Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) announced he will take an early retirement from Congress. His announcement sent shockwaves through the Republican Party. 

His last day was set to be Friday but that may change. He may stay long enough to vote for Speaker Mike Johnson's foreign aid legislation this weekend. This will give Johnson a boost in support. A spokesperson for Gallagher said that he has "flexibility to stay and support the aid package on Saturday."

That's good news. It's lousy that some Republican lawmakers have decided to cut bait and run instead of finishing out their full terms in the House. It is especially bad since the Republican majority is so tiny. It means that without a strong majority in the House, some Democrat support is necessary to pass legislation. It puts Johnson in a bad spot. Early retirement is also a disservice to voters who supported him. Gallagher isn't finishing his job. 

Gallagher has served in the House for eight years. He is young at age 40, the youngest committee chairman in recent history. He is a national security and foreign policy hawk. That's not surprising, given he is a veteran. He served for seven years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, including two deployments to Iraq.

Gallagher chairs the high-profile Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. He also chairs the Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation. 

At the time of his retirement announcement, Gallagher cited his young family and the time he was missing with his daughters. He announced in February and said at the time that he would finish his term. Then he changed his mind in March and said he would leave early.

Johnson plans to put up his four-pronged foreign aid legislation for votes on Saturday evening. Johnson needs Gallagher's votes because some House Republicans are voicing their objections. Gallagher's TikTok bill will likely be wrapped in the fourth bill. 

Anyway, Gallagher cited death threats when he announced his retirement. It turns out there has been some swatting going on, too. 

After he chaired his last House Select Committee hearing on China's possible connection to fentanyl overdose deaths in the United States, he spoke with reporters. 

Rep. Gallagher said, "This is more just me wanting to prioritize being with my family. I signed up for the death threats and the late night swatting, but they did not. And for a young family, I would say this job is really hard."

FOX 11 reached out to Gallagher's office about his comments on death threats and late night swatting calls. It's unclear if any specific incident led to his early resignation.

However, FOX 11 did confirm through the Brown County Sheriff's Office -- which patrols Allouez, where Gallagher lives -- a case number was assigned late last year to a swatting incident related to Gallagher.

The Sheriff's Office said it reached out to U.S. Capitol Police about the incident. In January, the investigation was handed over to federal authorities, including Capitol Police, the FBI and the United States Secret Service.

The threats and swatting take a toll on anyone. It must be especially difficult for families with young children. 

In a statement to FOX 11, Capitol Police said, "Anytime a Member of Congress is the victim of a "swatting" incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners. To protect the ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copy-cats, we cannot provide more details at this time."

Gallagher has not said what his plans are when he leaves Congress. He has said he and his family plan to remain in the Green Bay area.