Ways & Means
With its broad jurisdiction, the Ways and Means Committee impacts our pocketbooks, and in turn, nearly every aspect of our daily lives. The countries where Nebraskans can buy and sell goods, the taxes we pay, and the Social Security benefits some may receive are just a handful of the topics which fall under the committee's influence.
Learn more about how the Committee on Ways and Means impacts you by visiting the links below.
More on Ways & Means
Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), released the following statement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its finalized rule for minimum staffing requirements in long-term care facilities:
Washington, D.C. – Today, Ways and Means Committee Trade Subcommittee Chair Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) released the following statements following the committee’s markup and passage of his bill, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Reform Act (H.R. 7986):
The Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, home of the Thomas Jefferson, the Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials, is encircled by scenic cherry trees. Each spring the trees bloom in a picturesque display, drawing visitors from around the world. This popular tourist attraction is the result of a gift of more than 3,000 trees presented to the United States by the government of Japan.
As the 2024 tax deadline nears, Americans are well aware of the outsized impact the Internal Revenue Service can have on their time, attention, and pocketbooks. From supersized agency funding to new reporting requirements on Venmo and PayPal transactions which amount to a “Babysitter Tax” to expanding IRS efforts to take over Americans’ tax preparation and tell them what they owe, the Biden administration’s IRS has continued to expand its intrusion into the daily lives of American families.
The United States’ constitutional foundation of freedom and opportunity laid the pathway for our nation to become the most prosperous on the planet. Defending the right of each citizen to pursue prosperity while limiting the government’s intrusion into our livelihoods and pocketbooks is a proven road to improved standards of living for American households of all income levels.
As we transition into spring with farmers and ranchers hard at work, recognizing National Agriculture Week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come in American agriculture. According to a USDA study published in 2020, the seven decades from 1948 to 2017 saw American farmers nearly triple their total output while overall inputs remained nearly constant—a staggering achievement.
In December 2023, the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) released a bipartisan report outlining a strategy to combat the CCP’s growing influence around the world. I have been vocal in my support for the committee’s work. As our leading adversary and one of the world’s worst human rights abusers, the CCP continues to increase its troubling influence around the world, and the U.S.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) reintroduced legislation to ensure federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds are used to help the neediest Americans. The bill, the Targeting TANF to Families in Need Act, would direct states to ensure TANF assistance is targeted toward families with a household income below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. Currently no federal eligibility limits for TANF exist.
The congressman released the following statement:
Americans are rightfully concerned about the direction of our economy. While inflation is no longer at nine percent, prices remain high, and the inflation rate remains double where it was when President Biden took office. According to Consumer Price Index analysis by the Joint Economic Committee, American families are facing an average of $11,400 more in annual expenses compared to prices when Joe Biden took office.
Economic growth and opportunity in Nebraska’s Third District is powered by agricultural trade. While the United States makes up approximately 5 percent of the world’s population, America’s hardworking farmers and ranchers create enough surplus to export $200 billon in food, fuel, and fiber annually while utilizing fewer and fewer acres each year.