It’s been two weeks since Sean Duffy announced his Congress exit over his and Rachel Campos-Duffy’s ninth baby’s “complications,” and the couple are sharing more details.

“We have some holes in the heart and are gonna need open-heart surgery,” the Real World: Boston alum, 47, said on the Monday, September 9, episode of The View. “As any political family, I have eight kids and we always evaluate what is the right decision at the right time. Every member of Congress has two schedulers. That’s how busy our schedules are. I have to balance what is right in service to state and what is right in service to my family. There are 435 members of Congress. There is only one Duffy dad. So I made the choice to spend a little more time with Rachel and the kids and find a career path that gives me more time. … I don’t know what I’m going to do yet.”

The Real World: San Francisco alum, 47, added, “The baby does have holes in the heart but also could have some other developmental challenges, so we just wanted to create more space in our life.”
John Boehner participates in a House swearing-in ceremony for freshman Rep. Sean P. Duffy (R-WI) on January 5, 2011 with his wife Rachel and their children, in Washington DC. Newscom/MEGA
On August 26, the former Republican representative announced that he would be stepping down from his position.

“Recently, we’ve learned that our baby, due in late October, will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications, including a heart condition,” the former reality star wrote on Facebook at the time. “With much prayer, I have decided that this is the right time for me to take a break from public service in order to be the support my wife, baby and family need right now.”