Lamar Smith (R-TX-21)
Lamar Smith Congressman Texas District 21
House links: Lamar Smith (R-TX-21)i 
Campaign links: Lamar Smith (R-TX-21)i
Lamar Smith Congressional Candidate Texas District 21
Lamar Smith Biography from House.gov
Lamar Smith represents the 21st Congressional District of Texas. Congressman Smith maintains strong ties with the people he serves while taking an active role in achieving policy solutions that benefit our country.
In January 2011, he was selected by his colleagues to serve as the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Established in 1813, the House Judiciary Committee is the second oldest standing committee in Congress. In the last Congress over one thousand bills and resolutions were referred to the Judiciary Committee on such subjects as terrorism, crime, immigration, bankruptcy, civil liberties, constitutional amendments, and patents and copyrights. Lamar Smith is the first Republican Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee from Texas.
In 2011, Congressman Smith was named Policymaker of the Year by POLITICO for his work on patent reform legislation. His bill, the America Invents Act, was the only major tech legislation signed into law in 2011. He was one of only two House members to receive this honor.
Congressman Smith also serves on both the Homeland Security Committee, which considers legislation involving the war on terror, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which has jurisdiction over renewable energy policies, research and science education, technology and innovation, and America’s space program.
Congressman Smith is a former Chairman of the Ethics Committee and a former member of the Budget Committee. During his time on the Budget Committee, Congress achieved the first balanced budget in over twenty years and he established himself as a fiscal conservative focused on reining in excessive government spending.
Congressman Smith founded both the Media Fairness Caucus and the Reclaim American Jobs Caucus, which are active Congressional organizations.
A 5th generation Texan and a native of San Antonio, Congressman Smith graduated from Yale University and Southern Methodist University School of Law. Before his election to the House of Representatives, he practiced law, managed a family ranch and began his public service as a Texas state representative and Bexar County Commissioner. He and his wife, Beth, have an adult daughter and son.
The 21st Congressional District includes portions of Bexar and Travis Counties and all of Comal, Real, Kerr, Bandera, Kendall and Blanco Counties. The district’s population is about 700,000.
Biography of Lamar Smith from Texans for Lamar Smith
A lifetime Texan and lifelong Republican, Congressman Lamar Smith represents the 21st District of Texas, which runs from north Bexar County to south Travis County and west into the Texas Hill Country. As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Smith works every day to defend the Constitution. He has introduced and supported legislation to foster job growth, rein in government spending, spur innovation, and secure our borders.
Congressman Smith also works for the interests of the district through his service on the Homeland Security and Science Committees. Recognized for his fairness and common sense judgment, Congressman Smith has earned the respect of the leaders of the House of Representatives and has previously served as Chairman of the Ethics Committee. His Texas Republican colleagues also chose him to serve as their representative on the Republican Steering Committee which determines committee assignments and chairmanships.
His constituents and many others have recognized him for his work on behalf of the district. National Journal named him one of the 100 most influential people in Washington. He has received the “Member of the Year” Award from the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition, the “Spirit of Enterprise” Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the “Legislator of the Year” Award from the Information Technology Industry Council, the “Cyber Champion” Award from the Business Software Alliance, and the “Defenders of Property Rights” Award from Defenders of Property Rights. Late last year he was named Policymaker of the Year by Politico.
Lamar Smith received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his law degree from Southern Methodist University. Before serving in Congress, Smith served Central Texans as a state representative and a county commissioner. Before entering public service, he managed a family ranch and practiced law. Lamar and his wife, Beth, have two grown children.
Recent Comments