Facing new district lines and hard primary racerep. Fred Upton of Michigan, announced his retirement on Tuesday, becoming the fourth Republican in the House of Representatives who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump decline to run for re-election.
Mr Upton, who served in Congress for more than three decades, his West Michigan neighborhood has been significantly redrawn in redistribution process once a decade, and it was facing difficult elementary school campaign against Rep. Bill Huizenga, supported by Mr. Trump last month.
“This is it for me,” said Mr. Upton. in emotional farewell speech on house floormourning the split of politics today. “I hope civility and bipartisanship against discord can rule and do not regret the day.
Out of 10 Republicans in the House of Representatives vote for Impeachment of Mr. Trump last yearother who have chosen to retire, are representatives of Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio and John Catco of New York.
Mr. Upton’s neighborhood, which includes Kalamazoo, has been divided in redistribution process, taking in more territory near Grand Rapids, which Mr. Huizenga, who was in Congress since 2011, currently represents.
Mr Trump celebrated latest retirement in statement: “UPTON IS GOING OUT! 4 down and 6 left. Others lose badly, whox next?
Mr Upton was an institutionalist in Home, coming back even after it term as chairman of in powerful The Energy and Trade Committee has been completed and its party It was in minority.
Fred Upton Legislator first and most importantly, said Doug Hay, former Republican leadership aide to the House of Representatives, saying that Mr. Upton work on opioid addiction and the 21st Century Treatment Act, a radical public health law passed in 2016, “should to be model” for bipartisan achievements.
As recently as Monday, Mr. Upton said like potential candidate telling NBC news what if he won in 2022 would be show that Mr. Trump is “not as strong as he might think.”
Yet in In the same interview, Mr. Upton expressed some doubts about his plans. “I’m going to run my own race – If we run — were going to run our race,” he said.
In retiring, Mr Upton referred to his early service in Reagan administration, where he worked in office of Management and budget. “Reagan worked for both sides of passage to get things done, caring less about who received recognition,” Mr. Upton said. in his speech. “And I made the promise that such a principle will be my guiding light”.
He was immediately followed on in floor Democrat Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, who called his resignation “a loss for this country.”
“Fred and I have always managed to disagree without biting rhetoric,” she said, calling him “best friend” to her late husband, former Rep. John D. Dingell, Jr., who died in 2019.
Annie Carney provided coverage from Washington.
