He won reelection to the U.S. House in 2018 with 70% of the vote.

For much of his career, Shimkus chaired the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, a subcommittee that was instrumental in passing a complicated, bipartisan rewrite of federal law covering the oversight of hazardous chemicals. He lost his chairmanship when Democrats wrested control of the House from Republicans in 2018.

He has also been active in U.S. foreign policy, forming the congressional Baltic Caucus with former Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and serving as a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly from 2001 to 2014. Shimkus served on defense and security committees on that assembly, which is made up of members of NATO nation legislative bodies.

In his reelection campaigns, Shimkus’ primary sources of campaign funds have been PACs of electric utilities, pharmaceutical companies, and oil and gas firms — industries with a lot of business with the House Energy and Commerce committee.

He has faced criticism in the past for breaking a pledge he made during his first campaign not to serve more than 12 years. He has said that President George W. Bush talked him into staying in Congress, and that his reelection wins were proof voters wanted him there.