In the forthcoming House session, the Republican majority will be able to rectify measures done by the prior Democratic majority in 2023.

Republicans and Democrats are both prepared to begin the new legislative session and address important concerns. The Democratic-led Senate and the Republican-led House will immediately bring up a number of major topics, including as the situation at the southern border and immigration, crime, aid to Ukraine, the emergence of social media difficulties, and issues related to freedom of expression and privacy. Energy costs, the introduction of new vaccines, tax credits, inflation and the financial state of the country with skyrocketing costs for the average consumer, and the ongoing investigations that will undoubtedly be joined by new ones now that the Republicans control the House are also at the top of the list.

Moreover, there are allegations that House Republicans have fresh legislation ready for introduction.

A long-serving member of the House will not be there for the inauguration on Tuesday, but his future plans keep him in the game.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield is a Democrat who intends to depart Congress at the conclusion of current term. Butterfield, a Democrat, has represented the 1st Congressional District in eastern North Carolina for over 18 years. He declared last year that he would not seek re-election, and state Sen. Don Davis, D-Greene, was elected to succeed him in November. Davis was backed by Butterfield as his successor.

In anticipation of his departure from the House, the congressman described his tenure there as “18 years of adventure” but noted that the logistical and time demands of sitting in Congress, as well as the continual pressure to collect money for re-election campaigns, wore him down.

On Friday, a letter including words by Butterfield on his service in the House was read on the House floor. The letter stated, “It has been my high honor and privilege to represent the people of North Carolina for more than 18 years.”

Tuesday’s inauguration of a new Congress would have automatically terminated Butterfield’s tenure, but the congressman announced by phone Friday morning that his resignation is effective at midnight Friday. Friday morning, The News & Observer was the first to announce Butterfield’s departure.

Butterfield will reportedly check out a few days early to start a new job at a legal company in Washington, D.C., he stated on Friday. He declined to compete for re-election, and now it appears he intends to become a lobbyist in Washington.

Butterfield announced his retirement from Congress in November 2021, saying,  “It is time for me to retire, and allow the torch to be passed to someone who shares the values of the district, and continue the work I have labored so hard for the past 18 years.” At the time, Butterfield sharply attacked the recent redistricting in his district, which had made the formerly firmly Democratic zone more competitive.

2004 was Butterfield’s first election to the district in Northwestern North Carolina. He is a former chair of the congressional Black caucus and was first elected to the district in 2004. Butterfield has opposed the new district boundaries in North Carolina. North Carolina utilized a new court-drawn map for the 2022 election, which maintained the district’s Democratic tilt.

“The map that was recently enacted by the legislature is a partisan map,” he said at that time. “It’s racially gerrymandered. It will disadvantage African American communities all across the 1st congressional district.”

More on this story via The Republic Brief:

On Friday Butterfield announced made his announcement about the new position. “I’m beginning a new job tomorrow,” he said.

Butterfield declined to name the law firm he’ll join, saying he expects an announcement this weekend. He told the News and Observer that the firm he is joining in Washington desires all new associates to be on the payroll before the New Year for the purposes of getting benefits in place. CONTINUE READING…