Rep. Dellums Bids Farewell to House Colleagues

U.S. Rep. Ron Dellums (D-Oakland), gave his congressional farewell speech Thursday, thanking his soon-to-be former colleagues for the “incredible honor” of serving in the House of Representatives.

“Late night talk show host jokes notwithstanding,” he said, it was a privilege every day to “march to the floor of Congress knowing that . . . you had life and death in your hands.”

A onetime Vietnam War opponent who became the Democrats’ point man on national security issues, Dellums was first elected in 1971 and said he decided for personal reasons to leave in the middle of his 14th term.

His resignation is effective today.

In his address, Dellums urged members to stick to ideas and to avoid personality wars.

“At the end of the day, my friends, it is never about personality,” he said. “Individuals come and go, but ideas must ultimately prevail.”