Top Republican congressional aide resigns, rips GOP lawmakers who objected to Biden win

Jason Schmid, a longtime senior GOP aide on the House Armed Services Committee, has resigned from his post, according to a letter to incoming ranking member Mike Rogers (R-Ala.). 

The letter was first obtained by Politico Tuesday. 

In the letter, Schmid blasted GOP House members for supporting an objection to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory even after the deadly riot that occurred Jan. 6 by a mob of President Trump’s supporters.

“Anyone who watched those horrible hours unfold should have been galvanized to rebuke these insurrectionists in the strongest terms,” Schmid wrote. 

“Instead, some members whom I believed to be leaders in the defense of the nation chose to put political theater ahead of the defense of the Constitution and the republic,” he added. “The decision to vote to set aside legitimate electors harmed the ability of every service member, intelligence officer, and diplomat to defend the nation and advance American interests.”

More than 120 House Republicans and six GOP senators voted to challenge the battleground state of Arizona’s election results, citing unsupported claims of widespread voter fraud before the riot ensued. A group of lawmakers also voted to challenge the election results in Pennsylvania. 

However, both the House and Senate would ultimately beat back the challenge and vote to certify the results in the early hours of Jan. 7, solidifying Biden’s 2020 win. Following the attacks at the Capitol, Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) rescinded their objections to the results. 

Loeffler had lost her Senate runoff election to Sen.-elect Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) just one day before the riot took place. 

“All of our words and actions in the coming weeks and days will reveal those who believe in defending the Constitution, and those who stand only for self-interest and sectarianism. There can be no reconciliation and healing without accountability,” Schmid’s letter concluded.

“While it is my hope the Committee finds a way yet again to legislate in a bipartisan way for the men and women in uniform in the 117th Congress and beyond, the failure of so many Republican members of the Committee to put the nation ahead of electoral politics compels my resignation from the staff,” he added.

Members of the committee who joined one or both objections include Rogers and Reps. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.).

Schmid, a former Army intelligence analyst who was wounded in Iraq, has worked for the House panel for over four years.

The resignation comes the same day as that of an aide to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a leader of the Senate objection to the election results.

The Hill has reached out to Rogers’s office and the House Armed Services Committee for comment. 

A spokesperson for the panel’s Republicans declined to comment to The Hill.

–Updated at 3:23 p.m.