(Source: Press release from the office of U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR), December 1, 2021)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today announced he will not seek re-election in 2022. DeFazio, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, served 36 years in the House of Representatives, the longest serving House Member from Oregon and the 65th-longest serving member of the House in U.S. history. DeFazio, known as a passionate progressive populist and effective legislator, has amassed major accomplishments in a broad range of areas with colleagues from across the aisle, including aviation safety, infrastructure investment and job creation, preservation of public lands and resources, fair trade and labor protections, organic farming, and climate change. DeFazio is most well-known at home for his effective constituent services program, helping deliver hard-earned benefits to Oregonians. Following is DeFazio’s statement.
“With humility and gratitude I am announcing that I will not seek re-election next year. It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as Congressman for the Fourth District of Oregon. For 36 years I have fought corporate greed and special interests to benefit Oregon’s working families–from delivering affordable health care under the Affordable Care Act, to preventing the privatization and destruction of the Social Security safety net, to protecting our natural treasures for future generations, to fighting trade policies that undermine American workers, to holding industry and regulators accountable to improve aviation safety, to asserting congressional war powers authority to stop endless wars, to making historic job-creating investments in our roads, bridges, ports and more under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Thank you for putting your trust in me.
“It’s time for me to pass the baton to the next generation so I can focus on my health and well-being. This was a tough decision at a challenging time for our republic with the very pillars of our democracy under threat, but I am bolstered by the passion and principles of my colleagues in Congress and the ingenuity and determination of young Americans who are civically engaged and working for change.
“I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my incredibly talented and dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly on behalf of Oregonians and all Americans. I especially want to thank my wife Myrnie Daut, whose strength, encouragement and counsel has made my career possible.
“I still have a lot of work to do in my remaining 13 months and I’ll be putting all of my efforts into that work, including helping to pass the Build Back Better Act that will bring down costs for families, create jobs, fight the climate crisis and help Americans get ahead.”