things that make the difference. i guess my last piece of advice that i leave to the people that are coming in the next congress is to focus on thinks that bring people together rather than divides them. look for ways to solve problems rather than create new ones. over the course of the last 28 years i have seen this formula work. and i hope in the new congresspeople will employ it in way that is will make a difference. heaven knows we need to do it. thank youretiring congressman el blumenauer. we're talking in the right off of the house ways and means committee hearing room place, where he spent a lot of time over the years. and we want to talk a bit of congress and policy, but i want to start on a personal note. c-span watchers may not remember blumenauer, but they certainly will remember the bike pin and the bow tie. tell me the story of how that got started.

well, i had some advice from a local businessman in portland who thought that i needed to wear a bow tie because he thought i was too serious. and when i came back, senator hatfield, who was a mentor to me, said, you sometimes wear a bow tie. i said, yeah. he said, always wear a bow tie. and i thought it and it's true. you have all these people with long red ties and blue suits, sort of pasty faced old white guys, indistinguishable. but if you're wearing a bow tie and a bike pinned, you stand out a little bit. and one of my heroes was daniel patrick moynihan. and, you know, you noticed the statement that was made. and it's hard sometimes for people to be able to track, and i'd rather have them feel that by a bow tie and a bike pin. it was memorable. rather than scorched earth politics. and an institution that runs the continuum from workhorse says to

show horses. where would you put yourself. like i'd like to be thought of as somebody who left place a little better than i. i deal with whip. pretty simple stuff to me. and proud of the work i've done, but you're never going to see it on msnbc or fox news. i'm not garnering huge headlines and raising tons of political money, but i think these are the things that ultimately make worth at least for me, to serve here and being able as i am, i'm in the process of publishing a 400 page exit memo. with stuff we've worked on for 28 years and some years before that, i was thinking, coming into the gym this morning, i passed jim jordan and i served

with jordan 420 years and we just had nothing in common. i don't think i've changed. 20 words with him. maybe in the bad about oregon beating ohio state. but i was thinking, i mean, i'm leaving. maybe not the most famous and effective member here, but i'm leaving a body of work that has made a difference for the people i represent and people around the world with helping afghans who escaped the tender mercies of al qaida and the taliban that i did with senator mccain and senator kennedy. what we've done in terms of a of a livable communities agenda for bicycles and streetcars, making those communities more livable. agricultural reform. what i did with the restaurants

rescue bill, there's a whole array of things that don't make the headlines, but they make a difference. why then, did you decide to leave it was your choice. you could have run for election. guess. yeah. people have been pretty kind to me back home. i probably could stay. but last october in a my family and i sort of assessing as we do every other year, is just and i just couldn't justify taking two more years of my life to campaign, to serve, to additional years in a dysfunctional congress. and the acrimony i truly felt that i could do as much or as a civilian. and it was time for me to leave to help get new people involved. part of the problem in this business, nobody ever knows they

they wait till they get indicted or they die or, you know, i wanted to leave at the top of my game. the last three years have been the most productive that have spent in 28 years in congress. what made them so? what did you accomplish that you're proud of in the last three years? oh, well, i've for decades to try and help provide the resources to rebuild and renew america. and a number of those provisions that we had an inflation reduction act, the infrastructure bill. these are things i've been working on for decades but couldn't get them enacted. and we got them. there is a gusher of federal money being spent in ways that are more equitable, low carbon and help strengthen communities across the country. ironically, did that happen because of covid? well, covid was a blessing and a curse. it did unlock a lot of money, but it also exposed some of the fissures. no, i think part of it is just

staying at it and it was president biden. now, i've worked with five presidents and and have been able to account, unleash something with each of them. joe biden was the first president who was really committed to rebuilding and renewing america and spending money on it. and what we've done in terms of energy, in terms of transportation and livability is transformational and it continues. i started this congress in houston, texas, and i had a big roundtable with people in the energy business. i know that that matters to them in that state. it's making a difference. but some of this, it's. it is time to transition for

somebody who has more energy and vision and insight than i have to have a shot at it and and be able to do it. not being in tangled with the politics i've done that for years. i've campaign in over 100 different communities. i've i'm embarrassed to i have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. but it is a it reached point where it was not nearly as satisfying. and i truly think that the things that i care about in terms of strengthening communities, in terms of reform forming a food policy system where we no longer subsidize a diet that makes americans sick, i. these are things that animal welfare that are ripe, adding. and i think there's just as much maybe more opportunity outside of congress. and i just find the some of the

people in the procedures wearing is there a point along the trajectory where you saw things become much more dysfunctional in this institution? well, the dysfunction is what prompted me to run for congress in the first place. in 1998, i stood back and i h what newt gingrich did weaponize in this process, taking down democrats and demonizing them. you know, lyndon johnson was railed once with speaker rayburn, talking about the animated who are the republicans? and speaker rayburn said no, sir, they're not our enemies. there are opponents. the senate is the enemy. but but not taking it personal, i think is is really important. gingrich turned on its head and then there was, you know, tom

delay was his whip, where they tried to stop companies from hiring democrats, which the that can the tone and tenor of the debates around here and knowing anything that was said could be used against you. and that was before we had the internal at wikipedia social media, which is even more corrosive. i mean, there are people here who have staff that is only promoting their political agenda. they don't do policy. i, i, i find that breathtaking. but i count it. starting with what gingrich did and then continuing with the weaponization of this. and frankly, democrats occasionally game as good as they got. it's not any one group or individual. but i put the turning point with what happened with with gingrich

turning this into open warfare. what would surprise people about how this institution works that they couldn't see from the outside? i think people are surprised that there still are people that work in a collegial basis, even. even today, there are still some members of the governing wing of the republican party. in fact, when i gave my sort of my exit speech, one of my colleagues got up on the other side of the aisle and said something nice about my work. i, i think people would be surprised about how much camaraderie there is even in these toxic times. and social media. and i, i think the more they know about that, the better they'll feel. many members, when they retire,

stay in washington. you will not know why not? well, i went home every week anyway. the. that's that's that's been real hard. the wear and tear. absolutely. mm hmm. they pay the price. it's been 14 hours a week in their portfolio. mm hmm. it's. it just sucks the life out of you. and there is no way that i'm. not. go home. be with family and friends, and focus on these things in a way where i think. i can do more as a civilian. i don't denigrate people who

decide to stay. if i wanted to make my money, i'd be a lobbyist. i don't want to make money that bad. no and i mean, i'm well on the back nine of life, and i want to spend more time with my wife and family, friends fitness and time before apps and being from portland bill, throw in fourth year food. and be able to. be a little more normal. have you not felt normal for. i don't know. this is not the life is just not doesn't lend itself how normal human beings operate. you mean that's why i give this seven page letter now to every

new member of congress giving them advice of things i wish people told me and my family when i came back here. this is this can be a killer. and particularly when i see people with young family in my commitment, i came back here. my kids were. on the college and one was an adult. so and but they paid a price anyway. no, it's it's, it's i, i, i have great admiration for people who can navigate it, who are stronger and smarter than i. are there reforms that could happen that could make the place more functional? absolutely. no, no. tell me what some of those are. well, part of it is i just think that there ought to be a notion of people how to treat others the way they want to be treated. i want when a new congress sets

up the rules, i want the old congress to set up the rules before they know who's actually going to be in charge. i think that there are opportune cities for us to have a more humane schedule. i would put my foot down in terms of people in i don't know how you do this by rules, but have people who are hired just to be political flacks and not do actual policy work. but part of that can come from the top. having legislative leadership in both parties taking a firmer line about performance and individual members of congress not supporting people for leadership positions who are not providing the leadership that we think need to happen. and easy for, you know, a geezer who's got one foot out the door

to pontificate because i know this is hard and i know the politics are serious and the stakes are high, particularly in a time of trump. but i think. i think there's more we could do to humanize it. and i think there is more work that rank and file members can do to enforce norms that are more civilized with such razor thin majorities and the quest for power by one side or the other. was it so within reach? it seems that it's just set up for highly partizan politics. yes. so the country, the congress reflects the country which is well divided. but you know what i've tried to do over the course of this last year, as i've been wrapping up, i you know, it's interesting. you get these lifetime achievement awards, which is

nice, although one of the things you find out in this business is that nobody takes these awards. i have over 200 of them. and what do you do with them? you can't leave them on the street corner. it's got your name on it. libraries don't take them, but when they give you these awards, you know, it's interesting. they they give you the microphone for five or 6 minutes. and what i've tried do for those moments recently is to just kind of make the point that we've done. we've come together on a on a nonpartisan basis to get stuff done, focusing on things that unite people rather than divide them. and i think that formula still works. i think it could continue to work, and i hope more people focus on it. you've spent a lot of your time in congress. you're involved in a lot of caucuses, which i'm maybe we can talk about some of the most important of those for you. but your committee assignments, budget and ways and means, you're where it all happens, the

money caucuses. first of all, how worried are you about the size of the public debt? significantly worried. there's a time, a place for deficit spending. we made the right decision in the in covid when we were having near collapse of the economy and supply chains and families were desperate. but we've lost some of the fiscal discipline and people are afraid to actually make significant reductions in budget and raise taxes. i was very pleased today on the floor of the house, a senior member of one of those money committees said, you know, i've been thinking about what you've been saying about reforming the crop insurance subsidy. you know, the republicans were going to cut down on nutrition assistance to save money. and i pointed out several times the budget committees that there

are 20,000 rich farmers for 37 consecutive years that have received $1,000,000 a year or more in subsidy. i mean, these are things that are within our power to do something about and increasingly dysfunction in congress can't do it. we're keeping a the way never the cruiser that the navy doesn't want. it doesn't work. it's there just to protect jobs. so i worry about stuff like that. and it's it's time to not target the poor and the vulnerable and ignore our responsibilities. what do you think of the future of the progressive agenda after the last election? what are the messages? well, think the fundamental things we progressive. i think i put myself in there. what we were advocating is solid. the american public wants to be

able to support a environment they want to rebuild and renew america. they're concerned about an energy future. they care about a health care system that works and. i mentioned i want to stop subsidizing a diet that makes us sick. but there are lots of things we can do to squeeze more value. why do american senior citizens pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world in the name of supporting innovation for the rest of the world? i mean, these are things that are within our capacity. house budget committee, on which you said, and the budget process, which has not been functioning well for, really much of the that you've been here is that redeemable. well, yes, in a word, but but basic, there's no magic solution. you know, if we just simply are

willing to reduce the programs that are not efficient. if we're willing to raise taxes in ways that make sense in terms of things like carried interest, i mean, the loopholes for, some of the richest americans paying taxes is now voluntary and the burden falls on the 85% of the public who pay their taxes with withholding. and the irs knows what do. and for others, increasingly, it's volunteer free. but this is not rocket science. it's common sense. and there are people in both parties who will do that. there's less enthusiasm cutting spending that's unnecessary. and making the adjustment to the tax system. but i have hope that at some point will we'll come around where the churchill say he could

count on the american people to do the right thing after they've exhausted other possibilities. but with the deficit, we may be getting to that point. what are you thinking about the congress leaving behind? what are you seeing about new trump administration? really close majorities? what do you think the next year's going to be like? that depends on how people embrace it. there are elements of the trump agenda that actually make sense. there are opportunities because of the far right and the extreme right can agree with each other. that's why we don't have a farm bill. so we might actually people who are willing compromise a little bit to get the work done. and what i said about concentrating on things that bring people together. simple common sense items that burning calories instead of

fossil fuels with bicycles, agro reform, simple common sense health care, rewarding value over volume. these are not. this is not rocket science. these are things that the american public can understand. and these are things that congress ought to employ. you mentioned newt gingrich as a speaker you think caused some of the acrimony in congress. what about nancy pelosi? what do you think? how do you think history will view her speakership now and should be regarded as one of the most, if not the most, speaker of all time? and one of the things that's most painful for me is how the the right wing has demonized nancy pelosi. she's a fundamentally decent person. she goes to mass every day. she is one of the most courteous people i've ever seen. and she has reached out and forged relationships. i mean, george bush invited her to speak at the dedication of

his library. she always has time to talk to children on the floor. but, nancy, with a razor thin majority, got every thing done. it's been an honor to serve with her. i've watched her travel the globe, tireless flea wearing out people half her age. and she did it well without having the edge. i mean no question. she's a tough partizan warrior and was equal to the challenge, but not a mean spirited. and i think history is going to regard her very positively. how about particularly her role in encouraging president biden not to his quest? you also, by were calling for him to step down as speaker. is a very subtle and kind person. and she has a way of convincing

people to understand what their choices are and to the right thing. she's artful and i think what she helped orchestrate was a an exit for president biden that he should have understood earlier. but she i look what she did in the house of representatives nancy stepped aside at the peak of her power and decided that she was going to empower the next generation of leadership. she's here. she's arguably the most influential member of the house of representatives. but it is a more behind the scenes gentle effort. it's a terrific role model for people to be able to understand the arc of their career when it's time to step aside.

and what she did. empowering the democratic leadership. you know, democrats were united behind our leadership when republicans were fighting like ferrets in a phone booth. and part of that is how nancy helped set the stage. there's a role for jim clyburn and steny hoyer. hoyer productively with dignity while moving on to the next generation. i think there's a lesson to be learned. we have maybe six, 7 minutes left. i want to talk about two issues in particular that you've been so involved in. one is the infrastructure bill and bicycling in this city. now, there are major streets, major thoroughfares, bike lanes down the middle of them. when you drive to work or bike to work. when you see all that, what do you think? i'm proud. i mean, the bike lanes down the middle of pennsylvania avenue, my project, i'm i think every time i come up to a spotlight, a stoplight on a bike.

i'm somebody who'not in a car front of a frustrated driver, burning calories instead, fossil fuel. civilizing the impact in communities. i come from a very bike friendly community. i'm proud of what we did there, but we've taken bike partizanship around the country. it's high impact, low cost. people feel better themselves. and the more do this, the safer it becomes. teaching kids had had bike busses going in droves. i, i, i think we we're on the verge of a bike revolution and i'm proud for 28 years to have played a role with it. and i think it is transforming a number of communities. do you bicycle to work every day here? i walk. i mean, but i. i didn't bring a car to washington, d.c. i brought a bike and a gas bike.

i've been able to get along just fine without a vehicle. and it is enriched my life and simplified it. and that's part of the advice give to new members of congress. bring a bike or use bike share share. it's it's easier than having car and it's lighter on the planet. it's sounds a bit like the word is bucolic and that's not the right word. i'm looking but almost of a kinder and gentler age to be riding a as a member of congress. honestly. because there are threats to members security days for the positions that i do worry that. what was it actually that said every time he sees a person on a bike he he feels better about the human. if if more people biked there would be less road rage. people would be healthier. there would be softer edges for the community. yeah, i am deeply about the

attitude where there are threats not just to members, but to staff and to family. that's deeply troubling. but that's why we need to take the edge off this and humanize it and bipartisanship is a way to do that. everybody has a bike story. mine was really a good one. so we'll talk about later. but falling off. the other issue that you've championed is cannabis and the laws have changed in so many states regarding. consumption of cannabis, but not at the federal level. what is your reaction? you see laws being changed and an impact on society and what do you about the federal. yeah. well, my work on cannabis legalization and working to end the failed war on drugs is one of my greatest areas of satisfaction and one of my greatest disappointments. i've been working on this.

i was a freshman legislator in 73. i've been involved every state level initiative of to legalize cannabis at the state level. and we've had remarkable success. we have like 38 states that have medical cannabis. this is the wave of the future and is very important. but the failed war on drugs particularly we've seen now what we've suspected all along. richard nixon started, this war on drugs for political reasons against young people and blacks and 100,. 100 million young african-american people paid the price for differential enforcement. and it's it's has been so hard for the federal government to get out of that mindset after having spent hundreds of billions of dollars on this failed war on drugs.

it's been for the minority community, for young people, and lost opportunities. if we get the point where we use medical cannabis for. medicare or medicaid, the va will have health care. we will save hundreds of billions of dollars. but we're sort of trapped time. and that's one of my biggest disappointment. i'm proud what i've done with the legalization. when i started one out of three people agreed with legalization. now, three quarters of the public agree and a majority of republicans. but the federal government has been trapped in time. i, i hope we change that. what concerns do you have about recreational use and driving under the influence? well, it is an issue of not

having people understand the dynamic. if instead, if we had given people good information and training cannabis is actually a safer drug and alcohol, part of the problem than we've had is that people didn't understand appropriately how to use it. i don't want any kid use cannabis. that's one of the reasons i worked on legalized action, because right now no corner dealer has a license to lose. they don't check for ids. and if we get to the point where we got federal policies, where we treat cannabis like alcohol, we'll do a better job protecting our kids and the public. and we're going to make a boatload of money by illegal product, then having most of it done illegally. do you expect that in the new

congress someone might put forward federal legislation? yes. one of the things i'm leaving a project is the the cannabis caucus and. i've recruited people to be in the leadership position, and this is part of what we're doing with the next congress is promoting because we're right on the edge. it's very, very close. if the biden administration actually follows through on their recommendations to reclassify cannabis to schedule three. that will open up some research opportunity. but but it's not good enough. and we ought to fully legalize it regulate it like alcohol, educate and end the failed war on drugs. well, our 30 minutes has evolved very quickly here. we're just about out of time. so let me just close with maybe the obvious last question. what will you miss most about this life and this place? well, i miss some of these

extraordinary people and an opportune entity to use a platform to try and advance things. it's it's a gift, and i miss it. thank you for to c-span as you mrs. steel: mr. speaker, i rise to thank my constituents, colleagues and friends for the wonderful four years i have spent serving in the people's house.