In a surprise announcement, U.S. Rep. David Cicilline said he is stepping away from politics.
Cicilline has represented Rhode Island in Congress for over a decade. During his time in office, he took on Big Tech and served as the House impeachment manager for former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. He is also openly gay and an advocate for LGBTQ rights.
So with all that apparent success, why is Cicilline resigning?
"There were a couple factors. One, he was offered a job as CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, the big nonprofit funder here in Rhode Island. He's going to more than triple his salary to $650,000 compared what he made in Congress," WPRI politics and business editor Ted Nesi told Under the Radar. "And he acknowledged it was just less appealing to stay in Congress, in the U.S. House, as a Democrat who is now in the minority, with a Republican majority who has very little he agrees with them on. And if we're being honest, Cicilline tried and failed to get into senior leadership position when the House leaders were changing over."
Nesi said Cicilline's resignation was a shock to "everyone in Rhode Island" given the fact he was only a couple months into his latest term.
Cicilline officially steps down on June 1. The special election to replace him will likely happen in November, so there will be several months without Rhode Island's 1st District represented in the U.S. House.
Arnie Arnesen, host of “The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen” on WNHN, said she was angry with Democrats for not putting him in a leadership position and was sad to learn of his resignation.
"Look at all these roles he played," she said. "I actually kind of envisioned that maybe someday he might want to run for president. I really do think he has that kind of cred and credibility."
Also on Under the Radar's Regional News Roundtable, guests discussed the aging Bourne and Sagamore bridges. Tens of thousands of cars drive across the nearly 100-year-old bridges to Cape Cod each day. Though the bridges are in desperate need of repairs, the federal government has rejected multiple requests for funding — although President Joe Biden's latest budget proposal would include a " down payment."
"These bridges apparently have not a great design, and they're very difficult and expensive to repair. And it's that cost of repair — year over year — which is really driving the conversation here that they just have to be replaced entirely," said Steve Junker, managing editor of news at CAI. "Right before the pandemic, they were talking about a price tag to replace both bridges of about $1 billion. And everybody thought 'Oh, that's a lot of money.' Now they're saying it could be as much as $4 billion."
Arnesen said now is the time to think big about the bridge reconstruction.
"What the 'H' are you building? Because it's not just about a bridge. Because you're talking about also a bridge to the future. And what we know about the future is climate change. What we know about the future is maybe the desire for more public transportation. ... It's not just about a bridge, everyone. It changes the whole course of life."
And, lastly, Under the Radar guests discussed how a high school in New Hampshire is training students for the Granite state’s burgeoning outdoor tourism industry.
GUESTS
Steve Junker, Managing Editor of News at CAI, the Cape, Coast and Islands affiliate of GBH
Ted Nesi, politics and business editor and investigative reporter for WPRI
Arnie Arnesen, host of “The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen” on WNHN
