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Congressman Sam Farr announced today that he will not seek reelection in 2016 and will retire in January 2017 at the end of his current term in office.Farr is the California 20th district’s longest serving member of Congress and is the ranking member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.During his 23 years in Washington, Congressman Farr has served on the House Appropriations Committee, Rural Development and Food and Drug Administration, and is the longest serving Democrat on the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. He also serves on the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.Representative Farr was first elected in 1993 in a special election to fill the vacancy when then-Congressman Leon Panetta resigned to become President Clinton’s budget director.Secretary Panetta had this to say about Congressman Farr's retirement:"As someone born and raised on the Central Coast, Sam Farr has dedicated his life to serving the needs of this area. From the Monterey County Board of Supervisors to the State Legislature to the Congress, he has for over 40 years fought to protect our quality of life. I was proud to have Sam follow me in the Congress. When his service is combined with that of his father Fred, the Farrs will have left a legacy of public service that will never be forgotten. We wish him and his wife Shary the very best in the future."Prior to being elected to Congress, Representative Farr spent 12 years in the California Assembly and six years on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. His career in public service dates back to 1964 when he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia.Congressman Farr said “For years my wife Shary has asked me to come home. “She's right. It's time. It's time to come home and spend time with her and with my daughter Jessica and my grandkids Ella and Zach. For over half of my life, I have been in elected office, the last 23 as a member of Congress. I love public service and I am proud of what I have accomplished while in office. I'm proud to have followed in my father's footsteps, the late Senator Fred Farr, and I'd like to think between the two of us we have had a tremendous impact on this region, the state of California and the country we love so much.”