Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey issued the following statement on the retirement announcements this week from Representatives Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) and Lamar Smith (TX-21):

“Thank you to Congressmen Jeb Hensarling and Lamar Smith for serving the great state of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives for a combined 44 years.

“As Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Hensarling proved to be a strong voice in fiscal policy, including ending the destructive Dodd-Frank regulations.

“As Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Rep. Smith has paved the path for innovation and advancement in our space program and fought destructive EPA regulatory overreach. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Smith succeeded in shepherding historic patent reform.

“We look forward to electing strong new conservative leaders in both of those districts in 2018 so that Texas voters remain well represented in DC.”