Thursday, April 25, 2024
U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway of Midland on Wednesday became the fifth U.S. House Republican and second Texas congressman in two weeks to announce retirement as Democrats ramp up for possible – and risky – impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.
By Thursday evening those numbers had risen to six and three.
District 23’s Will Hurd of San Antonio, currently the House’s only black GOP member, announced that he, too, will retire from Congress. His sprawling, pivotal swing district includes a sizable portion of the Texas-Mexico border.
According to various pundits and news outlets, Hurd’s departure is considered a major blow to the Republican Party.
In making his own announcement, Conaway stated that he will serve out the remainder of his two-year term.
“All things come to an end, and my eighth term in Congress will be my end point,” he said during a live streamed press conference in Midland.
The staunch Republican has represented ruby-red District 11, considered one of the most Republican in the nation, since 2005, handily defeating Democratic challengers in 2010, 2012 and 2018.
Reportedly well regarded on Capitol Hill, Conaway was among the first U.S. House members to back Trump in the 2016 presidential election. In Texas, Trump won 52 percent of the vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 43 percent.
Conaway has remained a Trump loyalist, supporting the president’s bid for reelection in 2020.
In February of last year, while serving as temporary head of the House Intelligence Committee, Conaway quashed efforts by Democrats to subpoena witnesses as well as Trump’s bank records and tax returns during that committee’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
The committee, dominated by Republicans at that time, found no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia, but Democrats argued that the probe was shut down prematurely.
The House Intelligence Committee is now headed by California Democrat Adam Schiff, who stated Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Democrats are at the “preliminary” stage of “a potential impeachment.”
Conaway was among lawmakers who questioned special counsel Robert Mueller during the former FBI director’s televised testimony before Congress last week.
Mueller and his team spent two years investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and also documented in Mueller’s lengthy report possible obstruction of justice incidents.
Conaway’s exit, announced exactly one week after Mueller’s testimony and as more than half of House Democrats said they would vote to launch impeachment proceedings, raised speculation that another flood of GOP retirements may be coming in 2020 similar to what happened ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
At that time, 39 Republicans opted not to seek re-election. Of that number, 26 were “pure” retirements, meaning that the House members did not step down in order to run for governor or some other office. There were eight “pure” retirements among Democrats.
The 2018 midterm election swung control of the House back to Democrats in the largest seat gain for that party since post-Watergate 1974.
A LIST OF REASONS
An emotional Conaway detailed at the press conference what he said were the reasons behind his decision.
He cited sacrifices made over the years by his wife, Suzanne, who stood silently by his side during the 24-minute press conference.
Conaway expressed a desire to spend more time with her as well as with their four grown children and seven grandchildren.
The congressman said that he has been able to attend “only about two” of his grandchildren’s birthday parties because of his public service commitments.
Conaway also stated that he has been term-limited as far as chairing the House Agriculture Committee, a role in which he has frequently expressed pride.
Last year, the Texas lawmaker scored a significant victory when his Agriculture Improvement Act, otherwise known as H.R. 2 or the farm bill, passed both the House and Senate.
“I’ve told folks all along – when I’m no longer in a leadership position, I’m coming home,” Conaway said.
As for the timing of his announcement, Conaway said that he wanted to give potential candidates plenty of time to prepare ahead of the March 3, 2020 primary.
The filing period will open Nov. 9 and run through Dec.
9.
YEARS OF SERVICE
A native of Borger near Amarillo, Conaway majored in accounting at East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University-Commerce.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1970-1972 and was chief financial officer for George W. Bush’s Arbusto Energy Inc., an oil and gas exploration firm, from 1981-1986.
After Bush was elected governor of Texas, he appointed Conaway to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.
After Conaway was elected to Congress, he served on the Armed Services and Intelligence committees in addition to the Ag Committee.
He also served on the House Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities and the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces.
Conaway noted that partisanship in Congress has grown “intense” and said that his no longer being among the House’s ruling majority is a “frustrating experience.”
He said that it has been “an honor and privilege” to represent District 11 and expressed pride in his own service as well as that of his staff.
“There are hundreds and hundreds of success stories,” he said, referring to those helped through his office.
The former CPA stated that, by his calculations, he has spent 34 percent of his adult life in public service.
“And I couldn’t have spent it better,” he said.
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