(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- Another one of former President Donald Trump’s enemies in the House GOP caucus has announced he will not be seeking re-election.
On Tuesday, Representative Fred Upton of Michigan said he would not be running for another term in Congress. Upton was one of 10 Republicans in the House who voted to impeach Trump following the January 6 attacks at the U.S. Capitol building.
That certainly has Trump and many of his supporters celebrating, as it means there’s an opportunity for a pro-Trump Republican to take Upton’s spot in the House.
Upton gave an emotional speech on the House floor this week, saying:
“Even the best stories have a last chapter. This is it for me.
“As a former Boy Scout, I believe in leaving the campground better than one found it. I’ve worked with seven administrations, seven House speakers — none of them would call me a rubber stamp. If it’s good policy for Michigan, it’s good enough for all of us.”
Upton, who was elected to the House way back in 1986, is the longest-tenured GOP member in the House. He once served as the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
He also built quite the reputation for working with Democrats on the other side of the aisle to broker deals.
Earlier in the year, Upton said in an ad that he was “not afraid to take on anyone when they’re wrong and work with anyone when they’re right.”
That’s a reputation he certainly built in the House. Many Democrats have praised him, including Tony Cardenas of California, who said of Upton:
“He treats everyone equally, doesn’t matter if there’s a ‘D’ or ‘R’ next to your name.”
Upton said this week that he was particularly proud of his work on the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group in the House on which he served as vice chair. On Tuesday, he said that group “pushed the envelope to get things done, taking on some complex and often-controversial issues that others may want to just sweep under the rug.”
One of their crowning achievements was the “real, honest-to-goodness infrastructure bill,” according to the congressman.
Upton is now the fourth GOP representative who voted to impeach Trump to decide to retire, joining Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, John Katko of New York and Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio.
When he voted for Trump’s impeachment, Upton said:
“Our country cannot and will not tolerate any effort by any president to impede the peaceful transfer of power.”
Trump certainly celebrated the news of Upton’s retirement on Tuesday. He released a statement that said:
UPTON QUITS! 4 down and 6 to go. Others losing badly, who’s next?”
This is all great news for Trump, as it paves the way for a Republican he has backed to take the seat in a district that was re-drawn due to redistricting. After that process, Upton’s seat was placed in a district in Western Michigan along with Republican Representative Bill Huizenga, who Trump has endorsed.
