Report: Florida congressman to resign

By From Ted Barrett
CNN Capitol Hill producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congress, still whirling from Vermont Senator Jim Jefford's defection from the GOP, now may be losing its second Republican this week.

Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Florida, will announce he's resigning his seat at a news conference Friday afternoon, the Pensacola News/Journal reports.

Scarborough, 38, was elected in 1994, the year Newt Gingich became speaker of the House. He built a reputation as a conservative who wasn't afraid to buck his party by fighting corporate welfare and offshore drilling.

The News/Journal reports Scarborough's announcement follows weeks of "personal soul-searching." The paper says he's frustrated with Washington politics, is hampered by chronic back pain, and wants to spend more time with his sons, ages 10 and 13.

Scarborough, who represents the politically conservative western panhandle of Florida, won with 78 per cent of the vote last year.