When Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives in January 2023, we promised we would work around the clock to advance the policies needed to get our country back on track. We’ve reined in the out-of-control spending, passed pro-growth tax reform, advanced the toughest border legislation in decades, and fought back against the Left’s radical woke agenda.
During the first two years of the Biden-Harris administration when Democrats had total control over Washington, they added $10 trillion in new spending – a reckless move that destroyed the economy and caused prices to skyrocket by more than 20%. Fortunately, thanks to House Republicans, we were able to put an end to that out-of-control spending. Last year, Republicans delivered the American people the largest spending cut in the history of our nation with the Fiscal Responsibility Act. For the first time in as far back as I can remember, Congress spent less that year than the previous one.
To deliver much needed relief to farmers, workers, and small businesses, the House passed my Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act. The bill increases and expands access to the child tax credit to help families. It restores full deductibility for research and development (R&D), which would support over $70 billion in new investment, 2 million direct R&D jobs, and over 21 million jobs total. By allowing full and immediate expensing for machines and equipment, it would add $400 billion in investment and 73,000 jobs. The provision that allows businesses to deduct interest would create 867,000 new jobs and generate an additional $58 billion in take-home pay for American workers. Getting my pro-growth, pro-family, pro-farmer, and pro-small business legislation to the president’s desk before the end of the year is my top priority.
House Republicans have also fought back against the Left’s woke agenda. I coauthored the House-passed Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, which ensures that biological females compete against other biological females in women's sports that are operated, sponsored, or facilitated by a recipient of federal funding. In addition, House Republicans passed numerous pieces of legislation to show our unwavering support for our brave law enforcement officers – including the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act and a resolution condemning calls to defund the police. Inexcusably, nearly 150 radical House Democrats voted against the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act and 61 voted no on the resolution condemning the defund the police movement.
Shortly after Republicans retook the House majority, we passed the Secure the Border Act – the toughest, most effective border security legislation in decades. The much-needed bill fixes our broken asylum system, hires more Border Patrol agents, ends catch-and-release, reinstates effective Trump-era policies like Remain in Mexico, and forces the Biden-Harris administration to resume construction on the border wall. I will keep pushing the Democrat-controlled Senate to take up this critical piece of legislation.
I’m incredibly grateful for the faith the American people placed in a Republican House majority two years ago. It ensured that the Biden-Harris administration would no longer be able to rely on Congress to rubber stamp their radical agenda, including legalizing abortion on demand, taking away our Second Amendment rights, and numerous other policies that limit our freedoms and violate the values we hold dear. No matter which party is in control of the White House, Senate, or House, I will NEVER stop fighting for the issues and policies rural communities care most about.
JASON SMITH serves Missouri's eighth congressional district. He can be contacted by email at RepSmithPress@mail.house.gov.