On Friday, Congressman Jason Smith connected with Central High School students from his office in Washington, D.C. by hosting a live video chat. Congressman Smith answered dozens of questions from students in Bethany Petty’s western civilization and social studies classes on issues ranging from the Electoral College to terrorism. As one of the youngest members of Congress, Representative Smith has embraced new technology to stay connected with constituents when he is in Washington, D.C. Congres... READ MORE
Ronald Reagan once said his fondest hope for young people is that they would love their country for her selflessness and idealism. As the school year comes to a close, I have reflected on all of the great schools I have had the pleasure of visiting while in Congress. From Rolla to Caruthersville, Sikeston to Gainesville, and Festus to Doniphan, I’ve been bringing Congress to the classroom. When I speak with students, my message is simple: You can make an impact no matter your age. Young people d... READ MORE
Sam Conlon was in her element. She was wearing a teal T-shirt and shorts and was diligently welding the design of a tree into a tin luminary outside of her workshop located on Front Street for her shop Rust — 122 N. Main St. Music filtered out of her workshop as she worked, faintly covering the sound of a large fan that ticked close by. As U.S. Representative Jason Smith pulled up to her workshop, Conlon slid off her welding gloves and sneaked a quick bite of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich t... READ MORE
Congressman Smith Visits Jefferson R-7 High School in Festus on Monday On Monday, Congressman Jason Smith brought Congress to the classroom, speaking with students at Jefferson R-7 High School in Festus. He met with civics classes and an anti-bullying student group. Congressman Smith addresses civics classes “Unfortunately, the same technology that keeps us connected can be used to connect students to cyberbullying,” said Congressman Smith. “The students in this anti-bullying group have a sense ... READ MORE
Today the House of Representatives voted on Congressman Jason Smith’s language to bar the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using any funds to implement the damaging Waters of the United States rule. The language was included in H.R. 2028, the FY2016 Energy & Water Appropriations bill, which passed the House 240-177. This overreaching rule could potentially allow the EPA to regulate nearly every area of the ground that gets wet or has flow during rainfall including ponds, puddles, temp... READ MORE
This week in Washington we worked to fund your priorities. This is the first time since 1974 that Congress has gotten such an early start on appropriating your tax dollars. This process gives us the opportunity to make sure your tax dollars are spent wisely on what is most important to southeast and southern Missouri. It’s the right step to appropriating funds rather than passing temporary patches through continuing resolutions which give a blank check to the administration. I had three prioriti... READ MORE
Tax day has come and gone for most, but some taxpayers are still trying to get their returns straight. This year, there has been an astronomical uptick in identity theft used for fraudulent tax returns. When some law-abiding citizens filed their tax returns, they discovered a thief had already used their social security number to file a return. That leaves the taxpayer with months of frustrating calls and letters to the IRS to get it straight. This week I took action to prevent this abuse on har... READ MORE
This week, I voted to repeal the death tax and help put the American Dream back within reach for family farmers across southeast and southern Missouri. Since I was first elected to Congress, I have worked to get a vote on repealing the death tax for family farmers, including cosponsoring this important piece of legislation. Across our area, farmers worry that the death tax will keep them from passing the family farm down to their children. A full repeal of the death tax would alleviate this worr... READ MORE
Today, Congressman Jason Smith (R-Salem, MO) issued the following statement on voting for the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015, a bill he also co-sponsored: "Today I voted to repeal the death tax and to put the American Dream back within reach for family farmers. Across southeast and southern Missouri, family farmers worry that the death tax will keep them from passing the farm down to their children. When these family farmers are forced to sell land or machinery to come up with the cash for the de... READ MORE
Tax Day—a day that many Americans dread—is quickly approaching us yet again. April 15 is the deadline for filing your taxes with the IRS, a process that is increasingly cumbersome and confusing. Today, America’s incredibly complex tax code is almost 4 million words long. It is no surprise that more than 60 percent of taxpayers pay for help when preparing their taxes. All told, American taxpayers will spend a total of 6.1 billion hours working on their tax returns. With a tax code so long and com... READ MORE
