U.S. Rep. George Miller of California announced on Monday that he will not seek re-election this year after spending four decades in Congress, the Washington Post reported.
Miller, a Democrat, said in his statement that he is looking forward to his last year in public service "fighting the good fight and then working in new venues on the issues that have inspired me."
He was first elected to Congress in 1974 to represent a district in the San Francisco Bay area. He has also been an adviser to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and worked with her while she was House speaker.
"I've immense confidence in her," he said of Pelosi. "I am energized by our freshman class, their diversity, their enthusiasm. This decision is about me having been here 40 years. I am comfortable that it is the right time."
During an interview with POLITICO, he spoke humbly on his leave from Congress.
"I was never in awe of the 'indispensable man' theory," he said. "I tried that once on my high school football coach. And I sat on the bench for most of the year."
Miller was a strong force in legislation impacting education, labor rights, Western land, and water issues. As POLITICO reported, he would famously tell his colleagues "If you want to get into a fight with me, you better bring your lunch."
Social media sites like Twitter began flooding with comments after news of his leave leaked.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan tweeted "Thanks George Miller for 4 decades of passion & dedication on behalf of America's students! Looking fwd to working w/you in 2014 and beyond" and reporter Luke Russert referred to him as "a pitbull for Pelosi."
"As a youth, I watched my father use his elected position to really help people, and I told myself, 'That's what I want to do when I grow up,'" Miller said in a statement released by his office. "Wealthy and powerful special interests have always had friends in Washington. I came to Congress to stand up for the rest of us."
