Lamar Smith: “I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I know my colleagues know a lot about this subject, but I don't…”

“I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I know my colleagues know a lot about this subject, but I don't think they know more than the Founders themselves. The Founders, including those who wrote the Constitution, operated under a first-to-register patent system starting in 1790. This is a very similar system to the first-inventor-to-file provision in the bill. So if the Founders liked the concept and thought it was constitutional, so should Members of Congress. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. The CHAIR. All time for debate on the question of the constitutionality of the bill has expired. A subsequent period of general debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren) each will control 30 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.”