Biography
Lamar Smith represents the 21st Congressional District of Texas.
He serves as Chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, which has jurisdiction over programs at NASA, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The Committee oversees agency budgets of $39 billion, where the primary focus is on research and development.
Congressman Smith continues to serve on both the Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee. He is a former Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Ethics Committee.
Representative Smith was ranked the most effective member of the House in the 112th Congress (2011-2012) in a study jointly conducted by the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University. He also was named Policymaker of the Year by POLITICO for his work on patent reform legislation during that same Congress.
A fifth generation Texan and native of San Antonio, Congressman Smith graduated from Yale University and Southern Methodist University School of Law. He and his wife, Beth, have an adult daughter and son.
The 21st Congressional District includes parts of Bexar, Travis, Comal and Hays Counties and all of Bandera, Blanco, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr and Real Counties. The district’s population is about 700,000. Congressman Smith maintains district offices in San Antonio, Austin and Kerrville.
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Smith Leads Border Security Tour
Feb 5, 2016 Press Release
McAllen, Texas –Representative Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today led members of the Congressional Border Security Caucus on a tour of Rio Grande Valley sector of the U.S.- Mexico border. Members released the following statements:
Feb 4, 2016 Press Release
Washington, D.C. – House Republican leaders today named Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) to a special taskforce that will address how the Republican party can work together to roll back regulatory burdens at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies.
Feb 4, 2016 Press Release
Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives today cleared the way for the bipartisan Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia Act (READ Act) (H.R. 3033) to be signed into law.
Feb 3, 2016 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) and U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX), along with U.S. Representatives Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) and Pete Olson (R-TX), led a broad Congressional coalition filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Texas HB 2, which establishes standards for abortion providers and facilities.
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In The News
Feb 1, 2016 In The News
Recent evidence that refugees are plotting with terrorists have renewed concerns about the Obama administration’s plans to admit tens of thousands of refugees from Syria. We should not be surprised if terrorists succeed in exploiting our refugee system.
Jan 8, 2016 In The News
The arrest of two Iraq-born refugees on terror-related charges has recharged Capitol Hill calls for the Obama administration to pull back on plans to welcome thousands more refugees from Middle East warzones.
Dec 16, 2015 In The News
The battle between National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials and congressional investigators may be winding down as bureaucrats have finally handed over emails to lawmakers after months of refusing to do so.
Dec 14, 2015 In The News
San Antonio has been chosen for one of the National Guard’s 13 new cyber units.
The decision was celebrated by U.S. Reps. Will Hurd, Joaquín Castro, Henry Cuellar and Lamar Smith, all of whom requested “Cyber City, USA” be considered for the new units.
Dec 11, 2015 In The News
“Our bill is simple: no more refugee admittance until we can strengthen the system and better ensure the safety of Americans,”
Oct 28, 2015 In The News
Top law enforcement and security officials cautioned Wednesday that bringing in 10,000 Syrian refugees as planned carries a terror risk, with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson acknowledging background checks can only do so much and “there is no risk-free process.”
Sep 16, 2015 In The News
Frivolous lawsuits have become too common in the United States. In recent years, for example, meritless lawsuits have been filed against the Weather Channel for failing to accurately predict storms. But when it rains it pours for abusive litigation. Frivolous lawsuits also have been filed against television shows people claimed were too scary, and against fast-food companies because inactive
Jun 22, 2015 In The News
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency rolled out its controversial Waters of the U.S. rule along with a new PR campaign attempting to rebrand the rule’s tarnished image.
May 20, 2015 In The News
I recently hosted Apollo astronaut and fellow Texan Gene Cernan in the U.S. Capitol. Gene is one of only 12 people to have landed on the moon, and he was the last to leave 42 years ago. He is a strong advocate for U.S. space leadership, and he has a message for lawmakers: America needs to continue to lead the world in space.
