4:15 p.m. update: In a conference call with reporters Thursday to speak about his decision to leave Congress at the end of the current congressional term, U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, said he is confident whoever is elected to fill his seat will be a Republican.

“There are going to be a number of good candidates,” Smith said. “I’m not concerned about who might follow. I’m confident it will be a Republican.”

He said he would have run again if he were not term-limited to six years as chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

He said that nothing about the climate in Washington had turned him off about a job he loves or contributed to his decision to leave it at the end of next year.

“That had no impact on my decision whatsoever,” Smith said.

He said that President Donald Trump “deserves a lot more credit than he is getting,” and that the Stock Market and other economic indicators are very positive.



Earlier: U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, will leave Congress at the end of the current congressional term, a spokeswoman confirmed to the American-Statesman on Thursday afternoon.

In an email to supporters, Smith announced his intention to “pass on the privilege of representing the 21st District to someone else,” and said that he hopes to find other ways to stay in politics.

The 21st Congressional District.

Google Maps / U.S. Rep Lamar Smith

“With over a year remaining in my term, there is still much to do,” the letter said. “There is legislation to enact, dozens of hearings to hold, and hundreds of votes to cast. Our nation faces many challenges but we will always prevail if we put the interests of American citizens and taxpayers first. A successful democracy requires an honest media, true patriots, and respect for the rule of law. All of us can do our part to help promote these ideals.”

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In the message, Smith said he was grateful for the trust voters have placed in him, the friendship of constituents and the opportunities serving in Congress have given him.

“Representing the 21st District and its more than 700,000 residents is an honor almost beyond description,” Smith said. “To enact legislation that will benefit millions of Americans and to help constituents in their dealings with the federal government has been an immense privilege.”

The practical reality, Smith wrote is that, “It is humbling living in a small apartment in Washington four nights a week. And I seldom leave the office before late at night. But traveling back to Texas almost every weekend recharges the batteries.”

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Smith, who has represented the 21st District since 1987, long vilified the EPA, accusing federal scientists of pushing an “extreme climate agenda.”

The American-Statesman reported in February that Smith has called far fewer scientists to testify before his committee than people associated with the types of industries the EPA is charged with regulating.

In February Smith convened a hearing called “Making EPA Great Again.”

“EPA has long been on a path of regulatory overreach, and the committee will use the tools necessary to put EPA back on track,” Smith said at the time.

Most scientists say emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases help trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to a warming planet. Smith has told the American-Statesman in the past that evidence scientists provide is “wishy-washy.”

This is a developing story. Check back soon for more information.