Rural Development
More on Rural Development
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Vice Chair of the Congressional Western Caucus, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA decision:
Americans everywhere are still struggling under record inflation. The March Consumer Price Index, a key inflation indicator, showed a five percent inflation rate, with overall food prices up 8.5 percent over March of last year. Since 2021, Americans’ wages have declined 3.7 percent, which partially explains why workforce participation rates are so low at 62.6 percent. This has a ripple effect across our economy, leaving hardworking families and small businesses in a difficult position.
Agriculture producers in Nebraska have earned their standing as world leaders in agriculture through their excellence and tradition of respecting the natural resources with which our state is blessed. No one cares more about the land and water of our state than the farmers and ranchers whose livelihoods depend on careful management these resources.
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Angie Craig (D-MN) introduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2022, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10%, helping to lower fuel prices and improve stability and certainty in the U.S. fuel market.
As communities across Nebraska’s Third District are turning their attention to back-to-school matters, preparation for harvest, and of course, Cornhusker football, this season I have had the opportunity to appreciate many of the things that make the people and culture of our state special. Among our many blessings, we have talented young people, world-class agriculture producers, and a heritage of dedicated service laid down by Nebraskans who came before us.
As the American people continue to suffer under President Biden's broken economy, disconcerting data in the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed June as having the weakest overall job growth in the last 14 months. The data also revealed the workforce participation rate is decreasing at a time when employers need workers most. According to BLS, the number of Americans in the workforce decreased to 62.2 percent in June.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ), and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) introduced bipartisan legislation to enable rural health providers to continue operating and treating patients by extending telehealth flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The legislation, the Connecting Rural Telehealth to the Future Act, would extend certain telehealth flexibilities for two years, giving patients and providers certainty while Congress works to make them permanent.
While traveling in the Third District in recent weeks, I have been encouraged by the expertise and creativity our communities possess and sobered by the challenges we face. We have much to be thankful for, but there is also no shortage to the adversity we must overcome.
For rural communities to survive and thrive, they need access to many of the same resources larger cities do—groceries, energy, broadband, and health care among them. To address the health care needs of rural seniors, Medicare has numerous special provisions, including a hospital category for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH)—facilities with 25 or fewer beds in communities distant from the next-closest hospital. This week I met with the Nebraska Hospital Association and the Critical Access Hospital Coalition to discuss how we can ensure Nebraskans have access to quality health care services.
The greatness of the United States stems not just from the political and religious freedom protected by our Constitution, but also the economic freedom it protects, ensuring individuals have the greatest possible opportunity to benefit from their hard work, ingenuity, and perseverance. Our state was built by homesteaders who were given the opportunity to build farms, businesses, and communities, earning the land they worked on through sweat equity. The hardworking people of Nebraska, and the communities where they work together, are what makes our state so great.