Congress
Federal regulations are a costly, overreaching web which stifles innovation, germinates uncertainty, and often burdens the very people they purport to protect. Regulatory overreach by the Obama and Biden administrations extended well beyond congressional intent – creating the potential to upend industry. I have continually worked to rein in this unchecked rulemaking and restore accountability to federal agencies, and I appreciate the progress we have made since January.
Spanning our state - Missouri River to panhandle - Nebraska’s Third District has been blessed with a breadth of natural resources. Although much of our state is naturally arid, generations of hard work, determination, and feats of engineering have maximized our resources to provide for local needs, feed the world, and minimize flooding risks.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Adrian Smith released the following statement after voting for H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act:
“The crimes of Jeffrey Epstein are appalling. The American people deserve transparency into who else participated, who else knew, and why Epstein received the treatment he did from prosecutors.
As of 12:01 a.m. on October 1, funding for many federal government operations has lapsed. I supported a package passed by the House that would extend current funding until November 21, 2025, but Senate Democrats have obstructed passage of this commonsense legislation to keep the federal government open.
While Nebraska’s Third has existed since our state was first divided into congressional districts following the 1880 census, it first began to resemble its current shape after the 1960 census, when Nebraska moved from four districts to three for the first time. A total of 21 Nebraskans have represented the Third District in the U.S.
Washington, DC — Today Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) issued the following statement after Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) announced he would retire from the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of the 119th Congress:
"Congressman Bacon has shown extraordinary dedication over his many years of military and public service. I thank Don for his friendship, and I look forward to continuing to work with him for the next 18 months on behalf of the people of Nebraska."
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The costly consequences of unnecessary, burdensome regulations represent one of the greatest threats to future American prosperity. In fact, a 2024 report produced by the Biden-Harris administration showed, in the year prior, the annual government-wide paperwork burden on Americans increased by 1.6 billion hours to more than 12.1 billion. This is the highest total on record. When paired with runaway inflationary spending, this overregulation was a recipe for stifling economic growth. In 2024 alone, unelected bureaucrats imposed regulations costing taxpayers more than $1.34 trillion.
Washington, D.C. – Today Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) released the following statement after Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was reelected to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
This week, despite prior assurances made repeatedly by the president himself and his spokespeople he would not do so, President Biden announced he had signed a sweeping pardon for his son Hunter Biden. While framed by the president as addressing Hunter’s gun and tax charges, the pardon stunningly covers all crimes Hunter “committed or may have committed” from 2014 to 2023, a period covering Hunter’s questionable business dealings in Ukraine, China, and other foreign nations.
My service in Congress is fundamentally about hearing and addressing the concerns of Third District Nebraskans. In addition to representing your interests as Congress considers legislation, I devote significant effort to ensuring the federal government functions appropriately and fulfills its obligations to you as a taxpayer. While I hear from as many Nebraskans as I can when I am home, my offices in Washington, D.C., Grand Island, Nebraska City, and Scottsbluff provide additional opportunities for you to connect with me and let me know how I can be of assistance.