All rights reserved. Thats put him in a tough place because he also has wanted to be a loyal member of his party. An independent commission in 2021 cut off the southern portion of Uptons old district, including a middle school named after him in his hometown of St. Joseph, and stretched it across the bottom of the state all the way to Lake Erie. GOP education committee chair: I dont know what a trans girl is, Trump urges Murdoch to embrace false 2020 election claims in Dominion trial, DeSantis floats building prison on land next to Disney World, GOP mega donor says Clarence Thomas is victim of political hit job, Two-thirds say Congress shouldnt interfere with Trump legal probes: poll, Mace says overturning Roe changed the entire electoral environment in 2022. 454 shares By Brad Devereaux | bdeverea@mlive.com Fred Upton, Michigan's longest serving member of Congress, is retiring, he announced today from the House floor. Upton, 68, is the fourth Republican. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, McConnell jokes about his concussion upon return to Senate, Six more Bidens may have gained from family business schemes: Comer, Rep. Jim Jordan responds to Braggs lawsuit, argues court has no power to block subpoena, Truth-challenged NY Rep. George Santos announces 2024 re-election campaign. Despite all of that, Upton who on Jan. 3 will officially leave Congress after 36 years of representing southwestern Michigan and spending nearly a half-century in Washington has staked out a remarkable career. When a mob of Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress met in joint session to certify the 2020 presidential election for Biden, Upton was alone in his office nearby. Reps. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), John Katko (R-N.Y.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)have done the same. My decision was really based on redistricting, he said. ", "To him, bipartisan and compromise are not forbidden words," she said. The late Rush Limbaugh savaged him on his radio show more than a decade ago for embracing more efficient lightbulbs and being too willing to work with Democrats. (WNDU) - One of the longest serving Republicans in the House of Representatives is retiring. In the latter, Trump won the district by single digits. But in retelling stories about important bills, Uptons fondest memories are about the people who helped get them passed. Upton thanked his constituents for placing their confidence in him. This is it for me, said Upton (R-Mich.), who was first elected to Congress in 1986 but faced a strong primary challenge from fellow Michigan GOP Rep. Bill Huizenga. Upton didnt explicitly say so at the time, but newly drawn congressional lines the result of a voter approved redistricting commission decimated the area he represented since 1986. Then, this fall, Upton said he followed up and called Alis widow, even though she no longer lives in Michigan, and left a voicemail on her cellphone: I just want to tell you that the governor and I cut the ribbon and the last leg of U.S. 31 is now open!, The Source for news on Capitol Hill since 1955. Others losing badly, whos next? Trump wrote. We lost at least five Congressional seats, Upton said. Redrawn into the 4th district, Upton did not seek reelection in 2022, and retired from Congress upon his 18th term's expiration in 2023. Michigan Republican Congressman Fred Upton announced Tuesday he won't be seeking reelection in November, becoming the fourth House Republican who voted for former President Trump's impeachment. Uptons not sure whats next for him though hell stay in St. Joseph only that he wont be in the U.S. House. Huizenga thanked Upton for his service in a statement. Kyle Stewart is an associate producer covering Congress for NBC News. My district was cut like Zorro three different ways, the Michigan Republican told reporters. [56] He has called for Congress to pass a bipartisan red flag law. It would have been a fun campaign, Upton said, but we would have had to raise a ton of money.. Trump endorsed a Republican primary challenger against Upton, state Rep. Steve Carra. We've received your submission. "[46], On October 22, 2013, Upton introduced the North American Energy Infrastructure Act (H.R. Starting his career in politics working for the Office of Budget Management in the administration of President Ronald Regan, Upton says hes seen a great change in politics since he first arrived in Washington. counties, Man in critical condition after stabbing in Lansing, suspect arrested, Charlotte Mayor announces he will not seek re-election in November, Holt High School Robo-Rams ready to take on international robotics tournament, Michigan State University creates resource office for victims of campus shooting. [75] He was later censured by the Cass County Republican Party for voting to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from the House Education Committee. [34] In 2016, Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act[35] into law, a bill Upton co-sponsored. THE FCC JUST KILLED NET NEUTRALITY. [44] Due to his environmental policies, The Los Angeles Times wrote in 2011 that Upton "represents one of the biggest threats to planet Earth on planet Earth. As for what comes next for Upton, even he isnt sure. [6] He is a member of the Emil Verban Society.[99]. "UPTON QUITS! The decision follows months of Upton's . Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Excellence in Education Award Nominations, ELECTION RESULTS: See races across West Michigan. After the attack on the Capitol building on January 6th, 2021, Upton was one of only a handful of Republican lawmakers, including freshman Michigan Representative Peter Meijer, to impeach former President Donald Trump for his involvement in the days deadly events. Fred is a deeply moral person and he stands up when people are being bullied., More:In Michigan and across US, it was a bad night for Trump, More:Rep. Fred Upton announces retirement from Congress, has been in US House since 1987, When the Cass County GOP voted to censure Upton for voting with Democrats to strip U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., of her committee assignments for inflammatory remarks and social media posts including a campaign piece showing her holding a semiautomatic rifle next to a photo of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, he noted she had taunted a Parkland school shooting survivor, argued that California wildfires were started by a Jewish space laser, accused Democratic politicians of running a pedophile ring out of a pizza parlor, and questioned whether 9/11 really happened.. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. With the redistricting in Michigan that went into effect this year, Upton would have been forced to run against U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, in the primary, due to new congressional district boundaries that place the two multi-term congressmen in the same district -- Michigans newly created Fourth District. He says more time with family and possible a ski trip are immediately in order after his term expires. Ultimately, it saved hundreds of thousands of Americans, Upton said. Friends you can trust, and you can accept their word.. 4 down and 6 to go. Rep. Fred Upton (Mich.), one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, revealed on Sunday that he has not yet. I mean, you know, the top three candidates [on the statewide ballot in November] were all election deniers. Even the best stories has a last chapter, Upton said in an emotional speech on the House floor. "UPTON QUITS! With the latest redistricting of the states political maps following the 2020 Census, Upton, 68, was drawn into the new 4th District with Rep. Bill Huizenga of Holland. "[50], As of 2017, Upton has received more than $2 million in campaign donations from oil and gas companies and electric utilities over the course of his political career. [citation needed], Upton was reelected with 50.2% of the vote against Democratic nominee Matt Longjohn (45.75%) and U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Stephen Young (4.1%). During Uptons tenure, though, moderates went from being a dominant force to a dying breed. I have not changed my stripes or my number, he told Wolpe as reported at the time by MLive. [9], Upton won reelection to a second term with 71% of the vote. The former president took a victory lap just moments after Upton announced his retirement. We could all learn something from his tenure and strive to live and lead with the values he embodies. Elected to the House in 1986, Upton became dean of the Michigan congressional delegation, and served as the chairman of the influential Energy and Commerce Committee and as a leader of a caucus of centrist Republicans known as the Tuesday Group. [28], Upton has been a member of moderate Republican factions The Tuesday Group and the Republican Main Street Partnership. The final results of Michigans 6th Congressional race left Upton with 58.1% of the vote and Democrat Jon Hoadley with 37.89% of the vote. In 2020, for the 18th time, Upton won reelection to his seat representing Michigans 6th Congressional District. His retiring is a loss for this country and especially the people of Michigan.. For me, (Uptons departure) is more of a personal loss, said Kildee. "Fred Upton embodies the very integrity, intelligence and civility our country needs more than ever," said Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., one of the leaders of the Problem Solvers group who joined Upton at a bipartisan dinner Monday night. [21] Upton had been criticized for not being conservative enough by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, FreedomWorks, Right to Life of Michigan, and the Southwest Michigan Tea Party Patriots. One of the longest serving Republicans in the House, Upton has decided to retire . Upton was redrawn into the 4th district with Huizenga, who currently represents the 2nd district. Only two of the 10 Republicans who voted for impeachment, Reps. David Valadao of California and Dan Newhouse of Washington, won reelection in November. He was in Ann Arbor, alongside Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps (who trained at Michigan) for the coin flip against Penn State and got to remain on the field for the entire game. [53][54] On November 5, 2021, Upton was one of 13 House Republicans to break with their party and vote with a majority of Democrats in favor of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Everything must be on the table. Mack, Julie; David Stockman, former southwest Michigan congressman and Reagan aide, offers dire view of U.S. economy; Michigan Live; April 1, 2013; ;2018 election He thanked his wife, two kids and three grandkids for giving him so much to look forward to. He first worked as a staffer for then-Rep. David Stockman, R-Mich., and then followed his boss to the Office of Management and Budget during the Reagan administration. When the late Howard Wolpe, a Kalamazoo Democrat who left Congress when his district was merged into Uptons, fired off a letter accusing Upton of moving too far to the right to gain his chairmanship in 2011, Upton fired back noting that there had been Democratic support for rolling back some regulations. When Politico recently suggested that his name might be floated as a candidate for House speaker if Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of California cant get the votes he needs anyone can be named speaker, theoretically, with a majority vote in the entire House and the suggestion was that the well-liked Upton might be able to peel off enough Democratic and Republican votes to win he waved it off casually. In November 2013, in response to Americans losing their health insurance coverage because of the ACA, Upton proposed a bill that would allow them to retain it. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) is the only other Republican in Michigan's congressional delegation who has stated that Biden is the winner of the 2020 presidential election. When we passed it, I called him, and Lonnie, his wife, answered the phone, Upton said. But when confronted with the ugly reality of what Trump did (in denying the outcome of the 2020 election), when push really came to shove and others showed a high level of moral cowardice, he took the right course.. Former President Donald Trump endorsed Huizenga a few weeks ago and had vowed to try to unseat Upton after he, along with nine other Republicans, voted to impeach Trump for instigating the Jan.. Frederick Stephen Upton (born April 23, 1953) is an American politician who served as a U.S. representative from Michigan from 1987 to 2023, representing the state's 6th congressional district since 1993. Fred Upton, Michigans longest serving member of Congress, is retiring, he announced today from the House floor. Thompson Dennis; Congress passes 21st Century Cures Act with billions for new research, treatments; CBS News; December 8, 2016; Rep. Fred Upton and Rep. Debbie Dingell Team Up to Battle Opioid Addiction; WDET; May 24, 2018; Zipp, Yvonne; Michigan Live; December 12, 2013; 2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2004 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan District 6, New England Compounding Center meningitis outbreak, Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, North American Energy Infrastructure Act (H.R. [30], Upton voted against passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and has since voted in favor of its complete repeal. She didnt answer.. Rep. Upton (R-St. Joseph) made an emotional announcement on the House floor Tuesday morning, reflecting on his career and his past and current colleagues along with the Michiganders he represents. Fred Upton is retiring after serving Michigan in Congress for 36 years. And it was, again, the independent voters that really determined the results., The loss of moderates like Upton will reduce the membership of the Problem Solvers Caucus from 58 to around 50 in the next Congress, he predicted. When Michigans Fred Upton retires in a few weeks after 36 years in Congress, its possible Democrats will miss him more than his fellow Republicans. Looking back on his career, Upton talks proudly about legislative accomplishments like the 21st Century Cures Act one of the last bills President Barack Obama signed into law in 2016 which increased funding for health research and sped up approvals of drugs and medical devices at the Food and Drug Administration. Upton was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump over the Capitol riots in January of 2021. Despite all of that, Upton who on Jan. 3 will officially leave Congress after 36 years of representing southwestern Michigan and spending nearly a half-century in Washington has staked out a. Upton attended the University of Michigan, obtaining a bachelors degree in journalism in 1975. My stripes or my number, he announced today from the House.. Not forbidden words, '' she said - one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach former president Donald over... 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