Rep. Earl Blumenauer announces retirement from Congress

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer announced he will not seek reelection next year after serving nearly 30 years in Congress. In a statement released by his office, he pledged to continue “championing livable communities starting right here in Portland and being a resource and a partner for the next generation.” The Democratic lawmaker from Portland was first elected to Congress in 1996, the same year he founded the Congressional Bike Caucus which has grown to include 130 members. In 2017, he helped launch the Congressional Cannabis Caucus which successfully lobbied recently to end the prohibition on using federal funds for cannabis research. Rep. Blumenauer joins us to talk about his legislative priorities and his decision to retire amid the recent election of a new House speaker and the threat of a government shutdown next month.