This week thousands of law enforcement officers from around the country came to Washington, DC to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. As part of the memorial ceremonies, 252 names will be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall and among them three officers from Missouri killed in the line of duty last year. Tragic events are something that stick with many of us, they mark our lives, and recall memories that we struggle with. Yet, often our law enforcement officers and ... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report Prescription Pain: Killers May 13, 2016 America is facing an epidemic of opioid addiction that is sadly killing 78 people every day. Statistically, the chances are greater that you know someone who has been affected by opioid abuse than not. In fact, 1 in 5 Americans have a family member who’s suffered from addiction to prescription painkillers. The harsh reality is that the epidemic has reached every single state and region of our country. The faces of opi... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report Small Business, Big Impact May 6th, 2016 We all like an underdog. The written off school team that still plays with heart, the whistle-blower that stands up to do the right thing, or the small business owner that takes a risk and bets on themselves. We don’t always recognize these “underdogs” in our community, but it is their resilience, perseverance, and ultimate success that forms the backbone of so many of our communities in Southeast and south central M... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report A Harvest of Regulations April 29th, 2016 Growing up in rural Missouri you learn that farming is not a job, but a way of life and that American farmers are the back bone of our nation. Farmers work hard to provide the necessities and staples in our lives like food and clothing and without them our economy would come to a grinding halt. Here in Missouri, agriculture is still the number one industry and southeast and south central Missouri are the engines tha... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report Liberty From IRS Slush April 22nd, 2016 As the owner of a small business and our family farm, tax season has always been a stressful time for me. Unfortunately, the frustration over taxes doesn’t stop with just paying them, but continues when learning how those taxpayer dollars are then spent. Earlier this week I had an opportunity to question IRS Commissioner John Koskinen face to face to get to the bottom of how exactly the IRS was spending the funds they... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report A TAXing Week April 15th, 2016 Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” As the fear of another tax day approaches, these words ring true for most Americans. Over 150 million people find themselves stressing this week to file their taxes and figure out how much they owe before the April 18th deadline. When faced with an over 70,000 page, 4 million word federal tax code it’s no wonder that the ave... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report “On the Road Again…” April 8th, 2016 To be successful in your job, it is important to set goals for yourself. For me, those goals are best set by interacting with and listening to the needs, obstacles and struggles of the folks in south central and southeast Missouri. District work periods provide me with that unique opportunity to be home for an extended period time and visit with the businesses, farmers and families I am honored to represent. 46 different... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report: A hand-up, Not a hand-out Friday, April 1, 2016 I don’t have the typical pedigree for a Congressman, my father was an auto mechanic and a preacher, my mother was a factory worker. As a teenager, I remember visiting my grandparents for the holidays and having to go outside to pump water out of the cistern which had collected rain water from the roof just to have fresh water. However, I learned firsthand the disciplined work ethic needed to be successful and... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report: Obamacare’s Unhappy 6th Birthday Friday, March 25, 2016 Six years ago last Wednesday, Obamacare was signed into law. Since then, the Administration has intentionally broken the law to hide the laws failure. Let me be clear, the Administration violated the U.S. Constitution and paid insurance companies money illegally. The Constitution states; the President "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed" The President does not write the laws, and he ... READ MORE
President Obama has been handed over 20 unanimous, nine to zero defeats before the Supreme Court on his Administration’s illegal and unconstitutional actions. This makes one thing clear to us all; this president severely misunderstands the Constitution. Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution reads: “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.” Article I explicitly states that the law-m... READ MORE
