WASHINGTON — When Michigan’s Fred Upton retires in a few weeks after 36 years in Congress, it’s possible Democrats will miss him more than his fellow Republicans.
Known for reaching across the aisle, the former Energy and Commerce chairman and longtime moderate leaves a legacy of crafting bipartisan legislation during his 18 terms, including bills that expanded health research, streamlined approval of drugs and medical products and tackled tough environmental problems.
During Upton’s tenure, though, moderates went from being a dominant force to a dying breed. Asked if it was discouraging to be one of only 29 House Republicans in the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of members — equally divided between parties — “committed to finding common ground on many of the key issues facing the nation,” Upton answered in his usual upbeat manner.
