House Speaker Paul Ryan said he is saddened by Sen. Jeff Flake’s announcement that he will not seek a second Senate term and praised the Arizona Republican for his fight to end spending earmarks, which the House banned in 2010.

“I’m saddened Congress is losing my friend Jeff Flake,” Ryan, R-Wis., said in a statement. “Throughout his career in public service, Jeff has been a champion of constitutional, limited government and a trailblazer for fiscal restraint. He as much as anyone helped to end a corrosive earmarking process that enabled runaway spending. Jeff’s retirement is a loss to the Senate and the greater cause of conservatism. I wish him well as he continues to advocate for our principles outside of government.”