Eshoo in 2020. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Rep. Anna Eshoo, Silicon Valley's longtime Democratic representative, will retire at the end of this congressional term, she announced in a video Tuesday.
Why it matters: Eshoo has played key leadership roles on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and in the Democratic House caucus, getting bills passed on tech, cybersecurity, telecommunications, science and health.
What they're saying: "As the first woman and Democrat to ever represent our district, I'm very proud of the body of bipartisan work I've been able to achieve on your behalf in the Congress," she said in the video.
- Sixty-six of Eshoo's bills have passed, she said, including "the creation of two federal agencies to promote research and development, one to advance biotechnology and one to pursue cures to the deadliest diseases we have yet to conquer, [and] the advancement of high technology for the betterment of society."
- San José Spotlight broke the retirement news.
Between the lines: Eshoo had to walk a fine line between celebrating her district's tech entrepreneurs and visionaries, who would support and donate to her campaigns, and asking tough questions while considering legislation to reel them in.
- More recently, Eshoo was a chair of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus.
- Eshoo has been a strong supporter of net neutrality, and has not supported a federal privacy law that would override California's own.
