Congress is shedding members at a near-record rate. As Axios reported, 13 senators and representatives announced in November—before Thanksgiving!—that they won’t seek reelection next year. That’s the highest number of defections in one month in over a decade, per Ballotpedia.

We’re barely into December, and that trend has continued, with more high-profile exits on the Republican side of the aisle. The month began with embattled New York Rep. George Santos getting expelled, and continued with North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry, who bravely laced up his bow tie for a brief term as interim speaker, announcing he would not run for reelection. Not to be outdone, deposed Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced not only that he would not be running for reelection but that he wouldn’t even be sticking around for the rest of his term. He will bail on Congress by the end of the year.

Oftentimes, congressional defections are an indication of how a party expects to fare in an upcoming election. Ahead of the 2018 elections, 37 Republicans retired, anticipating a “blue wave” in which Democrats picked up 41 seats. Ahead of the 2022 midterms, 32 Democrats bailed, assuming that the country was headed for a red wave, which never materialized.

This time, though, members of both parties seem to be leaving not because of electoral expectation, but because working in Congress sucks.

In their own words:

“It seems like the norms are gone. Any kind of respect for the institution is gone. Any kind of obligation to be truthful is the exception,” said Michigan Democrat Dan Kildee, who is calling it quits. Congress “is not the optimal place........

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