12-term Democratic congressman stepping down this month
Washington (CNN) - Longtime Democratic Rep. Rob Andrews announced Tuesday that he's stepping down from Congress later this month.
The congressman from southern New Jersey is leaving Capitol Hill to pursue a position with a leading law firm in Philadelphia.
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"In very recent days I was asked to consider heading up the government affairs practice of a very prestigious Philadelphia law firm which my family has very deep and personal connections. It' s a firm run by people who have been friends and mentors of mine for a very, very long time," he said at a news conference Tuesday.
Andrews said his decision was not "a reflection on the negativity surrounding the Congress or the politics in Washington."
The 12-term representative is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The panel is reportedly looking into allegations that Andrews misused campaign funds to pay for a family vacation to Europe.
Andrews represents New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, which covers the Philadelphia suburbs in the southern part of the Garden State. The district is considered safe for Democrats.
The 56-year-old Andrews is an ally of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Two other close Pelosi allies, Reps. George Miller and Henry Waxman, recently announced they would retire at the end of the year rather than run for re-election.
Democrats need to win back a challenging 17 GOP-held House seats in November's midterm elections to reclaim control of the chamber.
CNN Senior Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh and CNN's Jason Seher contributed to this report.
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Anyone who supports Pelosi, is bad for America.
Well, time to get rid of these crooks, dem or republican teaparty!!!! Vote in November!!!!!!!!
Republicans, or rather Libertarians, shouldn't get their expectations all fired up over the prospect of winning a seat because Gov. Christie has totally contaminated the Republican brand in New Jersey. Forget about it.
He has been there a while. I wonder who will follow him. Is there any word on that and anyone throwing his/her hat into the ring?
The district is considered safe for Democrats.
Why is Ted Cruz hiding , when will he read America another children's story ?
Adios. If I were a Democrat I would be looking for a rock to hide under mid-term. Obamacare is a scourge. American's haven't even experienced the " healthcare" end of it. It is now obvious the law is more about control than it is quality health care. But as Hillary would say" what difference does it make anyway? " Obamacare is just for you little common peons. Then there is Mr. Obama directing NSA to spy on his opposition, the dedicated deceit and lies concerning Benghazi and lying to the public about the incident being because of a film. Oh, don't forget there are still as many people without work The phony numbers the Administration offer don't account for the folks who have just given up. I think you get the message. Vote out anyone who had something to do with the scourge running this country!
It is time for many of these long term politicians to move on. What concerns me is with the amount of apathy there is in the American electorate (probably 20 to 30%), there is a huge chance we will have more extreme Republicans or Democrats take there place. What we need are more PRACTICAL politicians who understand we need to correct the tax codes so that it does not allow the very rich to only pay 15 to 17% on their profits while the middle class often pays 30 -33% on their earnings. We also need to increase the minimum wages to at least $10.00 a hour to reduce the number of Americans that need SNAP assistance to survive. This increase would result in an uptick in the GDP, reduce unemployment, increase the number of people seeking jobs, even if prices on some items have to increase 5% to offset it. Don't listen to the pundits, CHECK HISTORICAL DATA, at raise of this nature over 2 years WILL NOT hurt the economy it will enhance it.
Thomas
The district is considered safe for Democrats.
Why is Ted Cruz hiding , when will he read America another children's story ?
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Maybe he took a secret trip to North Korea and didn't know how to keep his opinions to himself.
Andrews represents New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, which covers the Philadelphia suburbs in the southern part of the Garden State. The district is considered safe for Democrats.
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democrat gerrymandering no doubt....
Interesating... Another long sitting Demorcat Rep. is resigning rather than run again and defend Obamacare. But this guy looks like he is resigning because he is dirty and under investigation. All they do is slap them on the wrist like they did with Charlie Rangel so I don't know why he ran for the hills.
@T Howard "Adios. If I were a Democrat ...."
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Fortunately, you are not. the Dems are moving forward without those not willing to move forward.
First, let me say I remember the ads for Rep Andrews when he first ran.
He looks a lot older now, after 24 years.
At his presser, he had a noticeable "tick" that reminded me of Michael J Fox (i.e. Parkinson's disease).
@Donna "Interesating... Another long sitting Demorcat Rep. is resigning rather than run again and defend Obamacare. "
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And I find it "Interesating" that since there is nothing in the article to suggest this, a conservative parrot is free to just invent it. Rush would be so proud of you.
just saying
Andrews represents New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, which covers the Philadelphia suburbs in the southern part of the Garden State. The district is considered safe for Democrats.
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democrat gerrymandering no doubt....
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There they go again, projecting themselves onto others. It's a fairly urban area, filled with highly educated voters.
SDG...Donna is right. Reading between the lines is very easy regarding this guy. Silence would do you good.
In all seriousness, why is he leaving now? Why not leave at the end of his term? This is sadly similar to Palin... cutting out now hurts all of his constituents.
He should serve until the end of his term. This is a Palin move..