WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) today led 30 of their colleagues in sending a bicameral letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requesting information on how the agency determined its guidance for children aged two years and older to wear face masks to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Members of Congress wrote in part: “The implementation of these recommendations has had serious consequences for some Americans. Multiple parents of young ch... READ MORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a $2.5 million grant in Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG) to support the construction of a railroad overpass on U.S. Highway 160 and Independence Drive, replacing an at-grade railway and highway intersection. “This construction project is a personal mission of mine. The frequent railroad traffic in West Plains not only halts traffic, it halts the local economy,” said Rep. Jason Smith. “Building an overp... READ MORE
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once said that a budget is a statement of your party’s values. What does it say about the Democrat majority that in the 800+ days since they came to power they have yet to pass a real budget? We are nearly three months into this administration. President Biden has found time so far to issue 62 executive orders; sign into law a massive bailout bill that spent $1.9 trillion to reward his friends, donors and allies; and propose a second $2.3 trillion boondoggle that inclu... READ MORE
Last year, in the face of a pandemic that left many people around the country concerned about their health for going out, states around the country adopted what were supposed to be temporary rules for voting. But in some instances, states used the pandemic as a reason to radically change voting rules to remove key voter safeguards – like requiring voter identification to be given a ballot – leading to the serious 2020 election integrity concerns that resulted. Georgia, plagued with controversy f... READ MORE
Washington Democrats have lost their minds. If there is one thing Washington Democrats have shown this year, it’s that they are willing to embrace a disturbing appetite for spending. It turns out that last month, when they decided to spend nearly $2 trillion on bailouts and political rewards for their allies, they were just getting warmed up. President Biden is now proposing cutting a check for another $2 trillion to spend on a massive grab bag of liberal wish-list policies held together by misl... READ MORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Jason Smith reintroduced the Preventing SBA Assistance from Going to China Act, which would block all assistance offered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) from going to citizens of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Because current law permits the SBA to provide assistance to any qualifying small business that is legally operating in the United States, Chinese-owned or -affiliated firms are able to exploit the system and receive benefits. This legislati... READ MORE
Former Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was famous for saying, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Washington Democrats and their allies in the media have internalized this advice so well that their playbook is completely predictable. Over the past two weeks, we’ve seen tragic shootings in Atlanta and in Boulder, Colorado. My heart breaks for the victims of these shootings, and the criminals who committed these acts deserve to face the maximum punishment available. But before the inve... READ MORE
Since being sworn in on January 20, Joe Biden has made clear that he is serious about prioritizing the rights and well-being of illegal immigrants over American citizens. Whether it is his words, his executive actions, or legislation he has signed into law, all his policies clearly incentivize people to try to cross our border illegally. Now, a crisis is here – and it’s a crisis of Joe Biden and his administration’s own making. In the month of February, Customs and Border Patrol encountered over... READ MORE
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) reintroduced the U.S. Military Right to Carry Act to allow members of the United States Armed Forces to renew their concealed carry permit by mail or be treated as a resident of the state in which they are stationed for concealed carry purposes. States that fail to comply run the risk of losing federal funding. Rep. Jason Smith has serious concerns with any impediment to an American’s ability to exercise their Second ... READ MORE
This week we saw Washington Democrats charge ahead and pass the Biden Bailout Bill, the largest spending package in our nation’s history. As the Republican Leader of the Budget Committee, who had a front row seat to what was included, I can assure you this was the most partisan package we’ve ever seen. Not a single Republican voted for this bailout bill, and in fact, the only bipartisan thing about it was the vote against it. President Biden, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majorit... READ MORE
