Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla. will not seek re-election, he announced Thursday.
“Fifteen years ago when Vicki and I were praying about running for Congress, we could have never imagined what may lie ahead,” Miller said in a statement. “That day has come, and I am announcing I will not seek re-election to Congress.”
Miller, who represents Florida’s 1st congressional district, also noted that he was the first GOP congressman to “take the oath of office after the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001,” and highlighted his emphasis on national security over the years.
The 56-year-old also pointed out his work with veterans, boasting that there are there are “two ‘new’ VA clinics serving the veterans of the First District, including the Joint Ambulatory Care Clinic, which was the prototype for many others around the country,” Miller wrote.
And “after exposing VA’s delays in care and accountability crises, we wrote and passed the most significant reform bill in the history of the Department of Veterans Affairs.”
“I intend to complete my tenure as House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs chairman while maintaining the same robust oversight of VA that has defined my chairmanship,” he wrote, adding that he will also remain on other House committees until he retires.
“As we approach the markup and consideration of the annual Defense Authorization Bill, I will do everything in my power to ensure our Armed Services remain the finest and most equipped fighting force in the world. And in an ever dangerous world, I will continue my service on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,” Miller wrote.
Florida holds its congressional primary on Aug. 30.
