The good, the bad, the memorable: An exit interview with US Rep. Jim Langevin

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin stunned the Rhode Island political world when he announced he would not run for reelection this year.

His decision, which he managed to keep to himself since making it over the holidays, set the Ocean State's political merry-go-round spinning with speculation about who will run to succeed him.

Over 22 years in Washington, Langevin has witnessed a lot of history. He took a few minutes over the phone with The Journal on Wednesday to discuss his decision and his time on Capitol Hill.

What triggered the timing of this announcement yesterday?

It was just the right timing. Once I had made the decision not to seek reelection, I wanted to give enough notice so that it wasn't a last-minute thing and other people who would be interested in running for Congress would have the opportunity to think it through and decide whether they were going to run. I want the seat to stay in Democratic hands and make sure we are choosing the strongest candidate.

Did you consider not doing it on the same day as the State of the State address, knowing that that's usually a big moment for the governor?

You know I hadn't even thought about it in those terms and hadn't realized it was that date that the address was going to be given that day. I was going to be out of state that day.

Rep. Jim Langevin: Why I won't be running for reelection in 2022

How close did you come to running for governor?

It was under serious consideration. You know mainly all over the summer. If I was going to do it, I would've had to make an announcement or send signals in the fall of last year and then ramp up because putting together infrastructure — and then you know the fundraising goes along with that — taken together is a big undertaking. I thought about [it] very seriously, but at the end of the day I decided that I couldn't give 100% to this job and give 100% to running for governor and the time commitment that is involved. It just didn't feel right, and if I am going to do something I have to give it my all.

What's next for Jim Langevin?

Looking towards your next move, there's been a lot of speculation about the president's job at Rhode Island College, your alma mater. Have you spoken to anyone about that job?

Some people have mentioned it, but I haven't given it any serious thought just yet. Right now I want to take my time to find what the right fit is for me.

But is it something you would be interested in?

You know, I love my alma mater and it has been struggling in recent years. I think it's a real gem for the state and I still say it's the best bang for the buck in Rhode Island. I'll always support my alma mater in any way that I possibly can, but whether there is a role for me I'm not sure. That was actually the place where I got my start and first office I ever ran for was for representative to student government there and president of the student body. I got a great education at Rhode Island College ... I want only the best for the school going forward.

Looking back to 22 years in Congress, what was the one moment, if you had to pick one, you will remember most fondly?

I guess two come to mind. On the legislative side, my vote in favor of passing the Affordable Care Act, which provided insurance for thousands of uninsured Americans and lowered health-care costs to millions of people. And then tied to that of course was being at the White House with President Obama when he signed that law. And then the other moment that will stick with me was when I had the honor of serving as speaker pro temp and presiding over the U.S. House of Representatives after speaker Pelosi made it so that the speaker's rostrum was made accessible. That was really a cool moment.

Any votes you'd like to have back?

Huh. Nothing really comes to mind.

I can tell you one of the votes I am most proud of and I wouldn't change it is the vote against the Iraq War. That was something I wrestled with at the time. I didn't know if I was making the right decision. But I just didn't see the intelligence there. It was not long after 9/11 and there were many people there behind President Bush and who said if he says we need to go to war with Iraq then we need to do it. And I sit on the Armed Services Committee and I'm looking at the intelligence and the dots didn't connect for me. I didn't see it. And the day I voted no it wasn't the most popular thing to do at the time but it turned out to be the right vote. And I'm pleased that I made that decision at the time.

How about the war in Afghanistan?

As the years have gone by should Congress have taken any different approach to Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is very complicated. I supported the decision to go to war there. We needed to go to war to cancel al Qaeda, to go after the Taliban that was a facilitator and allowed al Qaeda to thrive and grow and train and plot against America. It had been so frustrating over the years that with all the billions of dollars, the resources in blood and treasure that were spent in Afghanistan — and then of course the pullout I was not a fan of. I thought we should have left a presence there. The small amount of troops that were there providing backup and logistic support was able to hold that country together intact and now you know we withdrew and things fell apart very quickly, which was really disappointing to see after being there for so many years.

panderson@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7384

On Twitter: @PatrickAnderso_

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Exit interview with US Rep. Jim Langevin D-RI not seeking reelection