Health subcommittee chairman Herger won't seek re-election

Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, said Tuesday that he will not seek re-election when he completes his term at the end of 2012.

The 66-year-old California Republican said in a news release that he wants to spend more time with his family, which includes his wife, Pamela, nine children and 11 grandchildren. Herger's announcement listed some of his accomplishments in the lower chamber and also mentioned that he has been a “leading opponent of Obamacare.”

Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee—which has jurisdiction over the Medicare program—said in a news release that Herger has “helped lead the effort against the Democrats' healthcare law while also pursuing efforts to protect and strengthen Medicare for the future.”

Herger is currently serving his 13th term in Congress; he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1986.