In what was likely a jolt of disappointing news for Democrats, Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) announced over the weekend that he will resign his seat in the lower chamber come February, as The Hill reports.
Higgins cited growing frustration with the internal workings of the House as his reason for departing his legislative role after 19 years serving the Empire State's 26th Congressional District.
Articulating the rationale behind his move, Higgins said, “I've always been a little impatient, and that trait has helped us deliver remarkable progress for this community.”
He went on, “But the pace in Washington, D.C. can be slow and frustrating, especially this year.”
“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,” Higgins added.
As the Associated Press reported, Higgins voiced disappointment in the current state of affairs in D.C., saying, “Congress is not the institution that I went to 19 years ago. It's a very different place today.”
He went on to lament, “We're spending more time doing less. And the American people aren't being served.”
At 64 years of age, Higgins has devoted nearly two decades to his work in Congress, currently serving on the House Budget and Ways and Means Committees.
He also holds the position of Northern Border Caucus and Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group and is also co-chair of the Bipartisan Cancer Caucus, as The Hill further notes.
Though he described his time in government as “the honor of a lifetime,” Higgins also stated that he “never lingered on Capitol Hill,” preferring instead to “go there on a mission to change my community and return home on the first flight each week.”
Those routines, Higgins noted, were owing to his belief that “being in Western New York, talking to people here, provides an urgent reminder of what I was sent to Washington to do.”
New York state Sen. Tim Kennedy (D), who some believe could be a strong candidate to take Higgins' place in Congress, heralded the achievements of the longtime congressman, saying, “His work in Washington and western New York will be remembered for what it was: strategic, innovative, and at its core, always focused on why we do what we do as public servants: help people.”
As Breitbart noted, Higgins' years of service were also lauded by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who remarked that his colleague “brought the best of Buffalo to the House Democratic Caucus family.”
Jeffries added, “In Congress, and in the State Assembly and Buffalo Common Council before that, Brian as been a relentless champion for the city's economic development and prosperity. Brian has left an indelible mark on Buffalo's waterfront, biomedical research institutions and revitalized infrastructure,” and for those accomplishments as well as his years of devotion to his district, the constituents who continued to reelect him for nearly two decades are surely grateful.
