News

Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) today introduced legislation to protect children from sexual exploitation. The Child Protection Act of 2012 (H.R. 6063) increases penalties for the possession of child pornography, raises funding and resources for the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces and provides additional protections to child victims and witnesses.

Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today voted in support of a resolution to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. The House approved the contempt resolution by a vote of 255-67.

Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today responded to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obamacare:

Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today introduced bipartisan legislation to help protect the trade secrets of American companies from foreign thieves. The Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012 (H.R. 6029) helps deter individuals and organizations outside the U.S. from stealing American trade secrets by raising the penalties for those convicted of foreign economic espionage.  

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld one of the four provisions challenged in the Arizona’s immigration law (S.B.

Washington, D.C. - The Obama administration today announced that it will suspend the 287(g) program for all Arizona jurisdictions, a program that allows state and local governments to partner with the federal government to assist in the enforcement of immigration laws.  The 287(g) program has identified tens of thousands of illegal immigrants in jails and prisons nationwide.   The Administration also announced that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials in Arizona have been directed not to respond to the requests from state and local police officers

Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today sent two letters to the Obama administration demanding information on the President’s unprecedented decision to stop deporting and begin giving work permits to potentially millions of illegal immigrants. 

Washington, D.C. - The House Judiciary Committee today approved legislation to reauthorize provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a law that governs the surveillance of foreign terrorists and spies. The FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 (H.R. 5949) passed the Committee by a vote of 23-11. The bipartisan bill reauthorizes the FISA Amendments Act for five years.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), who sponsored the bill, praised the Committee vote.