Diana DeGette “Skipping” the Speech

Rep. Diana DeGette

Denver Congresswoman Diana DeGette, representing the state’s largest Jewish community, is “skipping” (CNN, March 3, 2015) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress. She joined 53 other Democrats, many of whom said they were boycotting the speech due to it being an unwelcomed high-profile challenge to the Obama administration’s Iranian
negotiations.

DeGette is Colorado’s longest serving congressperson having been first elected in 1996 and starting service when she was 40 years old in 1997. She is in her 10th term. Re-election in 2016 would make it 20 years.

Is DeGette in her last term? Is she thinking about retirement? There is regular talk about when she might retire. There would be a scramble for the seat since it produces considerable job security. The previous occupant, Pat Schroeder, served 24 years.