John Yarmuth says he’s retiring from Congress after this term

1 00:00:00,510 –> 00:00:05,760 >> When I decided to run for Congress in 2006 I wasn’t looking for a new career. At 2 00:00:05,760 –> 00:00:11,430 the time I simply wanted to stop the Bush agenda by helping flip control of the House of Representatives to 3 00:00:11,430 –> 00:00:17,130 Democrats. I said then that if I could do that whether I liked the job or not I 4 00:00:17,130 –> 00:00:22,950 would have accomplished something important. So here I am almost 16 years later honored 5 00:00:22,950 –> 00:00:28,440 by Lou civilians eight times with their votes of confidence and extremely proud of the work I have done 6 00:00:28,440 –> 00:00:30,420 for our citizens. 7 00:00:30,420 –> 00:00:35,760 >> The truth be told I never expected to be in Congress this long. I always said I couldn’t 8 00:00:35,760 –> 00:00:41,160 imagine being here longer than 10 years after every election. I was asked how long 9 00:00:41,160 –> 00:00:46,590 I intended to serve and I never had an answer. Today I do. This term 10 00:00:46,590 –> 00:00:51,870 will be my last. Well I am in excellent health. Knock on wood. I know the 11 00:00:51,870 –> 00:00:56,130 significant physical demands of the job will only become more challenging. 12 00:00:56,160 –> 00:01:01,620 >> I will be 75 when my current term ends. And the desire to have more control of my time 13 00:01:01,620 –> 00:01:07,200 in the years I have left has become a high priority. Candidly I have found new 14 00:01:07,200 –> 00:01:12,420 and incomparable joy in spending time with my young grandson. And I’d like to spend more of 15 00:01:12,420 –> 00:01:18,330 my golden years with my family in Louisville. While I have just become a lame duck I 16 00:01:18,330 –> 00:01:23,070 intend to spend the next 15 months working hard to build on my proudest moment. 17 00:01:23,100 –> 00:01:28,590 >> The passage of the American rescue plan which I authored and managed through the Congress. We 18 00:01:28,590 –> 00:01:34,110 can still do much more for the American people. And since that progress will unfortunately not 19 00:01:34,110 –> 00:01:39,270 be done on a bipartisan basis my chairmanship of the House Budget Committee puts me in a 20 00:01:39,270 –> 00:01:44,460 pivotal position to help build an even better future for our citizens. I will 21 00:01:44,460 –> 00:01:49,620 have much more to say before I leave Congress and a lot of that will be expressing my gratitude for 22 00:01:49,620 –> 00:01:55,050 the great honor the people of Louisville have given me. My time will continue to be devoted to 23 00:01:55,050 –> 00:01:57,290 them until January 2023. 24 00:01:57,960 –> 00:02:03,420 >> But I also will be working hard to ensure that our community is represented in Congress by 25 00:02:03,420 –> 00:02:08,550 the best possible democratic man or woman. I know that on my first day as a 26 00:02:08,550 –> 00:02:13,770 private citizen I will regret this decision and I will be miserable about having left. 27 00:02:13,770 –> 00:02:19,470 The most gratifying role of my professional life. But I also know that every day thereafter 28 00:02:19,470 –> 00:02:24,740 I will find other ways to help my fellow citizens and I will be more confident that 29 00:02:24,740 –> 00:02:29,850 decision I announced today is the right one. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the 30 00:02:29,850 –> 00:02:35,220 confidence you have placed in me. I urge you to immediately direct your energy to making 31 00:02:35,220 –> 00:02:39,260 sure that Kentucky’s next third district representative mayor. 32 00:02:39,390 –> 00:02:44,960 >> Kentucky legislators school board members judges and of course Kentucky’s next U.S. 33 00:02:44,960 –> 00:02:50,760 senator reflect the values that we have fought for together for the last 15 years. There 34 00:02:50,760 –> 00:02:54,720 is always more to do and it will take all of us to get it done.

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