Congressman Fred Upton is in his final month in Washington as he prepares to retire at the end of the current term. The St. Joseph Republican tells us he’ll be busy through the end, although his offices are now closed. Reflecting on 36 years in the U.S. House, Upton counts the 2016 21st Century Cures legislation as his top accomplishment. That bill boosted funding for medical research and drug development.
“Whether it’s fighting cancer, getting the vaccine approved for COVID, diseases like sickle cell, Alzheimer’s, all of that, coupled with more money for health research so we can find these cures,” Upton said.
Locally, Upton says protecting the Great Lakes and completing US-31 are high on his list of accomplishments. He says he’s always followed the example of Ronald Reagan, seeking to govern above all else as he believes that’s what people want.
“I look at our district. Most people aren’t registered as Republicans or Democrats, let’s face it. They don’t care if you necessarily have an R or a D next to your name. They just want the job done, and that’s what the next Congress is going to have to do.”
Upton says with a divided Congress about to begin, members will have to compromise. He tells us if they don’t work together, nothing will get done. He notes the election this November was the first in decades he got to sit out.
“I actually thought about going out on November 8 a couple of weeks ago with a big sign that said, ‘Thank you.’”
Until the end of his term, he says he’ll be working on keeping the government functioning, averting a rail strike, and maintaining defense spending. Upton doesn’t know what he’ll do next, but says he’ll remain in St. Joseph.
Listen to our full conversation with Congressman Fred Upton below:
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