Former First Lady Nancy Reagan was laid to rest yesterday, so it is only fitting to honor her legacy as one of the most influential First Ladies in American history. The month of March is women’s history month in which we honor the tremendous women throughout history. This year’s theme is “working to form a more perfect union: honoring women in public service and government.” Nancy Reagan was the epitome of a public servant. Sadly, the passing of Nancy Reagan marks the end of a conservative era,... READ MORE
Some of my fondest memories growing up were of my family and I spending time together hunting and fishing. On the opening day of trout season, it wasn’t about what we caught, but it was about spending that time together, and for us that was at beautiful Montauk State Park. For many people across the country, hunting and fishing is more than just a recreational activity; it has become a way of life. The people in Southeast and South central Missouri are fortunate to be situated next to the beauti... READ MORE
This week, yet again, President Obama has unveiled a plan that fails to keep the folks of Missouri safe. Not only does Obama’s plan to close The Guantanamo Detention Center put the national security of our nation in jeopardy, it is against the law. The unlawful closing of Guantanamo would make it possible for some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists to be housed on American soil – some at facilities that sit on our own Missouri borders. It simply does not make sense to bring these detainees... READ MORE
Sadly, as you may have seen, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away last week at the age of 79. As a law student, Justice Scalia helped shape how I analyze laws. Scalia represented the best qualities of a Supreme Court Justice—he was fiercely intelligent, a passionate defender of the Constitution, and a man of uncompromising principle. He interpreted the Constitution from the perspective of the Founding Father’s intentions, and never reinterpreted the Constitution to serve political ne... READ MORE
Whether it’s your business, your farm or your family, there is one constant responsibility which holds true – you simply can’t spend more than you take in. Continually running a deficit would require the doors of your business to close, your farm to stop producing, and the house your family lives in to be seized by creditors. Unfortunately that same fundamental concept of the balancing of budgets eludes this White House. Faced with a tumbling stock market, GDP growth slowing to less than 1% per ... READ MORE
As the son of a preacher, faith has always been at the center of my life. This week, along with numerous of my U.S. House & Senate colleagues, I attended the National Prayer Breakfast. A tradition dating back over 60 years, the National Prayer Breakfast serves as an opportunity for elected officials and religious leaders to come together and talk about the role faith, religion, and God has in all of our lives. Several of the messages this year focused on perseverance, overcoming the difficult ob... READ MORE
This week marked the 43rd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion in our country. Since the court’s ruling, nearly 58 million innocent lives have tragically been taken. To put that into perspective, there are roughly 58 million people living in the states of New York and California—combined. To share these startling numbers and advance pro-life policies, thousands of grassroots advocates from across the country, including Missouri’s 8thDistrict, are in Wa... READ MORE
This week I sat in the U.S. House Chamber and listened to the last State of the Union from President Barack Obama. What Americans needed to hear was a plan to turn our economy around, tackle an ever mounting federal debt, details of how to increase families take home pay, and a clear strategy on how we will finally defeat the threats posed by ISIS, the Taliban and other organizations of terror in order to keep Americans safe. Unfortunately, we heard none of that. Walking out of the House Chamber... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report: SCRUBing Away the D.C. Regulatory Machine 175,268. That is the number of pages in the Code of Federal Regulations. Across south central and southeast Missouri that number weighs heavy on the backs of small businesses, farmers and families. It also represents a serious problem in Washington: a president circumventing Congress to try and force his rejected policy ideas on the American people. In 2009, the president failed to get his signature “Cap & Trade” l... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report: A Week to Remember With record rainfall and historic water levels on the Mississippi and surrounding rivers, we closed 2015 with the very real and scary reminder of the power of mother nature. When Christmas approached, constant rainfall and a quickly rising Mississippi River replaced holiday cheer and laughter amongst friends and family with concerns for safety and well-being of those same individuals we love. A relentless rain left many worried about the... READ MORE
