“Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections…and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; …and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.” – Article 1, Section 5, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution These are some of the words our Founding Fathers agonized over during the humid summer of 1787 in the old Pennsylvania State House. Their final product, the U.S. Constitution, is both the oldes... READ MORE
From the outset, America has been a profound experiment. What began as a small cluster of colonies wedged between a great ocean and a vast wilderness, became the world’s epicenter of hope and opportunity. A resilient people changed the course of human history by dedicating themselves to a simple yet radical belief that they could rule themselves. They pledged their lives to that cause with the Declaration of Independence, and after winning their freedom, they sought to preserve it with a new sys... READ MORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) led a group of lawmakers on the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee in calling for China to uphold their agreed upon agricultural purchases from the Phase One Deal. The Ways and Means Committee is the only committee in the U.S. House that has oversight of our nation’s trade policies. Congressman Smith has used his position on the full committee and its trade subcommittee to be actively involved in advising the Trump Administrat... READ MORE
The Chinese government continues to stall all international efforts to find the origin of the coronavirus. In January, Chinese officials said they were zeroing in on the source of the outbreak and that it was “only a matter of time” before it was identified. Now, nearly four months later, no new information has come out of China and the country is rejecting all calls for an international investigation. From the start, China has tried to shield its communist government from any responsibility for... READ MORE
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) is fighting for Congress to include language in the upcoming Water Resource bill that would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to aid in maintaining and upgrading southeast Missouri’s water infrastructure. Smith's plan calls for bringing Missouri’s outdated water infrastructure into the 21st century through cost sharing agreements with the Army Corps of Engineers. By the time the Mississippi River travels through southeast Missouri, it cont... READ MORE
The people of Missouri are eager to return to work, spend quality time in-person with their family and friends, and to reconnect with their communities, and I couldn’t agree more. Missourians have heeded the advice of state and local officials’ and have done their part to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but now it is time to allow them to return to their normal lives. The government cannot and should not manage the risk for its citizens, we the people have to do that for ourselves. Those are... READ MORE
After spending weeks shutdown to help slow the spread of the virus, it’s time to restart our economy and allow people to return to work. This has been a difficult time for everyone, but especially here in southern Missouri where people just want to be allowed to work hard, make a living, and provide for their families. I have spoken with dozens of our local leaders from across southern Missouri about their plans to open up, and I also let President Trump know that we are ready and willing to lea... READ MORE
ROLLA, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) touted updated guidance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) that now allows rural hospitals that are owned or operated by counties or other localities to qualify for critical financial assistance programs. In early April Smith called on SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza to make this important change to ensure rural providers were not disproportionally affected. After the SBA issued its updated guidance, Congressman Smith spoke about how he’s f... READ MORE
This week, I held a call with over 50 of our local leaders from across southern Missouri to discuss plans for reopening our area’s economy. I believe that the best government is the one that’s closest to the people, which is why it was critical to brainstorm with them on ways to restart southern Missouri in the coming days. In addition, I have also been in contact with Governor Parson and President Trump about how we can get rural America and southern Missouri back to work and lead the country’s... READ MORE
ROLLA, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) on Tuesday held a conference call with over 50 leaders from across southern Missouri to discuss plans for reopening the area’s economy. Smith highlighted how he’s been working with the Governor and President Trump about how to get rural America and southern Missouri back to work. Smith spoke about how the best government is the one closest to the people, which is why getting feedback from the area’s leaders is critical to getting the economy restarted.... READ MORE
