Rep. Peter King (R-NY) said Monday that he will retire after fourteen terms, declining to seek reelection in 2020.
The Long Island congressman is known for his hardline stances on immigration and national security matters.
“After 28 years of spending 4 days a week in Washington, D.C., it is time to end the weekly commute and be home in Seaford,” King wrote on his Facebook page.
King adds to the growing pile of Republicans who aren’t seeking reelection next year, but he indicated he would stay involved in politics, pointing to his seven-figure campaign war chest.
Though he initially endorsed Donald Trump “not with enthusiasm,” as he said in May 2016, King warmed to the President.
“In fact, when he comes in to speak with Republicans, he’ll sometimes single me out to speak,” he gushed in a mid-2017 profile.
In his statement Monday, the congressman said he would stick by Trump’s side.
“In the coming weeks and during the next year I intend to vote against President Trump‘s impeachment and will support the President’s bid for re-election,” he wrote.
The pair has similarly aggressive views on immigration and other issues.
In December, after the death of a second migrant child in U.S. government custody, King defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Unfortunately, people living in those conditions, that can happen,” he said, comparing the situation to public housing in New York City.
“I think ICE has an excellent record,” he added. (The children who died were in the custody of Customs and Border Protection, another Homeland Security agency, not ICE.)
A month before Trump’s inauguration, King told reporters that he suggested the President pursue a nationwide program to monitor Muslims similar to an effort that had been discontinued in New York City.
“I suggested a program similar to what Commissioner Kelly did here in New York, and that we can’t worry about political correctness,” King said.
The congressman twice chaired the House Homeland Security Committee.
