Welcome to the home page of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary.

Established in 1813, the House Judiciary Committee is the second oldest standing committee in Congress. Its jurisdiction often places it at the center of American politics, such as when it approved the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Particularly important today is the Committee's oversight responsibility for the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.

The Committee has been called the guardian of the Constitution and each of its subcommittees has roots in that document. The House Judiciary Committee usually sends the greatest number of substantive bills to the House floor each year. In the last Congress over one thousand bills and resolutions were referred to the Committee on such subjects as terrorism, crime, immigration, bankruptcy, civil liberties, constitutional amendments, patents and copyrights. Please use this Web site as a valuable resource to monitor and better understand the actions and activities of the committee.

Lamar Smith
Chairman