Rep. Mac Thornberry is the latest Texas Republican to head for the exits, announcing Monday that he is not running for reelection. The 13-term lawmaker is the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.

Thornberry was facing GOP term limits on the committee, having served two previous terms as chairman before the start of the current Congress, where he became the ranking member after Democrats took over the House.

“We are reminded, however, that ‘for everything there is a season,’ and I believe that the time has come for a change,” Thornberry said in a statement. “Therefore, I will not be a candidate for reelection in the 2020 election.”

Thornberry is the sixth of the 23 Texas Republicans serving in the House to decide to retire rather than run again in 2020.

A staunch defense hawk, Thornberry was a reliable — and effective — advocate for higher defense budgets. During his time as HASC chairman, Thornberry successfully shepherded significant budget increases (spending grew to $700 billion in 2017 and $716 billion in 2018) for the Pentagon through a highly divided Congress.