Event
Political Blogs

Top
Congressman's Smith Capitol Report - The Early Return
January 17th 2018 by Dee Loflin
Congressman's Smith Capitol Report - The Early Return

Congressman Smith Capitol Report

The Early Returns

January 12, 2018

 

On December 22, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law by President Trump. What has happened in the succeeding three weeks is just the beginning of a long and empowering process to reward the American worker for years of sacrifice, dedication and hardship. In these three weeks, over two million U.S. workers have seen bonuses, pay raises, and benefit increases totaling more than one billion dollars…that’s right more than $1,000,000,000.

 

Whether you are in Missouri and work at an AT&T store, for Boeing or Southwest Airlines, you have already seen the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act through the bonuses issued from your employer as a result of the new law. Right here in southeast and south central Missouri, we are no exception. We have seen companies like Express Employment Professionals with employees in Rolla hand out $2,000 bonuses to more than 200 non-executive level employees. In addition, Commerce Bank with operations in Cape Girardeau has said that 3,450 employees will receive bonuses and U.S. Bancorp with a presence in Willow Springs has said that 60,000 employees will receive bonuses and wage hikes – all have cited passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as the driving reason.

 

Beyond bonuses, companies like Walmart with a distribution center in St. James and stores in places like Perryville, Kennett, Potosi and elsewhere have said that as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, they will increase hourly wages starting in February and hand out bonuses to all hourly workers. The new law has also now put them in a position to be able to offer up to 10 weeks of paid maternity leave to employees. Elsewhere, many utility providers are passing the new tax savings on to customers in the form of lower rates, helping millions of families who struggle every month to keep the lights on while also feeding a hungry family.

 

This is what this tax bill was all about, allowing you to keep and save more of what you earn and what is already yours. Like I said, this is just the beginning. Millions more Americans will notice something different in their February paychecks…they will be higher. Even without bonuses, pay raises, or benefit changes, the new lower tax rates in effect starting this year will result in a smaller amount being deducted from your paycheck than ever before. That’s right, what yours is yours, not Washington’s – you should be free to do with that money what you see fit - investing in your farm, buying new clothes for your children, going out to a family dinner, or simply saving for your family’s future.

 

As the calendar moves further into 2018, I look forward to continuing to stand next to our President to deliver the kind of change that so many of you have called for. Reducing the taxation burden and making sure you are more empowered and liberated than the Washington machine was a good beginning, but so much more work lies ahead. Investments in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and also making real and substantive changes to bring work requirements back into government assistance programs are major challenges that I am ready for, but which still lurk ahead. Providing relief from the crushes of a tax code too big, too cumbersome and which was taking too much was something I have long fought for and believe in, I look forward to continuing to fight for you with that same determination and vigor in these new challenges we now face.  


Last Updated on January 17th 2018 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v9gd/Congressmans-Smith-Capitol-Report--The-Early-Return


Go to post


More from ShowMe Times:
Top
US Rep. Jason Smith Announces 2018 Congressional Art Competition
January 12th 2018 by Dee Loflin
US Rep. Jason Smith Announces 2018 Congressional Art Competition

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith Announces 2018 Congressional Art Competition

The district-wide competition is open to all high school students from each of the 30 counties Smith represents

 

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI – Today, Congressman Jason Smith announced the 2018 Congressional Art Competition for high school students in public, private and homeschools across southeast and south central Missouri. The theme for the competition is “Our Nation, Our District, Our Community.”

 

“Seeing the spirit of Missouri expressed in student’s artwork and displayed in the US Capitol Building is always thrilling,” said Congressman Smith. “As I travel across the 30 counties that make up Missouri’s 8th Congressional District, I am astounded by the strong spirit, sense of community and work ethic I see from folks in our area. Whether it’s helping farmers in a neighboring state recover from wildfires or cleaning up right outside our front doors after major floods devastated our area last spring, the spirit of Missourians is selfless, hardworking and unwavering.”

 

Smith’s letter to students inviting them to participate in the contest can be found here. The rules from the 2017 Congressional Art Competition can be found here.

 

“We host this competition annually, and I am always so impressed by the outstanding talent in our area. I look forward to seeing students’ submissions and the works of art they create again this year,” said Congressman Smith.

 


Last Updated on January 12th 2018 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v9gb/US-Rep-Jason-Smith-Announces-2018-Congressional-Art-Competition


Go to post


More from ShowMe Times:
Top
Congressman Jason Smith's Capitol Report - Just Getting Started
December 28th 2017 by Dee Loflin
Congressman Jason Smith's Capitol Report - Just Getting Started
Congressman Smith Capitol Report
Just Getting Started
December 28, 2017
 
January 20, 2017 marked a new beginning in our country. On that day, President Trump was inaugurated and immediately began working to restore integrity and meaning to our Constitution, to rule of law, and to turning our economy around. With a focus on individual choice, freedoms and the rights upon which this country was founded, over the last 12 months I have worked alongside our President to once again make this country great. ‎As I sat outside the Capitol and watched our new President taking the oath of office last January, I knew it was no longer going to be business as usual in Washington - exactly the type of change which was needed and exactly the change which millions of Americans had rightfully called for.
 
When I look back on the past year, I see a booming economy, millions of new jobs, ISIS on the run, the biggest pay raise for our troops in 8 years, and a record number of conservative pro-life judges appointed to the courts – including Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. We have also seen historic middle income tax cuts with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Obamacare’s individual mandate repealed, and droves of Obama-era regulations removed. In fact, for every new regulation, we have repealed 22 old regulations, saving taxpayers more than 8 billion dollars.
 
Under President Trump’s leadership, we have lowered Missourians’ electric bills by relying on our country’s own natural resources, opening up parts of Alaska to energy exploration, and approving the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. The EPA is no longer a job-killing factory piling on rules and regulations left and right. President Trump’s EPA has taken my recommendation to get rid of WOTUS, which tried to regulate every drop of water on Missourians’ land. The EPA also adopted my proposal to stop the harmful “sue and settle” practice, a massive loophole that allowed radical groups to sue the government and get taxpayer money through closed-door, out of court agreements.  
 
Despite a total lack of support from obstructionists on both sides of the aisle, President Trump and Congress still managed to overcome historic obstacles to achieve major accomplishments in 2017. Unfortunately, some decided to waste their time and taxpayer dollars to try and tear President Trump down through lies, misinformation and even an embarrassing effort to try and impeach the President that was supported by members of the Democrat Leadership. As we worked to cut taxes, repeal Obamacare and defund sanctuary cities, the left threw up road blocks at every turn. As of mid-December, 477 bills had passed the House of Representatives while 378 of those were stuck in the Senate. Included in those efforts was a full repeal and replacement of the government takeover of healthcare, ‎further proposals to lower energy prices, measures to prevent taxpayer dollars from going to abortion providers, protections for your second amendment rights and legislation to provide for full funding of the children's health program known as S-CHIP - all proposals passed by the House of Representatives, but blocked from reaching President Trump's desk by Senate obstructionism. 
 
Whether we are making our country safer by ending chain migration, defunding sanctuary cities like San Francisco that harbor illegal immigrants, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, changing our federal welfare system from a hand-out to a hand-up, or creating more healthcare choice and competition by getting the government out of the business of health insurance, there is plenty of work to get done together. As we look to 2018, I hope obstructionists in Congress will learn to work with their colleagues and the Trump Administration so we can continue to improve the lives and freedoms of hardworking folks in Missouri and across the country. ‎ We are just getting started in our efforts to restore this nation to what it was intended to be, and while I am proud of the work thus far, I remain mindful, committed and invigorated to meet the challenges and fights which lie ahead.

Last Updated on December 28th 2017 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v9cv/Congressman-Jason-Smiths-Capitol-Report--Just-Getting-Started


Go to post


More from ShowMe Times:
Top
Congressman Jason Smith's Capitol Report - Tax Cuts for the Heartland
December 05th 2017 by Dee Loflin
Congressman Jason Smith's Capitol Report - Tax Cuts for the Heartland
Congressman Smith Capitol Report
Tax Cuts for the Heartland
December 1, 2017

This week, President Trump returned to the place where he started his push for historic tax cuts three months ago, right here in Missouri. This time, the President spoke in detail about the proposal which I had recently helped advance through the U.S. House of Representatives known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act - our plan to allow American families, small business owners and farmers to keep more of what they earn and more of what they deserve.

In August, the President was in Springfield, the home of Route 66 and the birthplace of Main Street. While in Springfield, the President told me he had his pen in hand, ready to sign historic tax cuts and he was depending on Congress to deliver. But his speech wasn’t just empty rhetoric for the evening news. With the cameras turned off, the Pres
 
ident got to work. Since that speech I have personally met with both the President and Vice President, with their respective tax teams, with First Daughter Ivanka Trump and had late night phone calls with the President and White House all in regards to providing middle income tax relief for American families. The President wants to unleash the full potential of American ingenuity and entrepreneurism, and he knows the best way to get our economy fully humming is to not only reduce burdensome regulations, but to also allow families, farmers and businesses to keep more of their hard earned money than send it to Washington – to deliver for them true tax relief.
 
With the full support of the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives got the job done, we delivered historic tax cuts to help families and our economy, and on Wednesday in St. Charles Missouri, the President called on the United States Senate to do the same. As President Trump said in his speech, the Senate must pass tax cuts so we can bring Main Street roaring back to life – so that we can help the 97% of businesses in Missouri which are classified as ‘small’ in size, but are the true drivers of our economy. 
 
It’s hard to believe that we have not seen true tax reform since Ronald Reagan was President. Realizing reform was near, earlier this year I held a number of public tax roundtables across southeast and south central Missouri to hear from you directly about how the tax code was impacting your family, farm or business and what you wanted to see changed. As a member of the Ways & Means Committee, the tax writing committee in Congress, I knew that the input I would get from you all I could directly take back to Washington and use to get changes in our tax code which would allow you to keep more of your money. During these meetings, I heard from farmers who wanted to stop being punished for buying equipment they need to work their land. I talked to small business owners who told me how their high tax rates prevent them from hiring folks right here at home. I also heard from moms and dads who were worried about how to save for the future when our tax code literally punishes people for starting a family. It is time for a better deal on taxes, and we are finally making much needed changes to our tax code with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. I completely agree with President Trump, it is not enough for middle-income families to keep getting by, we must create an environment where they can start getting ahead. That’s why, under our plan, if your family of four makes less than $55,000 per year, you will not have to pay ONE SINGLE PENNY in income tax.

The bottom line is this, the government should be taking the least amount of money from you as possible. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will lower tax rates and give folks in southeast and south central Missouri an instant pay raise. I hope we will act quickly to continue move this legislation forward and give all hardworking Americans the tax break they need and deserve.
 

Last Updated on December 05th 2017 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v97a/Congressman-Jason-Smiths-Capitol-Report--Tax-Cuts-for-the-Heartland


Go to post


More from ShowMe Times:
Top
Congressman Jason Smith's Capitol Report - Reining in a Rogue Regime
November 27th 2017 by Dee Loflin
Congressman Jason Smith's Capitol Report - Reining in a Rogue Regime
Congressman Smith Capitol Report
Reining in a Rogue Regime
November 24, 2017
 
The era of strategic patience and capitulation symptomatic of the Obama Administration and their approach to North Korea finally ended this week. President Trump has now formally declared and labeled North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. What does that mean? It’s simple, President Trump is holding North Korea accountable for actions that aim to terrorize and destabilize society - standing up for America and fighting for our interests across the globe.
 
When President Trump announced his decision to put North Korea on the state sponsor of terrorism list, my thoughts immediately went to the family of American student Otto Warmbier. Otto was on a study abroad trip with his university in 2016 when he was imprisoned and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster from his hotel as a keepsake. Even though his parents pleaded, the Obama Administration insisted that it was best to do nothing and wait patiently for North Korea to comply with our appeals to send Otto home. By the time he was returned to his parents in America, the damage done was irreversible. Otto was tortured mentally and physically by the cruel and inhumane North Korean regime. He came back on his death bed, and weeks later, we watched Otto Warmbier’s parents grieve the loss of their son at the hands of North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un.
 
Sadly, the loss of Otto is just one of many tragic examples of an innocent person who was tortured and killed at the hands of this brutal dictatorship. In Otto’s memory, I worked with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass the Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions Act. This bill tightens the reins on North Korea’s rogue regime and blocks their access to markets that finance weapons programs. In addition to cutting off North Korea’s access to funding, Congress is shoring up the United States’ critical missile defense system. This year, with the support of President Trump, we approved the National Defense Authorization Act, to invest in our military’s ability to prevent a nuclear weapon from ever reaching our shores by increasing the overall number of ground-based interceptors to counter the growing threat from North Korea’s ballistic missile program.
 
We simply cannot allow North Korea to threaten and intimidate innocent civilian populations with an arsenal of nuclear weapons. Between the actions of Congress and the Trump Administration, we are sending a strong message to North Korea. In the words of President Trump, “Do not try us.”
 
President Trump has shown time and again that the United States takes it seriously when other countries cheat on deals. Whether renegotiating failed trade agreements or decertifying Obama’s Iran Nuclear “Deal” to move forward with a new, strong strategy, which no longer puts American families at risk, President Trump is putting the security and safety of our nation first. 
 
Until North Korea ceases all support for international terrorism, recognizes basic human rights and stops their rhetoric of “wiping America off the face of the earth,” we will wage a maximum pressure campaign to isolate and financially starve this murderous regime. In the coming weeks, additional sanctions from the Trump Administration will be rolled out to further isolate North Korea, and President Trump will continue to work and form strategic alliances in Asia to isolate and financially cut off North Korea. Just last month, President Trump was able to convince China to remove and suspend all banking support for North Korea for the first time ever. We are resolved in our commitment to punish Kim Jong-un and his rogue regime with sanctions and, with the support of President Trump, will exhaust all options until we see North Korea cease their aggressive actions towards the United States and our allies and take steps toward lasting stability and peace.

Last Updated on November 27th 2017 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v957/Congressman-Jason-Smiths-Capitol-Report--Reining-in-a-Rogue-Regime


Go to post


More from ShowMe Times:
Subscribe to "Political Blogs"
ShowMe Gold Sponsors