Chairman Lamar Smith Shares His Enthusiasm for Science Committee

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. As Chairman of the Science Committee, Congressman Smith promotes legislation that encourages scientific discoveries, space exploration, and new technologies.

Congressman Smith continues to serve on both the Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee.

In 2011, Congressman Smith was named Policymaker of the Year by POLITICO for his work on patent reform legislation. He was one of two House members to receive this honor. His bill, the America Invents Act, was the only major tech legislation enacted in the last Congress.

Congressman Smith is a former Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and 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.

A fifth generation Texan and 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 two adult children.

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 and stays in touch with the people he serves while taking an active role in achieving policy solutions that benefit our country.