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WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, today urged FBI Director James Comey to reopen the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server. At today’s House Judiciary Committee hearing titled Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rep. Smith questioned Director Comey and described several recent developments that would justify a reopening of the investigation, including: Reports that an employee at a company that managed former Secretary Clinton’s private email server said on the forum Reddit.com, “ . . . I need to strip out a VIP’s (VERY VIP) email address from a bunch of archived emails….” This same employee called a new retention policy designed to delete emails after 60 days a “Hillary cover-up operation.” A former Clinton Foundation employee who also managed the Clinton server destroyed devices used by Clinton by smashing them with a hammer. Two employees involved in maintaining the Clinton server recently pleading the Fifth Amendment to Congress to avoid self-incrimination. Rep. Smith also urged Director Comey to ensure that the FBI complied with the Science Committee’s recent subpoena of documents related to the server. [[{"fid":"1128","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"306","width":"456","class":"media-element file-full"}}]] Click HERE to watch Rep. Smith’s exchange with Director Comey. Background On Sept. 20, Rep. Smith issued a subpoena to FBI Director Comey for documents and information related to the security of Clinton’s private email account and server. The Committee requested these documents in a Sept. 9 letter. Director Comey has failed to produce any documents pursuant to the previous request. The Science Committee has jurisdiction over the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which sets standards for the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014. The materials subpoenaed by the Science Committee center exactly around the Committee’s jurisdiction over cybersecurity standards in the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014. Read More

Are We Losing the Space Race to China? Hearing Charter Read More

WASHINGTON – House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today sent a letter to National Security Advisor Susan Rice requesting a briefing on President Obama’s recent Presidential Memorandum directing federal agencies to consider climate change impacts in national security policy. “The Committee has genuine interest in the climate science and information that the Administration claims impacts national security.  As the Committee with primary jurisdiction over federal government scientific research within the U.S. House of Representatives, it is necessary for us to better understand the science that underpins the studies, climate models, reports, and conclusions that the Administration will use as the basis of its analysis and national security policy development,” the letter states. Today’s letter is part of the committee’s oversight of climate change activities throughout the federal government. The letter can be found here.   Read More

The letter can be found HERE. Read More

WASHINGTON – House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) issued the following statement in response to news reports that former Secretary Clinton’s chief of staff Cheryl Mills and top aide Heather Samuelson were granted immunity by the Department of Justice for their cooperation in the FBI’s investigation into Clinton’s private server.  Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas): “Today’s news shows that the number of individuals central to the FBI’s inquiry who were granted immunity in exchange for testimony was far more expansive than previously known.  The FBI’s decision to grant immunity to five key individuals who failed to properly secure the highly sensitive contents of former Secretary Clinton’s private server raises questions as to whether the FBI conducted a thorough inquiry into the actions of Secretary Clinton’s closest aides.  This news is particularly troubling given this week’s discovery that Paul Combetta sought help from Reddit.com for ways to hide a ‘VIP’s’ email address and the FBI’s previous finding that Cheryl Mills was in communication with Combetta’s employer, Platte River Networks, about the deletion of emails on former Secretary Clinton’s private server.” Earlier this week, the committee wrote to Platte River Networks’ attorney about the newly revealed information involving Combetta reiterating the demands included in its subpoena and requests for transcribed interviews of Platte River Networks employees. Combetta, who was also granted immunity by the FBI, sought help from Reddit.com users to delete email addresses from archived emails for a “VERY VIP” client.  Combetta, who was hired by the Clintons to maintain the private server wrote, in part, “Basically, they don’t want the VIP’s email address exposed to anyone….” Combetta took to Reddit.com for help the day after the State Department and House Select Committee on Benghazi defined the scope of former Secretary Clinton’s documents to be produced to Congress.  In addition to Cheryl Mills, Heather Samuelson, and Combetta, then-State Department Director of Information Resources Management John Bentel, and Bryan Pagliano, a former Clinton technology aide, also received immunity from the FBI. Read More

WASHINGTON -  House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) released the following statement today after more than 20 nations formally agreed to the Paris climate deal, an ineffectual, costly and non-legally binding international climate agreement. Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas): “The Paris Climate Agreement continues to be a legally non-binding deal that the president forced on American taxpayers and that was never approved by the U.S. Senate. It will cost Americans billions of dollars and have no significant impact on the environment. This costly agreement is all pain and no gain.” Each country’s adherence to this plan is voluntary.  Furthermore, the only action countries who have agreed must comply with is to continue to convene at summit meetings. The countries who have agreed to the deal account for less than half of global emissions.   Read More

Markup of: H.R. 6076, the “To Research, Evaluate, Assess, and Treat Astronauts Act” (TREAT Astronauts Act), approved by voice vote Amendment 056, offered by Ms. Edwards, approved by voice vote H.R. 6066, the “Cybersecurity Responsibility and Accountability Act of 2016”, approved by voice vote Amendment 132, offered by Mr. McCaul, withdrawn H.R. 5829, the “ADVISE Now Act”, approved by voice vote Read More

Examining Misconduct and Intimidation of Scientists by Senior DOE Officials Hearing Charter Read More

The bill can be found HERE.  Read More