(TARS) is organizing and looking for great teenagers to join!
TARS is a club for teens ages 13-19 in middle school and high school who are interested in politics and government!
They meet monthly and their meetings move around the county to allow everyone an opportunity to be a part of this group! You are not required to attend every meeting but they do ask you to be involved in the events near your home.
If you are interested and would like more information please call or text Tila Hubrecht (club sponsor) at (573) 820-6052 or email tilahubrecht@gmail.com
Some of the things they do: Walk in parades, staff fair booths, participate in phone banks, hand out campaign literature…and have fun!
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report:
Why Risk This?
September 23rd, 2016
1,811. It was learned this week that was the number of illegal aliens who were ‘mistakenly’ granted American citizenship by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. All of these 1,811 illegal immigrants now turned American citizens were previously ordered to be deported or removed from the U.S. for various reasons, including criminal activity and because their home countries were flagged as ‘special interest countries’ or threats to the United States. This is not only unacceptable, but it’s horrifying. Your federal government, the single entity responsible for the safety of millions of American families is actually doing the opposite – putting them more at risk.
Just this past weekend, twenty-nine people were injured when a bomb exploded in New York City and nine people were victims of a stabbing at a mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Both of these attacks were ones of terror. More must be done to strengthen our national security to ensure that those who wish to do Americans harm don’t have that opportunity.
Unfortunately we see the opposite happening. While hundreds scheduled for deportation are now wrongfully granted American citizenship because of an error in fingerprint tracking, the Obama Administration continues to push forward with a plan to ship more and more terrorists from American custody back to the battlefield to commit atrocities against our brave military men and women and innocents across the globe. Simply put, the Obama White House continues to ignore the evidence that nearly one-in-three former detainees return to their jihadist activity upon their release. In an interview last December, with 653 confirmed terrorists once held in Guantanamo Bay already released, President Obama stated, “we assume that there are going to be -out of four, five, six hundred people that get released- a handful of them are going to be embittered and still engaging in anti-U.S. activities and trying to link up potentially with their old organizations.” Unfortunately the President’s rhetoric doesn’t match reality, at the time of that statement, of the 653 who had been released, it was confirmed by the Director of National Intelligence that 196 of these individuals were either confirmed or suspected of returning to terrorist activity – more than just ‘a handful’ I’d say.
Why is the President giving these individuals the opportunity to once again spread the disease of terrorism and hate back in their home countries and once again plan horrifying acts against American citizens? That is why I helped co-author and pass legislation last week to prohibit the transfer of any individual detained at Guantanamo Bay. Don’t let the statements by the Obama Administration fool you into thinking that the closing of that facility does not pose a risk to the safety of our nation. The fact is that the Obama Administration is downplaying just how dangerous those housed at Guantanamo Bay are to fulfill a campaign promise before he leaves office - once again putting politics ahead of the true interest of the American people.
It is the number one job of the federal government to provide for the defense and security of the American people. At a time when our country is under a constant threat of terrorism, we cannot give those who wish to do us harm the chance to attack innocent Americans. We must deny access to those who jeopardize our national security whether they are known terrorists housed at Guantanamo Bay or illegal immigrants who have been mistakenly granted American Citizenship. I remain committed to fighting for the safety of Missourians including physically securing our borders, thoroughly screening and vetting anyone desiring to enter our country with background checks, thwarting the release of any more terrorists back to the battlefield and providing our military men and women with the resources they need to get the job done.. despite the Obama Administration’s attempts to do otherwise.
This Shouldn’t be Political
September 9th, 2016
We have all heard the famous quote “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This week as the U.S. Congress once again gaveled back into session, the same results held true as we were immediately met with new details of just how partisan and politically minded this Administration is. I should have known not to expect anything other than partisan rancor from this Administration but a recent memo leak showing details of the Obama Administration putting liberal politics before the interests of the American people is truly appalling.
A report of a memo sent by the Obama Administration to officials at the Pentagon was uncovered on Tuesday detailing a plan to veto the national defense bill that includes a pay raise for our troops. This revelation further proves that the Obama Administration could care less about the means he uses no matter how unethical they might be to push his liberal agenda. The internal Department of Defense memo instructs top military leaders to “play hardball” against Republican plans to increase the military budget, unless the Obama White House gets the spending increases they want for unrelated social programs. They suggest that the House and Senate fight against each other instead of finding middle ground to enact a national defense bill for our nation’s heroes, of which we have a huge number throughout southeast and south central Missouri. It is shameful that the Obama Administration spends more time playing political games rather than serving the American public.
This news was especially hard to stomach because while we are trying to find solutions, we keep being met with executive orders and rogue federal agencies specifically trying to impede our attempts. The extent to which this administration has gone out of its way to impede congressional oversight and accountability and implement radical agendas is absolute insanity.
After spending several weeks traveling all 30 counties, talking to farmers about their crops, small business owners about their bottom line, community leaders about their changing needs, and simply just catching up with old friends, facing this type of out-of-control government insanity is difficult because these folks deserve better than what we’re getting from the White House.
The tactics described in the memo that was uncovered this week comes as no surprise because under the Obama Administration, dysfunction and partisanship have continually grown worse. It is no surprise that the American public have lost confidence in this Administration’s ability to do their jobs in the best interest of the American public. Time and time again, the Obama Administration condemns Congress for not reaching across the aisle to get things done, but behind closed doors he continues to encourage a battle between political parties. It is quite clear that the legacy that the Obama Administration will leave behind in January will be that of a politically divided country and bureaucratic insanity.
I believe Congress can come together and continue the more than five decades of bipartisan cooperation it has experienced in the past and pass a national defense bill that gives our troops a pay raise and provides them with the resources they need to defend and provide for the security of our country. The brave men and women who serve our country and keep us safe deserve better and so does the rest of the country, especially from someone who carries the title Commander in Chief.
“Today, we mourn the loss of all the Americans killed in the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. To the families that are grieving their loved ones, we offer our prayers and our promise never to forget your suffering. To all of the first responders who rushed toward danger that day, and do so every day, we extend our eternal gratitude. To all of the men and women in uniform who have taken the fight to terrorists across the globe, we honor your courage and sacrifice. And to all of the members of the intelligence community, we appreciate the tremendous responsibility you shoulder in your efforts to prevent further attacks.
“America was forever changed on September 11th, but not in the manner the terrorists intended. Where they sought to destroy our national spirit, we responded with renewed strength, unity and resolve. We carry that with us today, refusing to allow the threats we face to undermine our principals or sow fear in our communities. America remains a target because we have proven to the world that freedom and democracy will not yield to evil and oppression. I will continue working to ensure that those who defend our nation and all that we stand for have what they need to keep Americans safe.”
Blunt currently serves as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Defense Appropriations subcommittee.
Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report
The Future of Welfare Reform
August 26th, 2016
This week marks the 20th anniversary of “welfare reform” and at the time it was hailed as one of the most widespread changes to addressing federal poverty our nation had ever seen. They promised it was the end of welfare as we would know it. While this reform 20 years ago did help some people escape poverty, it is clear we have an entirely new round of obstacles that are placing more Americans into the poverty trap.
Moving people from welfare to work is the only way to successfully and sustainably lift someone out of poverty. From 1995 through 2007, 1.5 million single mothers moved from welfare to work, lowering the number of children trapped in poverty as well. This not only provided personal financial independence to families, but showed their next generation a path forward. Incentives that offer jobs to those trapped in poverty do work. In fact, the amount of people receiving assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program has decreased by over 60 percent since 1996. That translates to a decrease of over 10 million people who rely on government welfare assistance today.
The bad news is that the welfare reform 20 years ago was narrowly focused to apply to only a few programs and did not apply to all government welfare and anti-poverty support programs. Therefore today our country has upwards of 46 million Americans still marred in poverty. In fact, almost two out of three working age adults who are living in poverty today do not have a job. This is a direct result of a current welfare system that does not encourage or reward work. Sadly, many trapped in poverty today have more of an incentive to stay on government assistance instead of going out and getting a job to move out of poverty.
As a result, House Republicans are proposing a new plan to combat the cycle of poverty in this country. Growing up in rural Missouri, I know first-hand that the current welfare system is broken. I remember well the trailer my family lived in when I was younger and pumping water from a cistern at my grandparents in order to get our fresh water. I understand just how hard it can be to escape the cycle of poverty, especially in south central and southeast Missouri.
I have taken a leadership role in helping reform our current welfare support system both on the Ways and Means Committee, the Human Resources Subcommittee, and on the newly created Task Force on Poverty, Opportunity and Upward Mobility. My goal is to help people who are struggling not only back home in Missouri, but across the nation escape the cycle of poverty by offering incentives for people to work to pull themselves out of poverty. It is also important to me that people understand the difference between the urban poverty they often read about in newspapers and the rural poverty that effects areas all over the country like ours. With over 46 million people living in poverty today, reforming the welfare system is a top priority in this country. We cannot continue to spend close to $1 trillion each year on so called welfare reducing government programs without seeing any improvements to the overall poverty rate.
I continue to remain committed to working with my Republican and Democrat colleagues to move forward on a better way plan to reduce poverty and give everyone the opportunity to realize the American dream. Very soon I hope we will be able to usher in the next era of welfare reform that also kicks off the greatest resurgence in an American economic recovery and demonstrates American success and generosity, but also shows the importance of personal freedom and responsibility, as the cornerstone of our great Republic.
