Smith To Chair House Judiciary
Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, announced Wednesday that he has been picked to chair the House Judiciary Committee in the next Congress.
Smith has served as the ranking member on the committee for the last four years, but this will be his first stint as chairman. Smith said in a statement he would focus on protecting intellectual property, keeping children safe from Internet sex predators, national security and preventing "frivolous lawsuits."
Smith told Tech Daily Dose last week that he planned to revisit an overhaul of the patent system. Smith has worked with current Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and other committee members from both sides of the aisle on the issue in an effort to address their concerns with a Senate patent overhaul bill, which a coalition of high-tech companies opposed after Senate Judiciary leaders announced changes to the measure this spring.
"The Judiciary Committee will support industries that employ millions of Americans by protecting their patents and copyrights," Smith said in the statement
House Democrats are expected to pick some of their ranking members on key committees this week, according to a House aide.
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