Rural Development
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) released the following statement after his bill, the Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalization (RUSH) Act, was included in the Commitment to Defeat the Virus and Keep America Healthy Act (H.R. 14), a package of bipartisan provisions designed to aid Americans in addressing the impact of COVID-19 by promoting policies which incentivize innovation and supports healthy workplaces.
October marks the middle of harvest season for crops like corn, soybeans, and sorghum here in Nebraska. This process, the culmination of many months of work, also highlights how we rely on infrastructure for irrigation, transportation, and bringing products to market. Infrastructure has a hand in just about everything we do, including making agriculture more efficient. By prioritizing rural infrastructure, we lay a foundation for national economic growth.
In 2016, the last year of the Obama administration, 3,853 federal regulations were issued. While some regulations, such as those explaining how the executive branch will implement new laws or setting how much Medicare pays medical providers each year, are necessary, many merely pile new bureaucracy onto old in an effort to micromanage our nation from Washington.
In rural America we understand the importance of postal mail to connecting our republic. Sites across Nebraska's Third District on the Pony Express Historic Trail commemorate the value of this service back to our earliest days as a territory and state. However, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has been in the news more than usual lately for two reasons – its financial troubles and the increase in mail-in voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nebraskans always look at the positive side of life. Our communities grow when individuals step up: helping their neighbors, being involved, and creating opportunities for themselves and others. For this reason, I am excited to launch a new project this year to acknowledge the contributions of individuals, organizations, and those who are working every day to improve and help their communities in the current environment – the Excellence in Innovation and Adaptation Recognition (EIAR).
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) has announced the names of the Third District high school students who will serve on his Youth Advisory Council for the 2020-2021 academic school year.
I invite all Third District residents to share what inspires your work and how you have witnessed fellow Nebraskans embrace innovation and create opportunities during this uniquely challenging year.
The stories of Nebraskans who are working to make, "The Good Life" even better for the future of our state are inspiring. I look forward to learning more about their stories and highlighting the work ethic and innovativeness of Nebraskans in Washington.
While the Third District of Nebraska is still feeling the impact of last year's historic floods, we are fortunately seeing recovery efforts along the Missouri River on all levels – local, state, and federal. On the federal level, the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (H.R. 7575), commonly known as WRDA, passed the House this week. WRDA is the legislation Congress and the President periodically enact to authorize federal water management projects across the nation.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE), released the following statement after the House passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (H.R. 7575). Included in this legislation is language Smith developed with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to help communities which abide by certain criteria restore their eligibility for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assistance to repair damage from 2019 flooding.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adrian Smith released the following statement after the introduction of the Lower Missouri Flood Prevention Program Act. He is an original cosponsor of the bill, along with representatives from Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. The legislation would establish a Lower Missouri River Flood Prevention Program to improve flood prevention on the Missouri River from Sioux City, IA, to its confluence with the Mississippi River.