The Public Record
Lamar Smith is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 21st congressional district from 1987 to 2019. During his tenure, he served as the chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, where he focused on issues related to science policy, technology, and innovation. Smith was known for his advocacy of scientific research and development, as well as his support for policies aimed at promoting economic growth through technological advancements.
Madam Speaker, the Democrats' health care bill squanders health care resources and taxpayer money by encouraging wasteful defensive medicine. It explicitly prevents States from making any effective legal reforms under its provisions, and…
Today we honor Congresswoman Giffords. The House stands together in support of her and in condemnation of a senseless attack that severely injured her and claimed six lives. I have served with Representative Giffords on the Science…
The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The judges, both of the Supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their…
H.R. 4748, the Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy Act, requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, ONDCP, to develop a counternarcotics strategy for the U.S. Canadian border. Significant attention has been…
It is hard to imagine a worse example of media bias than the national coverage of the so-called DREAM Act. Seldom were the facts given to the American people. The national media said it applied to '65,000 youngsters.' The legislation…
Madam Speaker, this resolution honors Rotary International for 105 years of service and commends members for their dedication to the mission and principles of Rotary. The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others…
Mr. Speaker, criticism of H.R. 3808 focuses on its potential application to the ongoing crisis in the foreclosure markets. News accounts have detailed stories of fraudulent activity involving affidavits used to rid banks of bad mortgage…
Democrats in Congress won't tell the American people how much they're going to raise their taxes. They're going to wait till after the election when we come back into session. And Democrats in Congress won't tell the American people how…
The Bankruptcy Technical Corrections Act of 2010 contains a number of useful spelling, grammatical, and other purely technical amendments to the Bankruptcy Code. These amendments will facilitate the work of bankruptcy lawyers and judges…
The Federal Courts and Venue Clarification Act brings more clarity to the operation of jurisdictional statutes and facilitates the identification of the appropriate State or Federal court in which action should be brought. I support this…
Americans are abusing prescription drugs at alarming rates and a major source for this abuse is the unused or expired drugs in our medicine cabinets, nursing homes, and hospitals. Prescription drugs are now surpassing most illegal drugs as…
The immigration tide has turned against the administration. A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 60 percent of voters disapprove of the way President Obama is handling illegal immigration. Fifty percent of Democrats and 87 percent of…
20 million people are out of work or have given up looking for work. Contrary to history and common sense, the Democratic Party actually thinks that raising taxes is going to create jobs. The national debt has set a new record, but…
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1375, recognizing the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment prohibits the Federal Government and the States from denying a citizen's right to vote on account of sex. It was…
Most Americans don't believe the national media's reporting, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center. Only about 2 in 10 say they "believe all or most information" from news outlets such as the New York Times, ABC, CBS, and…
How bad does it have to get? Over 20 million Americans are out of work or have given up looking for work. Federal spending is out of control, and congressional Democrats won't even propose a budget. The administration intentionally takes…
I support the passage of this bill. Additional funds for border security are always a step in the right direction, but if the Democrats were serious about immigration enforcement, they would include more funds for interior enforcement…
This legislation represents an irresponsible overreach and does not contain the necessary protections to safeguard taxpayer dollars from abuse, waste, and fraud. Ken Feinberg, the special master of the original 9/11 fund, has stated that…
Yesterday a Federal judge sided with the Obama administration against Arizona's immigration enforcement law. The ruling will be seen by Arizonans and the vast majority of Americans who support the law as just another example of this…
Mr. Speaker, more than any other drug, the majority of crack defendants have prior criminal convictions. Despite claims by some, this is not an issue of one-time crack users being prosecuted for possession. This is about offenders who…
President Obama and the Democratic Congress have set six records. Unfortunately, they are not the ones the American people hoped for: One, Americans are staying unemployed longer than ever before; Two, for the first time since the current…
The national media have been quick to blame conservative news outlets for the firing of Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod. For example, a recent New York Times article points a finger at Fox News. The article, which mentions…
Americans are getting a look behind the curtain of the national media, and the view isn't pretty. In recent weeks, leaked email messages from an online meeting place for reporters called JournoList have revealed some journalists' true…
The Obama administration is suing Arizona for wanting to enforce our Nation's immigration laws, but they won't sue cities that violate our immigration laws by enacting sanctuary policies. So-called ``sanctuary cities'' prohibit their law…
It's hard to find any organization that is less trusted than the national media. Just 8 percent of Americans trust the media, according to a new Zogby public opinion poll. Eighty-eight percent say they have little or no trust in the…
Politicians like Lamar Smith
