PORTLAND, Ore. (CEREBRAL) – Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who has supported cycling and climate legislation during his long career in Washington, has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2024.
Blumenauer, 75, served as Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District for 27 years.
“I am proud of a lifetime of leadership in rebuilding and renewing America and giving citizens more choices about how they live, move and work,” Blumenauer, a Democrat, said in a statement. “This is the serious work of the government: to make our communities more livable, people safer, healthier, and more economically secure. We have proven that it works. There is more to do, and I look forward to being a part of this. without the burden of everyday politics.”
Two weeks ago, Blumenauer attended PeopleForBikes’ SHIFT’23 conference in Bentonville, Arkansas, where he revealed he was buying his first e-bike and was impressed with the work Bentonville has done to embrace bicycles as transportation. .
The co-chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus, Blumenauer has been active in sponsoring bicycle legislation, including the Import Security Act (face the de minimis reform), the E-BIKE Act(a federal tax credit for the purchase of e-bikes), the act of transportation by bicycle (a tax incentive for biking to work), and the Sarah Langenkamp Transportation Act (unlocking local government road safety funds in honor of a State Department employee killed while riding a bike).
Established in 1996, the caucus successfully secured a $2.45 billion increase in federal funding for biking and walking and created a tax benefit for commuters biking to work. Blumenauer has a reputation for establishing bipartisan support for legislation. Other achievements are:
- Leading the Ways and Means Committee to craft provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Securing more than $1.5 trillion in the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the largest investment in rebuilding and renewing America in history. This included funding for active transportation: a 70% increase in bicycle and pedestrian funding, and the creation of a $1 billion Safe Streets and Streets for All program.
- Save more than 100,000 restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic by creating the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
- Expanding health coverage for millions of Americans through the Affordable Care Act, including a new Medicare benefit for end-of-life care planning.
- With the late Sens. John McCain and Ted Kennedy, passed legislation to create a path to permanent legal status for Iraqi and Afghan nationals who directly supported US military missions in their countries.
- As a local elected official and member of Congress, Blumenauer was responsible for the development of Portland’s transit system, including the light rail and streetcar system. This includes building Portland’s bicycle network, making Portland internationally recognized as one of the nation’s most livable cities.
