Signaling that the priorities and values of the Midwest no longer take a back seat to those of the coastal elite, for the third time in less than eight months, this week President Trump once again visited our great state.

 

Last August, I joined our President in Springfield to officially kick off our push for comprehensive tax reform to reduce the tax burden on American businesses, farmers, families and workers. Three months later, I once again joined the President in St. Charles as we continued to push for historic tax reform to benefit our economy. Less than one month later the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was officially signed into law. 

 

This week, the President returned to the heartland to meet with Missourians from all across the state who were benefiting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Dave Johnson from Mid-Am Metal Forming shared that in addition to giving out bonuses to employees, they were now hiring at all facilities across our state. Kevin Baker from Great Southern Bank shared that the bonuses they distributed were used for everything from much needed repairs to long overdue family vacations. And from College of the Ozarks, employees described how their tax cuts bonuses helped them pay medical bills and save for retirement. Dr. Jerry Davis, College of the Ozarks President, made sure to let President Trump know that unlike what Nancy Pelosi thinks, the tax cut bonuses were not just “crumbs” for folks in Missouri.

 

These stories are just some of the many I’ve heard about how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is helping Missourians. Whether it was meeting the folks at the AT&T Call Center in Cape Girardeau who were using their new tax cut bonuses to buy a washing machine for their family or the individual at the Bank of Advance in Dexter who told me they were using their bonus to pay for their daughter’s college education expenses – these great stories are repeating themselves all across Missouri and all across the country. I started this week at Lowe’s in Rolla where I got to meet employees who received bonuses, new benefits and higher wages as a result of our tax cuts legislation. It’s incredible to watch a piece of legislation that was signed into law just a few months ago already having such a noticeable impact.  More than 4 million Americans have received bonuses, wage hikes or new benefits since the passage of this relief while American employers are no longer looking abroad to locate, but are investing hundreds of millions of dollars right here in the U.S. to grow their workforce and expand operations. In addition, numerous utility companies have used the new tax law to reduce rates and bring down the cost of the monthly home heating bills their customers are paying. 

 

Hearing these stories makes me even prouder of all the hard work and long nights we spent writing and passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. I am truly honored to have played a role in putting more money in Missourians’ pockets. Over the past year as I’ve worked with President Trump and his Administration, I’ve seen how the President operates. He listens to multiple points of view, takes in all of the information, puts thought into what needs to be done and decisively takes action. But our work on tax cuts isn’t finished. 

 

Several weeks ago, the President shared with me what he again said publically during the roundtable in St. Louis, that he is now ready to look at “phase two” of tax cuts for hard working Americans. The impact of our tax cuts legislation so far has been incredibly successful, but there is more we can do to help working families, provide greater relief to our farmers and further incentivize employers large and small to want to invest here in the U.S. We are the greatest nation on earth with the greatest workforce on earth. You will find no more disciplined, hardworking, and family oriented employee than right here in southern Missouri - I know that, and with his third visit in such a short period, our President knows that. I look forward to continuing to work with our President to reverse the policies of the previous Administration which sought to punish the American worker, rather than reward them for years of dedication and hard work.

 

MALDEN, MO - Today, Congressman Jason Smith announced that the City of Malden will receive more than $150,000 in disaster recovery funds from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and the Missouri Department of Economic Development following the February 24 tornado that damaged over 75 properties, completely destroyed 11 homes and caused major damage to 11 more.

 

“I was in Malden days after the tornado hit, and from the very start it was apparent that whatever funds we could assist in securing were going to be needed to help bring this community back to where it was,” said Congressman Smith. “I was impressed with the community leaders and citizens’ immediate response to clear debris and begin recovery efforts.”

 

The DRA, an organization created and funded by the U.S. Congress, is granting $75,000 to the City of Malden to help with recovery efforts. The grant will provide new backup generators for the police station and emergency management department. It will also fund new power lines and power poles to fully restore electricity in Malden. Smith’s office was essential in getting generators included as a part of the DRA grant.

 

“The grant today from DRA for the City of Malden is exactly why Congress created the Delta Regional Authority and why I have continued to work closely with and supported securing resources for Missouri's 8th Congressional District,” said Congressman Smith. “Having power restored to the area is a huge help as they rebuild. I’m so glad to see the DRA supporting Malden, helping the community recover and making sure people get back on their feet.”

 

In addition to the DRA grant, $79,250 has been approved for Malden by the Missouri Department of Economic Development to help with debris removal and electrical line repair.

 

Malden Mayor Denton Kooyman said, “Congressman Smith has been in constant contact and getting updated on our recovery efforts. We truly appreciate his concern and know that the DRA grant would not have been possible without his help.”

 

“When a tornado struck Southeast Missouri, we told the rest of the state about a resilient community that remained unbroken in the face of danger and damage,” said Governor Greitens. “We wanted you to know that we’re still with you, helping to rebuild and repair what you’ve lost. We want the state to know that the people of Malden are tough and we know they’ll rebuild and rise up twice as strong.”

 

Smith was at the Home Depot in Poplar Bluff this week to discuss how employees were benefitting from higher wages and bigger paychecks as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. While at this stop, Home Depot store manager, Will Brumit, shared with Smith how the Poplar Bluff store was the very first group on the ground and helping in Malden after the tornado.

 

“Neighbors helping neighbors is a really powerful thing,” said Smith. “In Malden, you’ve got everyone from the Home Depot to DRA pitching in to get this community back on their feet. That’s one of the most admirable things about folks in our state, the best people come out in the worst of times.”

Recently, the Missouri Senate debated several meaningful pieces of legislation that are sure to not only bring high paying jobs, but also protect countless Missouri children.  Two of those bills were top priorities of mine for the 2018 legislative session, Senate Bill 894 and Senate Bill 800 were bills I filed, and both were passed.

 

Senate Bill 894 establishes new computer science standards to include coding and programming along with guidelines designed for K-12 schools. This will encourage more Missouri students to study computer science by allowing the course to count toward high school graduation. Computer science job skills are in demand across our state and country. This program will teach our youth the skills they need for the 21st century job market. The bill also creates a certification program for computer science teachers as well as introduces an online program that showcases STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) careers and their impact on today’s economy. 

Senate Bill 800 shortens the length of time a child spends in foster care. Under the current system, there can be a lag between when a petition to terminate parental rights is filed and when an adoption petition is filed. Senate Bill 800 allows both the petition for adoption and the petition to terminate parental rights to be filed together. The journey for many of our children in Missouri’s current foster care system takes far too long. Sadly, many of the delays are caused by prolonged legal proceedings. Statics indicate that older children are less likely to be adopted than younger children. I am hopeful this bill will become law this year, and help these children find their way into loving forever homes, as quickly as possible.

 

After some debate, Senate Bill 800 and Senate Bill 894, were approved and sent to the Missouri House of Representatives for final approval. The Missouri General Assembly will take a one-week spring break beginning March 19th.  Upon returning, bills and proposals will begin to move quickly through the legislative process before the end of the legislative session.

 

More great news, Magnitude 7 Metals plans to bring many good paying jobs back to our area. The opening of the new aluminum smelter gives New Madrid County and the Bootheel hope that better times are ahead. Some of the poorest counties in Missouri are in the Bootheel and these quality, high paying jobs will greatly benefit the community. 

 

I welcome you to visit your State Capitol and stop by our office (room 219), or call (573-751-4843) with any questions, concerns or comments you may have. I am honored to serve the citizens of the 25th District.

Rep. Smith Protects Missouri Families with Wood Burning Stoves

Smith’s legislation stops Obama-era regulation that put harmful restrictions on how Missourians heat homes

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Smith’s legislation to protect Missouri families who use wood burning stoves to heat their homes passed the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 453 delays the Obama-era emission regulations for residential wood and pellet stoves, hydronic heaters, and forced-air furnaces by three years. In addition to championing the three-year delay for wood heater regulations, Smith is working with the Trump Administration to get a full and permanent repeal.

 

“Obama’s EPA consistently wrote rules like this one that disproportionately hurt rural Americans. They singlehandedly decided that 12 million wood-burning stoves in 2.4 million households across America needed to be regulated because of Washington-driven, bureaucrat emissions standards," Congressman Smith said. "Fortunately, with President Trump in office, the war on rural America is finally over.”

 

H.R. 453 was attached to the Kilns Act, and passed the House of Representatives by 234-180 with bipartisan support on March 7, 2019. It will now be considered by the U.S. Senate.

 

“Delaying this rule is going to be a big help for folks back home. The bottom line is, Missourians should not be punished for their self-reliance and their forethought to take advantage of an abundant, eco-friendly fuel like wood,” said Congressman Smith. “In fact, a given home in our district is five times more likely to be heated with wood than the national average. Fifty-seven percent of households who primarily use wood for heat are in rural areas, 40 percent are in the suburbs and only 3 percent in urban areas.”

 

Craig Bohnsack of Jackson, MO said, “This legislation will provide relief to me and my extended retail stores throughout the Midwest who are proud to sell clean-burning, affordable wood and pellet stoves. Extra time will allow manufacturers to develop user-friendly products that provide heat and reliability to southeast Missouri families.”  

 

Bohnsack is the CEO of Kasten Masonry Sales, Inc. which is based in Southeast Missouri and sells wood burning stoves to thousands of families in the area. Their stores are located in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Bonne Terre.

 

This is not the first time Smith’s legislation on wood fired stoves has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. In December of 2015, the House of Representatives passed Congressman Smith’s amendment to eliminate regulations on wood stoves by a bipartisan vote of 247-177. According to Smith, due to inaction in the Senate, legislation from the House of Representatives must be revisited frequently.

 

“Unfortunately, you’ve got a Senate full of obstructionists that won’t act quickly. I’ve been able to pass protections for Missourians who heat their homes with wood in the past, only to see the efforts stall out in the Senate,” said Congressman Smith. “But, I believe President Trump is going to make a real difference this time around. Under his leadership, we are slashing Obama-era regulations at a rate of 22:1.” 

 

According to Smith, about 30,000 households in the 8th District use wood heat to warm their homes. Smith also said that heating with wood grew 34 percent between 2000 and 2010, and that low and middle-income households are more likely to use wood as a primary heating fuel.

 

 

NEW MADRID, MO – Congressman Jason Smith co-hosted a public event in the bootheel today where he made a major jobs announcement. Along with Governor Greitens and State Rep. Done Rone, Smith formally announced the opening of Magnitude 7 Metals in New Madrid and with it, an estimated 450 new jobs for the area.

 

“In my meetings with President Trump and my work with his Administration, I have noticed a major change… the war on rural America is over,” said Congressman Smith. “We’ve passed major tax cuts, repealed regulations at historic rates and lowered energy prices. Now, with the President’s commitment to new, fairer trade deals, we are bringing back the domestic aluminum and steel industries and with it, jobs. Over the last several months we have set the stage for the comeback of the domestic aluminum industry – we removed over $8 billion worth of regulatory costs on the economy which were holding back investments and we slashed the highest business tax rate found anywhere in the industrialized world. We made the changes needed to our economy to ensure employers felt welcomed and wanted to hire in rural America…not fearful of the next tax, the next regulation and the next penalty the government would hit them with,” continued Smith.

 

Smith is the only member of the Missouri Congressional Delegation on the powerful tax-writing committee in Congress, The Ways and Means Committee, and was instrumental in writing and passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Smith was also at the White House with President Trump twice last month to discuss fair trade and how to revive America’s aluminum and steel industries.

 

“Rural America is open for business. From Washington to Missouri, what we are announcing today is the result of years of hard work and a major change in the way employers and farmers are treated, said Congressman Smith. “We have successfully repealed harmful Obama-era rules and business-killing regulations, reduced the highest tax burden in the industrialized world, lowered energy prices and are once again negotiating fair deals to benefit the American worker.”

 

In addition to advocating for southeast Missouri in meetings with the President, Smith has a strong record of fighting for domestic aluminum production. In 2016, Smith led a bipartisan initiative that called for an investigation of factors affecting the global competitiveness of the U.S. aluminum industry, including overproduction and subsidies in other countries. Smith stood with President Trump in the Oval Office in 2017 to sign the order expediting the conclusions of that study which were subsequently released in February 2018 and showed the impact unfair foreign practices have had on the American aluminum industry. This week the White House announced the implementation of several measures to protect the domestic aluminum and steel worker from unfair trade practices of American competitors.

 

Congressman Smith concluded, “In 2012, we imported 66% of the aluminum we consumed, in 2016 that number was 90%. Over a similar period the number of U.S. Aluminum smelters went from 15 to 2 while China’s share of the global aluminum market soared from 10% to 55%...I called on the Obama Administration to investigate the actions and overproduction in China, they dragged their feet. Then we elected Donald Trump. Within his first few months, President Trump called me into office and demanded his Administration investigate and recommend how to fix the fact that China was cheating the American Aluminum worker. I know with a level and fair playing field, the domestic aluminum industry can be viable once again. Earlier this week, the White House gave us that chance. They imposed new protections for the American Aluminum and Steel industries to ensure that when other countries cheat on trade, we will punch back, and punch back we did. As you can see today, there is no better place than right here in southern Missouri for a comeback of the domestic aluminum industry,” said Congressman Smith. “Governor Greitens has been instrumental in the process as well. Together, we have created an environment where folks want to invest.”

 

“After the closure of the aluminum smelter in Marston, hundreds of people worked with us to send a clear message: They don’t want welfare. They want to work. They want to bring back American jobs,” said Governor Eric Greitens. “We all fought hard to pass a bill to help us compete for these jobs and advanced manufacturing jobs around the state. Today, jobs are coming back and good people will be going back to work. This announcement is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. I’m proud to welcome Magnitude 7 Metals to Marston, so they can bring quality jobs back to this region.”

 

Smith also worked with State Rep. Don Rone who represents New Madrid.

 

“The high paying jobs that will be created by reopening this facility will bring hope and stability to families across who for too long have been out of work,” Missouri Representative Don Rone said. “The effects of this news will ripple not only throughout our region, but across generations.”