In a surprising move, Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado has announced that he will be leaving Congress at the end of next week. Buck, a hardline conservative who has occasionally clashed with his own party, cited dysfunction on Capitol Hill as the main reason for his departure.

Speaking to CNN's Dana Bash, Buck expressed his frustration with the current state of affairs in Congress. He stated, "It is the worst year of the nine years and three months that I've been in Congress and having talked to former members, it's the worst year in 40, 50 years to be in Congress. But I'm leaving because I think there's a job to do out there."

Buck criticized the bickering and lack of progress in Congress, noting that it has devolved into "nonsense" and is not effectively serving the American people. His decision to step down will have significant implications for the partisan breakdown in the chamber. Currently, Republicans hold a narrow majority, which has required Speaker Mike Johnson to rely on votes from Democrats as well as Republicans to pass major legislation.

By leaving before the end of his term, Buck's departure will trim the Republican majority to 218 seats over 213 for Democrats, with three vacancies. This means that Republicans will have little margin for error when it comes to passing legislation on a party-line vote, as they can only afford to lose two votes.

When pressed about the influence of Donald Trump's status as the presumptive GOP nominee on his decision, Buck highlighted his concerns about the broader system of selecting candidates. He expressed a desire to become involved in the process and emphasized the need for better candidates at all levels of government.

Buck had previously announced last year that he would not seek reelection, citing Congress' stagnation and his party's election denialism as factors in his decision to not run in 2024. As a former prosecutor with the Department of Justice, he was first elected to Congress in 2014.

As Buck prepares to leave Congress, the impact of his departure and the implications for the future of the Republican Party in Colorado and beyond remain to be seen. However, his criticisms of dysfunction and the need for better candidates are likely to resonate with many Americans who share his concerns about the state of politics in the country.