Washington, DC – Today, Representative Francis Rooney issued the following statement on his announced retirement from Congress:
“On September 11th of this year, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported the passage of H.R. 205, my bill to make the current moratorium on drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, east of the Military Mission Line, permanent. This, along with getting a steady stream of money flowing to the Everglades Restoration projects that will fix our water quality issues, were the main drivers of my decision to seek office in the first place.
“With passage of H.R. 205 and over $1.1 billion secured for the Everglades so far, with an additional, $200 million coming this fiscal year, I believe that it is time to return to private life. These are the goals I had in running for this position.
“I have been a supporter and sponsor of term limit legislation throughout my time in Congress and like the founders of our republic, I believe in the concept of citizen legislators who commit to public service and not public life. In fact, I introduced a bill to effectively impose term limits without a Constitutional amendment.
“I am thankful to the citizens of Southwest Florida that have provided me with the opportunity to serve them, to my teams in Washington and in our district who have worked hard every day to assist our constituents, and to my family for their support and encouragement. Our community is a special place and I am proud to have played some small part in ensuring a healthy environment and economy for it.”
