House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) announced today he will not seek re-election to the seat he has held since 1969.
Obey, whose panel controls all federal spending and has run the committee since 2007, is the highest ranking Democrat to announce that they won't stand for re-election this November. Many political analysts predict the party will lose seats.
Obey has not usually had difficult re-election races (he received 61% of the vote in 2008) but strategists said this year could have been different.
The Appropriations Committee has been important on credit union issues such as raising the amount the Central Liquidity Facility can lend and funding certain projects of the World Council of Credit Unions.
CUNA's political action committee has contributed $3,000 to Obey's campaign during the current cycle and NAFCU's PAC gave him $1,000.
Obey won his seat in a special election when former Rep. Melvin Laird (R-Wis.) was named secretary of defense by President Nixon.
