Category: News

SEMO Times, May 23, 2018

The harder your work, the more the government wants to take…that just isn’t fair. Last Christmas, I worked with President Trump to help author and get signed into law the most significant tax relief for Missouri farmers, small business owners and families in the last 30 years. Key to that was lowering rates on your family, doubling the standard deduction and enhancing the per child tax credit. You should be rewarded for having a family, not punished. Unfortunately Senate Swamp rules, the filibuster, only allowed us to make those changes for the next several years, well now we need to make them permanent. This week I introduced legislation to do just that, to provide certainty to you and your family that the low rates you now know, wont be increased because of arcane Senate procedural rules.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT MY WORK TO PREVENT TAX INCREASES ON YOUR FAMILY

The Salem News Online, March 27, 2018

Whether it is helping our nation’s service members or veterans navigate through often complex federal health, education or retirement benefits, or making sure they receive the recognition they rightfully deserve – assisting those who have so often put country before self and before their own family is one of my greatest responsibilities and honors as a member of the United States Congress. If you know of an active duty military member or a veteran who needs help with something, with anything, please have them get in touch with me. Dave Pace is a hero, and I am glad to have help play a small part in making sure the rest of the world knows that!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT DAVE PACE & MY WORK TO EXPAND VA HOURS

KFVS, March 21, 2018
Each and every day I fight for a better tomorrow for our southern Missouri farmers. Whether it’s removing federal bureaucrats from your land or reducing the tax burden facing your farm and family, working with the Trump Administration to improve the lives and bottom line of the folks who take care of the rest of the world has been one of my top priorities in Congress. I look forward to continuing to fight for the betterment of our nations agriculture industry! Recently I was honored to be the first lawmaker in five years to receive this award from the Cotton Producers of Missouri.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT CONGRESSMAN SMITH’S WORK ON COTTON

Last week, to my disappointment, the United States Congress put its approval on a new spending package which grows the overall size of government, guarantees trillion dollar deficits for the foreseeable future and provides for an unchecked increase to our nation’s debt ceiling. What’s worse, we did so without making an reforms, changes or improvements to how your government spends the resources you provide it with. I recently spoke with the Southeast Missourian about why I opposed this package and agree with President Trump’s comments about the new deal, there was just “much waste in order to get Dem votes..”

Click Here to Read Congressman Smith’s Interview with the SE Missourian

When the government shutdown, it was because Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the obstructionist cared more about illegal immigrants rights than they cared about paying our men and women in the military. Missourians are owed better from their federal government. For each day of the shutdown, I will be donating my salary to a charity in Missouri.Simply put, I don’t believe your elected officials should be getting paid for failing to serve you.

Read more and see Congressman Smith’s video about the government shutdown here.

Our federal tax code is a mess. Deductions, loopholes, credits, special interest exemptions and bailouts which benefit few, but cost us all. I believe you deserve to keep more of your hard earned money, not the government.

I am fighting for a fairer, flatter and simpler tax code which would allow 95% of Americans to file their taxes on one simple sheet of paper, giving them more money and time to spend with their family, friends and loved ones. Our tax code hurts American businesses, American workers and our farmers. By reducing our tax rates and making our code less burdensome, we can give millions of American families the pay increase they deserve. CLICK HERE TO HEAR ABOUT CONGRESSMAN SMITH’S RECENT MEETING WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT ON TAX REFORM.

Earlier this year in the U.S. House of Representatives I helped usher through a repeal and replacement of the disastrous Obamacare healthcare law. That law has led to higher out of pocket expenses for Americans, less choice, and a government rationing of healthcare services.

Almost all of the counties in south central and southeast Missouri have only one choice for coverage under the Obamacare exchanges and some may soon have none. Where is the choice? Where is the competition? All the healthcare law has done is put a government bureaucrat between you and your family’s healthcare decisions. Unfortunately the repeal efforts have stalled in the United States Senate. Recently, the President announced his Administration would end the illegal practice of the Obama Administration which was making unauthorized and unappropriated payments to health insurance providers to get them to stay in the Obamacare exchanges. Congress never approved this money and it was simply being used to bailout insurance providers who are losing money in a failed government takeover of healthcare. I support the President’s actions as well as his work to support legislation I helped co-author to allow small businesses to band together to buy insurance across state lines. READ MORE ABOUT CONGRESSMAN SMITH’S RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S ACTIONS HERE.

Missourians’ tax dollars should not be going to support liberal policies of coastal cities. Sanctuary cities violate U.S. law and provide a safe harbor and refuge for those illegal immigrants who have ignored and are hiding from our legal system.

Recently I was able to author and pass a proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives supporting the call to action from our President and banning the largest swath of federal support dollars allocated around the country, those for infrastructure investments to Sanctuary Cities. If a municipality can’t honor the laws of the United States of America, then they should no longer receive any support from the federal government. READ MORE HERE ABOUT CONGRESSMAN SMITH’S RECENT EFFORTS TO CUT OFF FUNDS TO SANCTUARY CITIES

One of the Obama Administrations last directives before leaving office was to issue new rules and regulations banning the use of lead tackle and ammunition on federal lands. I am an ardent defender of your second amendment rights and believe that those who hunt, camp and enjoy our federal lands are the best stewards of that land.

Outraged by this midnight attack on those rights by an outgoing Administration, I authored and led over 50 Members of Congress in an effort and letter to call on the Trump Administration to immediately overturn this directive when taking office. I am pleased to report that one of the first actions taken by Interior Secretary Zinke was to honor this request and on day one of him taking over as Secretary order the department to no longer uphold this directive. YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT CONGRESSMAN SMITH’S EFFORTS TO DEFEND YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS HERE