High-Ranking Democrat Announces Retirement – Soulfy March 25, 2026 by Marouan ADVERTISEMENT He joined the House in 1981 and worked his way up through the ranks. From 2003 to 2007, he was the Democratic whip, and from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023, he was the majority leader. ADVERTISEMENT ←PreviousNext→