WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday voted to disapprove of how Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Ill., announced his retirement, adopting a resolution stating his conduct was “beneath the dignity of his office” and undermined “the process of a free and fair election.”

Led by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez, D-Wash., it was an unusual push by a Democrat to ding a member of her own party. She was one of 23 Democrats to join Republicans in backing the resolution.

García waited until after the filing deadline in Illinois to publicly announce he would not seek reelection, leading many to assume he was boxing out other candidates and setting up a glide path for his chosen successor. His chief of staff, Patty Garcia, was the only Democrat to submit paperwork to run for the 4th District seat.

Moves like that erode Americans’ trust in their government, according to Gluesenkamp Pérez, a moderate Democrat who holds a competitive seat in Washington state.

“It’s not fun to call out a member of your own party, but I think it’s important that we’re consistent,” Gluesenkamp Pérez said in a CNN appearance on Sunday.

The final tally was 236-183, with another three Democrats and one Republican voting “present.”

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., was one of the “present” votes.

“I felt as though there was a better way that we should have done this by going through the Ethics Committee,” she said. “I also worry we’re in an endless cycle of tit-for-tat and spinning, so we spend our whole day — instead of legislating, instead of affordability — slapping each other on the wrists.”

Speaking in his own defense on the House floor Monday night, García said he “followed the rules of Illinois and its election law” and described his decision to retire as a personal one driven in part by his wife’s multiple sclerosis and his daughter’s death in 2023.

“I saw the big picture, supporting my wife as we manage her illness, taking better care of my own health and being present for the grandson that we just adopted,” he said. “I hope that none of my colleagues ever face the circumstances my family has faced in the last three years.”

Several Democrats lined up to support their colleague from Illinois, describing him as a champion of immigrants and the working class. “Garcia came up during the era of the late and great Harold Washington in Chicago, who took down the political machine,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Some aired their frustration with the intraparty strike from Gluesenkamp Pérez. “Worry about your own district,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., while Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., called the resolution “nothing more than a cheap political stunt.”

Meanwhile, Gluesenkamp Pérez tried to tie her attempt to larger currents in politics.

“I would argue that there is a very loud demand, a fervent, clear call by Americans right now for accountability and transparency. And it’s not just about the Epstein files,” she said.

The infighting began when Gluesenkamp Pérez took to the floor last Wednesday evening to tee up a privileged resolution right before lawmakers began debate on the measure that would ultimately reopen the government. It was a high-profile moment, and many Democrats worried it would distract from their efforts to hold the line on messaging around affordability and health care.

Her resolution, which she read out loud on the floor, calls García’s actions “incompatible with the spirit of the Constitution.”

House rules allow certain resolutions, such as censures, reprimands and expulsions, to be considered privileged. When a member raises a question of privilege on the floor, leaders must schedule action on it within two legislative days.

Unlike most censures, the disapproval resolution does not require the targeted lawmaker to present themselves in the well of the House chamber for a public shaming. Instead, it simply takes note of the House’s disapproval of the conduct.

García is not the only member of Congress to signal his retirement at the eleventh hour. Last year, Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., declined to seek reelection and backed Mike Haridopolos right before the deadline to get on the primary ballot. Haridopolos went on to win Posey’s seat.

Gluesenkamp Pérez said she wasn’t opposed to García’s choice to retire, but how it played out.

“No one has the right to subvert the right of the people to choose their elected representatives,” she said during Monday’s floor debate.

A swing-seat Democrat facing a tough reelection race, Gluesenkamp Pérez has broken with her party before. And it’s not the first time she has raised questions about how and when members choose to retire. Earlier this year, she floated a proposal aimed at creating ethics standards to evaluate complaints about any colleagues suffering from cognitive impairment.

When members stay in office past their prime, “it damages the credibility of our entire institution,” she said during an appropriations markup at the time.

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(Daniela Altimari contributed to this report.)

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