The number of Republican lawmakers announcing they will leave Congress should be "a wake-up call" for House party leaders heading into next year's midterms, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Tuesday.
Sessions appeared on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early" with host Krysia Lenzo, who asked about a growing list of GOP Capitol Hill departures, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who has said she is dropping out of the state's gubernatorial contest and will not seek reelection to Congress.
Sessions said such exits should put leadership on alert.
"It should be a wake-up call to our leadership," he said, recalling how he built momentum as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 2009-2012 cycle.
He warned that holding a House majority is historically difficult when the party also holds the White House, citing midterm setbacks for former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Sessions urged unity and sustained effort, saying "every single member is going to have to decide that they want to be a part of this team," as Republicans work to keep their majority and counter Democrat attacks heading into 2026.
Sessions appeared with Lenzo after she played comments from Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., who claimed Americans won't see meaningful Justice Department findings tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein "until there's a different occupant in the White House," while accusing President Donald Trump of "weaponiz[ing] the federal government."
Sessions rejected that allegation and argued Democrats are trying to change the subject.
"Of course not," Sessions said when asked if he agreed with Crow.
He said DOJ attorneys have been reviewing large volumes of material and that redactions are necessary to protect people who were photographed or referenced but were not involved in wrongdoing.
"It is true that they have had to do things to protect innocent people," Sessions said, adding that lawyers "redacted them," a process he said takes time as "tens of thousands of pages" are released in batches.
Sessions pointed to Republicans such as Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who have pressed for transparency on the Epstein material.
Lenzo also raised Trump's remarks about the release of photos showing Clinton in Epstein-related material.
Sessions argued the key question isn't just who appears in photographs but what investigators and witnesses can establish about criminal conduct.
"We were fully engaged in an investigation" to get law enforcement testimony, he said, but public pressure shifted to "just release the data."
That demand, Sessions suggested, produced an inevitable mix of sensational images and incomplete context, while the deeper "story" of who did what remains harder to assemble.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.