Members of the House of Representatives are quitting Congress at a record rate, with Republican retirements and resignations outpacing Democrats by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio in the first 11 months of the year.

Why it matters: In previous cycles, the party with more departures tends to lose seats — if not the majority. • Call it the congressional JOLTS rate. Like its BLS counterpart, a high reading for one party doesn't predict a House flip any more than a bad JOLTS number calls a recession. • But it's not a great sign for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who needs to worry that early GOP retirements could strip him of his gavel this year. • The record number of exits also guarantees that the next Congress will look considerably different than the current one, forcing leaders of both partie

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