Rep. Dean Phillips farewell speech blasts 'legalized corruption' of Democrats, Republicans

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FOX 9) - U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips delivered his farewell speech to Congress on Monday and didn't hold back on criticizing his colleagues and America's two-party system.

"I depart this august institution with a combination of deep gratitude — a little bit of attitude — and a healthy dose of optimism!" Phillips said. "And to those who are pleased to see this affable but outspoken gadfly ride off into the sunset, I’m sorry to say that my mission to restore common sense and a home for the exhausted majority of center right & center left Americans — is JUST beginning."

Why you should care: Phillips places blame on his colleagues in Congress, and calls on the American people to make a choice: "Will we be a nation that metaphorically goes to the moon together, or one that goes to war against one another?"

What's next: Phillips hasn't said what his next role will be, but says his mission, "to restore common sense and a home for the exhausted majority of center right and center left Americans — is just beginning."

Congressman and presidential candidate

The backstory: Phillips has represented Minnesota's 3rd congressional district for three terms, since he won the seat over six-term Republican incumbent Erik Paulsen in 2018. He challenged President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination and didn't immediately support the Kamala Harris campaign.

Timeline: In October 2023, Phillips launched a primary campaign to challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination for President. Phillips was forecasting President-elect Donald Trump's win in November, saying, Biden may not be able to beat Trump again and "we’re going to be facing an emergency next November." 

• Nov. 24, 2023: Phillips announces he won't seek another term in Congress.
• March 6: Following Super Tuesday, Phillips dropped his presidential bid and backed Biden.
• July 21: When Biden dropped out of the race himself, Phillips favored an open primary and didn't immediately support Kamala Harris.
• Nov. 7: The morning after Donald Trump was elected president, Phillips told FOX News, "This entire election, in my estimation, was sealed the day that Joe Biden was running for reelection."

Father's ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam War

In his farewell speech, Phillips reflected on the death of his birth father, Capt. Artie Pfefer, in the Vietnam War. Phillips said Pfefer died on Dragon Mountain in Pleiku, Vietnam, "fighting a war in which he did not believe, but for a country in which he believed very deeply."

"Last year, I traveled to the very ground on which he took his last breath, and it changed me forever. He died just four days after the Apollo 11 moon landing, and I’ve often pictured him and a half a million other young soldiers looking up in awe that morning — many probably in tears — as two fellow Americans achieved the unthinkable.  They got a glimpse of America at her very best up there - while we were at our very worst down here. And I picture our predecessors in this very room voting to fund both that giant leap for mankind AND that giant tragedy for mankind - all in the same year.  On my flight home from Vietnam — I reflected on my dad and the ONE MILLION other Americans (one million!) who’ve been killed in service to our country since 1776. And I thought… They did not sacrifice their lives for members of Congress to act like kindergartners."

'It's legalized corruption'

As Phillips continued his speech, he took direct aim at campaign financing, polarized politics and members of Congress putting self-interests over the principles they campaigned on.

"They didn’t sacrifice their lives for members of Congress to spend 10,000 hours a week begging for campaign dollars used to eviscerate fellow Americans running for office. They didn’t sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. They didn’t sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as 500,000 Americans go bankrupt from MEDICAL DEBT each year - and twenty-SIX million go without any health coverage at all. They didn’t sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as 50,000 Americans die from gun violence and another 100,000 from overdoses EVERY SINGLE YEAR. They didn’t sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as wealthy industries shower millions of campaign dollars on the very committee members who set the rules for their industries…and then allow each party to collect "dues" from those committee members to fund campaigns."

"It’s legalized corruption! And it’s unacceptable. My father and one million other Americans didn’t sacrifice their lives for Congress to enable two private corporations, the two major parties, to maintain a virtual monopoly on our democracy. And having paid the ultimate price themselves, they SURELY didn’t sacrifice their lives for members of Congress to prioritize their own self-protection over their principles. However, they DID sacrifice their lives because of decisions made in this very room by people JUST like us. So as I bid farewell, I humbly ask all members of the next Congress to call on your better angels and act with COURAGE - not cowardice."

"The courage to compete with our IDEAS rather than defeat one another with our IDEOLOGIES. The courage to fix OUR PROBLEMS rather than fixATE on our politics. The courage to replace condemnation with INVITATION, and the courage to replace confrontation with common sense. In closing, I believe we all have a choice to make. Will we be a nation that metaphorically goes to the moon TOGETHER, or one that goes to war against one another? As a free people, that choice remains ours — ALL of ours."