Washington DC [United States] : Democrat Representative for New York, Brian Higgins has announced plans to resign in February, citing frustrations in Congress during a particularly tumultuous year for the chamber as the reason for bringing his 19 years to a close, The Hill reported.
Representing New York’s heavily Democratic 26th Congressional District, Higgins believed that there was growing dysfunction within US politics.
“I’ve always been a little impatient, and that trait has helped us deliver remarkable progress for this community,” Higgins said in a statement on Sunday. “But the pace in Washington, D.C. can be slow and frustrating, especially this year,” The Hill reported.
“Therefore, after thoughtful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to leave Congress and explore other ways I can build up and serve Buffalo and Western New York,” he continued.
Higgins made the announcement at a news conference at the Buffalo History Museum.
“It’s just a time for change, and I think this is the time,” and, “I want to come back to the city and serve this city that I have represented in Washington for the past 19 years.”
The 64-year-old began his 10th term in office in January 2023. He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Budget Committee, which handle tax writing and the resolution of the fiscal budget framework, respectively.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat, New York) issued a statement following the announcement Sunday, calling Higgins “a dedicated public servant,” who “has brought the best of Buffalo to the House Democratic Caucus family.”
Jeffries added: “As a Member of the Committee on Ways and Means and the Budget Committee, Brian has been a staunch defender of Social Security and Medicare and a champion for lowering healthcare costs for families in Western New York and across the country. During his time in Congress, Brian also served with distinction on the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees, representing America’s national security interests abroad and here at home.”
Despite the praise received from Jeffries, Higgins believes, “Congress is not the institution that I went to 19 years ago. It’s a very different place today,” he said. “We’re spending more time doing less. And the American people aren’t being served,” The Hill has reported.
“I’ve never lingered on Capitol Hill, I go there on a mission to change my community and return home on the first flight each week because being in Western New York, talking to people here, provides an urgent reminder of what I was sent to Washington to do,” he added.
Higgins was grateful for the time he spent in the US government, despite his emerging frustration with its current workings.
“It was nineteen years ago this month that I was first elected to serve in Congress and doing this work has truly been the honor of a lifetime,” he said in the statement at the Buffalo History Museum, reports The Hill.
He joins a number of other House members who have announced their departure in recent weeks. One case was Senator Joe Manchin, Democrat of West Virginia, who announced last week that he would not seek another term.
Under New York law, Gov. Kathy Hochul has to call a special election next year to find a successor for Mr. Higgins, The New York Times told.