Congressman Lamar Smith represents the 21st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a fifth generation Texan, Smith has maintained strong ties with the people he serves in Texas while taking an active role in achieving policy solutions for our country.
He has left his imprint on public policy through a variety of leadership positions and by advancing dozens of pieces of legislation.
He introduced and successfully advanced the passage of a 1996 immigration reform bill. This legislation was the most far-reaching reform of America’s immigration laws since the 1960s.
For his work to remedy outdated provisions in our intellectual property laws, Smith has been named one of the nation's top "influencers and innovators" by Fast Company Magazine, which serves the technology industry.
Because of his leadership in these areas, in 2007 Smith was selected by his House colleagues as the Ranking Republican Member of the Judiciary Committee. As the top Republican, he helps shape committee policy on crime, immigration, intellectual property, and constitutional issues.
Smith also serves on both the Homeland Security Committee, which considers legislation involving the war on terror, and the Science and Technology Committee, which has jurisdiction over renewable energy policies, environmental research, and America’s space program.
He 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 Smith established himself as a fiscal conservative focused on reining in federal spending.
Smith is also a member of the House Republican Steering Committee, which is responsible for appointing members and chairmen of committees.
He is a founding member of both the Media Fairness Caucus and the Reclaim American Jobs Caucus.
A native of San Antonio, Congressman Smith graduated from Yale University and Southern Methodist University School of Law. Before his election to Congress, 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 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.
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