Emanuel To Resign From House On Friday

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), incoming White House chief of staff to President-elect Barack Obama, announced today that he will resign his House seat on Friday, Jan. 2.

In a letter to Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) formally stating his decision, Emanuel said "it has been a tremendous privilege to serve the people of the Fifth District over the last six years. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the hopes and dreams of a quintessentially American district, from hardworking families to new immigrants to the senior citizens who built this country. It has been my particular privilege to represent the district's many military troops and veterans, who put their lives on the line to protect the values we cherish. Their sense of duty and sacrifice has been an inspiration, which I will carry with me to my new duties as chief of staff to President-elect Barack Obama."

Emanuel added that Obama's presidential victory "was a clarion call for a change in direction, so we can recapture the values that have made our nation a beacon of hope and opportunity."