Outgoing House Republican: "The less" Congress does, "the better"

Outgoing U.S. House Representative Bob Good didn't mince words in his farewell speech Wednesday, saying that "the less we do, the better."

The Virginia lawmaker also contended that "most of what we do here in Washington is bad, certainly unconstitutional, unjustified and often downright harmful."

He went on to say that congressional Republicans "should be proud of the accusation that over the past two years, this Congress has done less than most Congresses."

"As Republicans, what should we have done more of that Biden and Schumer would agree to," Good added, referring to President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Good led the conservative House Freedom Caucus but narrowly lost his primary during the summer to Virginia State Senator John McGuire, who was endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump. Good conceded the race after losing a statewide recount.

Good's defeat made him the first House Republican to lose his primary this year; he found himself on Trump's bad side when he endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his primary campaign against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.

Although Good endorsed Trump after DeSantis dropped out, it was too little, too late. Trump responded to Good's endorsement by throwing his support behind his primary challenger.

"Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA," Trump wrote on Truth Social in late May. "He turned his back on our incredible movement, and was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently, when he gave a warm and 'loving' Endorsement — But really, it was too late."

In his farewell speech on Wednesday, Good said that when he first ran for Congress in 2020, he thought he would have "the opportunity to serve with President Trump, help him build on the successes of his first term and help him enact his second-term agenda."

"Unfortunately, that has not been the case," he continued, referring to Trump's 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.

"And, like most Republicans, my efforts have been, by extreme necessity, directed at fighting the Democrat agenda."

Trump wasn't the only Republican who wanted Good out of Congress. NBC News reported that outside groups tied to Republicans like former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy poured nearly $7 million into the Virginia primary in a push to unseat Good.

The outgoing representative was among eight Republicans who had voted to oust McCarthy from the speakership. Good also frustrated members of his party when he voted against sending foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel, and rejected a debt ceiling deal that McCarthy reached with the Biden White House.