the end of his current term, according to Politico.
The big picture: Walden is the 22nd House Republican to announce that they will not seek re-election this cycle.
What they're saying: Walden said in a statement that he believes "that a path exists for Republicans to recapture a majority in the House," per Politico.
- However, he said he is retiring "to pursue new challenges and opportunities."
The state of play: Walden broke with President Trump on several key pieces of legislation, including voting with Democrats to end the 35-day government shutdown over the president's proposed border wall and voting for sanctions against Russia for meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
- Walden has recently defended the president throughout the Ukraine investigation.
- During his time as House Energy chair before the 2018 midterms, Walden was tough on Big Tech, repeatedly asking Silicon Valley CEOs to testify before the committee.
Go deeper: The full list of Republicans leaving the House in 2020
