California GOP Congressman Doug LaMalfa Dies at 65

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) has died after 13 years in the House, according to statements released Tuesday by GOP officials. He was 65 years old. Politico notes that LaMalfa, a fourth-generation rice farmer and former state legislator, was serving his seventh term. The congressman served on the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. He represented the Golden State's 1st Congressional District since 2013. “Doug was a loving father and husband, and a fierce advocate for his constituents and rural America,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) said in a statement posted on social media. “Our prayers go out to Doug’s wife, Jill, and their children.” LaMalfa's death increases the Republican majority in the House of Representatives to 218-213. File/ MAY 20, 2013: Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., poses in his baseball uniform in the appeals offices. (Photo by Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York called for a moment of silence in honor of LaMalfa at the start of a panel at the Capitol commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. AP reports that President Donald Trump expressed "tremendous sadness" over LaMalfa's death Tuesday while addressing a meeting of House Republicans, lamenting the loss of a lawmaker he championed as an ally for his agenda. “I was really saddened by his passing,” Trump said. The president said he considered not giving a speech in honor of LaMalfa, but decided to do so "because he would have wanted it that way." More to come… Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: Follow @SunSimonKent or by email to: skent@breitbart.com