Jobs are open, wages are up, unemployment is down, and Americans are optimistic about the future. The country has come a long way in the six months since President Trump signed historic tax cuts, which I was proud to send to his desk. The best is yet to come, but the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is doing wonders for the pocketbooks and paychecks in Southern Missouri. That’s because the new tax code prioritizes farmers, families, and workers first – removing the Washington roadblocks that have held them... READ MORE
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jason Smith, a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways & Means, responsible for all federal taxation policy, introduced H.R. 5903, the Permanent Tax Relief for Working Families Act. The legislation would make permanent the new and expanded per Child Tax Credit established under the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. Upon introduction Congressman Smith remarked, “The old tax code punished working families for doing just that, being families. Becoming a ... READ MORE
Today, at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee, Congressman Jason Smith received the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for his strong record of fighting for small businesses, cutting taxes and encouraging job growth. The Spirit of Enterprise award is reserved for Members of Congress who cast important votes and advance policy measures that will help grow the economy and bring jobs back to America. “It’s great to be recognized for your work, but fo... READ MORE
Rural America is roaring back. A recent report from the Department of Agriculture shows that for only the second time in the last century, we are actually increasing the number of farmers under the age of 35. With the President’s leadership, we have been able to deliver tax cuts for American farmers, reduced federal regulations at a rate of 22:1, driven down energy prices and have grown the economy to bring jobs back to rural America. Personally, I experienced this resurgence first hand during m... READ MORE
Did you know that on his way out of office, President Obama tried to regulate the ammo in your gun and the fishing sinkers in your tackle box? Before he jetted off to the Caribbean, President Obama managed to take a final swipe at Missourians’ way of life with “Director’s Order No. 219,” a last-minute regulation that banned lead ammunition and fishing tackle on federal lands. In other words, President Obama’s rule would not have allowed you to take shotgun shells or fishing sinkers with you to h... READ MORE
Government regulations and keeping the next generation interested in agriculture were two of the most discussed topics when U.S. Rep. Jason Smith visited a beef cattle farm just outside of Jackson on Monday. Paul "Butch" Meier of Butch's Angus is a fourth-generation farmer who said he hopes his sons and grandchildren carry the farm through the next few generations. "I've lived on this tract of land all my life," he told the congressman and the small group of farmers gathered Monday. The average ... READ MORE
Today the House of Representatives voted on Congressman Jason Smith’s language to bar the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using any funds to implement the damaging Waters of the United States rule. The language was included in H.R. 2028, the FY2016 Energy & Water Appropriations bill, which passed the House 240-177. This overreaching rule could potentially allow the EPA to regulate nearly every area of the ground that gets wet or has flow during rainfall including ponds, puddles, temp... READ MORE
Today, February 5, 2014, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 3950, The Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act (SHARE Act) to protect the rights of hunters and fishermen on public lands. Included within the SHARE Act is an amendment offered by Congressman Jason Smith (MO-8) that will ensure motorized vessels in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) cannot be restricted. The National Park Service has proposed limiting the use of motorized vessels in drafts o... READ MORE