Francis Rooney, the sole House Republican to say he is considering President Trump’s impeachment, announced a day later that he is retiring from Congress. The Florida congressman was asked on Fox News Saturday if he would be seeking a third term, and he said he was not.
“I don't really think I do, and I don't really think I want one,” Rooney said. “I’ve done what I came to do.”
Rooney, who represents a reliably red district, made news Friday after he said he was “ thinking about” whether Trump committed an impeachable offense by holding up aid to Ukraine. He made the statement after White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said that aid was withheld partially because the Trump wanted Ukraine to investigate a debunked conspiracy theory related to the hack of the Democratic National Committee’s servers.
“He said there’s a quid pro quo,” Rooney, 65, said. “I just don’t think that the power and prestige of our country is supposed to be used for political things.”
Speaking Saturday, Rooney said that he has felt like he’s “been on an island for some time” because former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan “couldn’t live up to his commitment to pass the offshore drilling ban to protect Florida."
"I asked [Pelosi] if she could help me out, and she did," he said.
https://youtu.be/OFZ_Lz-BEIQ
Rooney, a strong supporter of the environment, said that he feels as though he has gotten much accomplished since coming to Congress. He noted that during his time in office, funding per year for the Everglades has increased substantially.
Rooney, who sits on the House Committee on Foreign affairs, was the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See from 2005 to 2008.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Rooney’s office for comment but didn’t immediately receive a response.
