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
Cape Girardeau, MO – On Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 4pm, Congressman Jason Smith invites residents and media to speak directly with the Army Corps on the recent record rainfall and current levels on the Mississippi River. The meeting will provide an opportunity for the Army Corps and others to give a status update on current river levels, projected levels, and what the plan is for each levee. After the update, residents and the media will have a chance to ask questions. WHO: U.S. Congressman ... READ MORE
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report: Protecting Farm & Family This past week Congress completed its legislative work for the calendar year. While much of what was jammed through Congress in the 11th hour represented more of the same in Washington; there was one piece of legislation which will provide large scale tax relief to American families, farmers and business owners, which I was proud to support, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act. As a Member of the Ways & Means Committee, the... READ MORE
Today Congressman Smith voted to keep a $622 billion tax increase from hitting American families. One of the most important provisions for farmers and small business owners in the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act is providing tax relief for equipment and property purchases through Section 179 of the tax code. The PATH Act would make permanent Section 179 expensing, allowing for an immediate deduction on equipment purchases for farmers and small business owners. Without action toda... READ MORE
Today Congressman Smith voted to keep a $622 billion tax increase from hitting American families. One of the provisions in the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act is Congressman Smith’s initiative, H.R. 3409 the Tax Relief for Working Students Act, to make college more affordable for students. The language authored and introduced by Smith treats income as a scholarship rather than as a wage if it is earned at a comprehensive student work-learning-service program at a certified Work College.... READ MORE
Today, Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) introduced the End EPA Advertising Act, a bill to stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using taxpayer money to hire public relations contractors. Between 2000 and 2014, the EPA spent $26 million on outside public relations contracts. These are contractors hired with taxpayer dollars used to create media campaigns aimed at selling the latest EPA rule or regulation to the American public. These are rules and regulations which often have an adv... READ MORE
U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, has been chosen to serve on a powerful leadership committee in the House, the first Missourian appointed since U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., was a House representative years ago. Republican colleagues Thursday elected the 8th District congressman to serve on the Republican Steering Committee, a group of House leaders tasked with choosing committee chairmen and who will serve on the various legislative committees. The 35-year-old Smith is the second-youngest lawmaker... READ MORE
With today’s bipartisan passage of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, Congressman Jason Smith stood up for local manufacturers. The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act fosters economic growth to allow businesses to thrive in the 21st Century global economy by stepping up enforcement of trade agreements, reducing barriers to legitimate trade, making American exports more competitive, and facilitating small business competition in the global marketplace. House Ways and Mea... READ MORE
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- There's nothing quite like the warmth generated by a cozy old wood stove during winter. But Environmental Protection Agency regulations issued in January to snuff the crackling fire in the potbelly -- in the name of air quality and better breathing -- now are the law of the land and causing some headaches for self-sufficient families and stove dealers in the Show-Me State. A local congressman is taking aim against those regulations. The EPA's rule tightened the amount of par... READ MORE
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment Thursday eliminating new EPA regulations on wood stoves. The amendment, introduced by Congressman Jason Smith, R-8th District, passed with a bipartisan vote of 247-177 and was added to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act. “The EPA has decided that 12 million wood-burning stoves in 2.4 million households across America need to be regulated because of Washington-driven bureaucrat emissions standards," he said. "Peo... READ MORE
