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GOP Rep. Francis Rooney Stepping Down After Just 2 Terms, Cites Being Pro-Term Limits

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A Florida Republican congressman who won’t rule out an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump based upon the president’s July 25 phone call with the president of Ukraine will not run for re-election in 2020.

Republican Rep. Francis Rooney of Florida made the announcement Saturday during an appearance on “America’s News HQ,” Fox News reported.

Rooney is the 18th Republican House member who has announced plans to not seek re-election next year, according to USA Today.

“Do you need a third term?” host Leland Vittert asked Rooney

“I don’t really think I do and I don’t really think I want one,” said Rooney, who was first elected in 2017.

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“I want to be a model for term limits,” he said, later adding, “People need to realize … this is public service, not public life,”

“I thought the idea was you came and did your public service and left, you accomplish what you want to accomplish and you left,” Rooney said.

“And that’s what I want to be an example to do. And I’m also really tired of the intense partisanship that seems to stop us from solving the big questions that America needs solved,” he said.



Rooney made it clear that he was fed up with the way Congress works.

“It’s so stacked against taking risk. It’s so dependent upon the quest for re-election, and raising money and not wanting to offend anybody, It’s not, I don’t think, what the founders had in mind when they risked their fortunes to start our country,” he said.

That covered similar ground to a Friday comment he made to Politico.

“This is kind of a frustrating job for me. I come from a world of action, decisions, putting your money down, and seeing what happens. This is a world of a talk. It’s very difficult for me to just stand up and talk,” he said.

Rooney said on Saturday that he had come to Congress to increase funding for Everglades projects and secure an offshore drilling ban passed to protect Florida.

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“I’ve done what I came to do,” he said to Fox, adding “We’ve gotten all the major projects under way.”

Rooney has said that he is “still thinking about” whether President Donald Trump’s actions in connection with Ukraine are an impeachable offense.

“I want to study it some more … but it’s certainly very, very serious and troubling,” he said Friday, according to CNN. “I don’t think you can rule (impeachment) out until you know all the facts.”

Rooney said that his departure won’t change his mind about how he will vote to pursue impeachment.

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Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com.
Location
New York City
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Foreign Policy, Military & Defense Issues




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