Adrian Smith

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment, which would direct the Comptroller General to study the current and future availability of pilots in the aviation workforce. Since the implementation of new pilot training requirements for first officers in 2013, two airlines which provided air service to my congressional district have filed for bankruptcy, citing the inability to find pilots as a primary factor in their financial struggles. Even before withdrawing from Nebraska, both airlines had poor flight cancellation records, which they indicated was caused by this issue, severely reducing enplanements at these airports. In rural areas like Nebraska's Third District, commercial air service provides a vital economic link for communities which are several hours' drive from the nearest major airport. In an effort to further address the concerns of the seven communities with passenger air service in my district and numerous others around the country, this amendment merely asks GAO to study what the current state of the aviation workforce is, where it is going in the future, and what, if anything, we can do to mitigate pilot shortages. We must do more to address these communities' concerns, and this study will provide valuable information as we seek to address this problem. Beyond the direct economic impact on these communities from the loss of these flights, these cancellations have also caused overall enplanements at airports such as Kearney, North Platte, and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and other airports in a number of other States, to fall below the minimum 10,000 required to qualify for full Airport Improvement Program funding. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member for moving my other amendment en bloc to provide regulatory relief to airports by treating them consistently with how they have been treated previously. Again, I urge support of this amendment we are currently debating, which will direct GAO to study our current and future aviation workforce needs, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster).

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, again, this amendment just asks the Comptroller General to assess our current situation for aviation and pilot needs. Canceled flights have been a major problem for communities with the smaller airlines, and certainly we want to prevent something in a similar manner from impacting the larger airports around the country as well. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman and ranking member for their support, and I urge others to support this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time, and I certainly appreciate the chairman's long-term commitment to the issue of a balanced budget. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, providing States the opportunity to add a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution. Let me also say that amending our Constitution is something we should never take lightly. When drafting our foundational document, our Founders intended it to provide not just the outline of our Federal Government, but also to restrict the powers of each branch through a system of strong checks and balances. We must also understand this amendment, if ratified, is still just one part of addressing our current fiscal situation. We must still do the hard work of looking at spending. Reducing spending, reforming entitlements for the future, and encouraging the economic growth and opportunity needed to eliminate our deficits in the short term, and certainly pay down our debt in the long term. This is a very vital first step, Mr. Speaker, in getting our Nation on better fiscal footing, but we have a long road ahead. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this resolution.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate James Smith of Kearney, Nebraska, on his promotion to Cadet Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Cornhusker Division. This is a great accomplishment. Of the 415 cadets who have served in the Cornhusker Division, only four have been promoted to Chief Petty Officer (CPO), the highest rank a cadet can achieve in the program. The three other cadets to achieve this rank prior to CPO James Smith were CPO Dan Seaman in 1993, CPO Crystal Simmons in 2002, and CPO Vincent Lombardo in 2014. It was also my honor to nominate James to the U.S. Naval Academy earlier this year. He has clearly demonstrated the dedication and drive necessary to succeed in our military. On behalf of the people of Nebraska's Third District, I commend James for his leadership and commitment to serving our country.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 91.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to share and reflect, just briefly, on Reverend Billy Graham. What a tremendous legacy he leaves in so many forms, and I think of how his humility has had such an impact on so many. I was one of the thousands in a stadium at a crusade in California back, I believe, in 1985, and to personally witness the impact that that meeting had was a great opportunity. But I also realized how one person can really impact the world and how his efforts have led to humanitarian efforts, whether it is his family members or others, really stepping out and ministering to others all around the world. So I am very grateful to honor Reverend Billy Graham for certainly his stewardship of religious freedom. I hope that we can all reflect on our country and religious freedom and how important it is and hopefully follow in the footsteps of someone who, I think, as the list of most admired Americans would reflect, with Reverend Graham being on that list for 60 years--that someone like that can have such a great impact. So I appreciate this opportunity.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time, and I certainly urge passage of this bill.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this continuing resolution package. While I appreciate this legislation will keep government open, fund community health centers for 2 years, and fully fund our military while we continue to work toward a broader budget agreement, I would like to focus on the various Ways and Means Committee provisions included in the bill. This legislation includes numerous Medicare provisions important to rural health providers and patients, including permanently repealing therapy caps and extending the floor on geographic payment adjustments for rural providers and add-ons for rural ambulance providers. Just as importantly, these health provisions are paid for without cutting swing bed reimbursements to critical access hospitals, including the 55 critical access hospitals in Nebraska's Third District as originally proposed. I am particularly pleased that two important programs within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources--which I chair--are included today. We have much work to do to lift Americans out of poverty and into prosperity, and each of these bills will play an important part in this effort. The Family First Prevention Services Act reforms our child welfare system to reinforce the importance of keeping children with their families whenever possible. We know children who stay with their families have better long-term outcomes than those who move to nonfamily settings, and our goal for every program in this space to demonstrate results through empirical evidence. I want to thank the sponsor of Family First, Mr. Buchanan, for working with me to address my concerns about nurse staffing requirements which would have been costly to implement for entities like Omaha-based Boys Town, while providing no tangible improvements to their family driven model of care. The other H.R. item in this package, the supporting Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act, also moves our family support programs to a more results-driven model by incentivizing States and local governments to pilot new ideas and reserving Federal funding until they demonstrate outcomes through rigorous data-driven evaluation. We still have more work to do in this space, starting with completing the work begun by this Chamber last September when we passed a paid-for 5-year MIECHV reauthorization. But like the rest of this legislation, these provisions are a downpayment on the work we are committed to completing.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4547, the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018. This bill is important to two program areas under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources, which I chair: Supplemental Security Income and child welfare. Thank you to Chairman Johnson and Ranking Member Larson for their work on this bill and for including Supplemental Security Income recipients. All individuals receiving benefits through the Social Security Administration deserve to be protected, especially those who need the assistance of a representative payee to manage their finances. I would specifically like to highlight the important changes this bill would make for children involved with the foster care system, another vulnerable population in need of protection. H.R. 4547 requires the Social Security Administration, or SSA, to enter into monthly data exchanges with State foster care programs to identify when a child receiving Social Security benefits has entered or exited foster care or changed foster care placement. When a change occurs, SSA will now be required to redetermine the appropriate representative payee to ensure Social Security benefits follow the child. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office will be required to produce a report on minor beneficiaries in foster care and the representative payees to identify whether additional changes are needed. H.R. 4547 also clarifies liability for overpayments when a child is in foster care. In cases where a Social Security beneficiary or Supplemental Security Income recipient is overpaid while in foster care and the State foster care agency is the payee, the beneficiary or recipient would not be liable for the overpayment. Instead, the State foster care agency would be required to repay SSA for the overpayment it received. Foster youth exiting the system have enough challenges, and paying back an overpayment they never received should not have to be one of them. I am proud to cosponsor this legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the tax reform conference report. This is our great opportunity to reduce the tax burden on Americans across the economic spectrum, while modernizing our Tax Code for the 21st century. I would like to take a few moments to discuss what this bill does for American agriculture. First and foremost, this bill cuts taxes for most Americans, while simplifying compliance and transitioning us to a more competitive tax system internationally. In addition to retaining the deduction for State and local taxes for individuals and families up to $10,000, this bill leaves intact the full deduction for property taxes on ag land and property. In addition, I am grateful this conference report includes a solution to concerns raised by agriculture co-ops and their members about the repeal of section 199. With commodity prices low, it is important we ensure the Tax Code continues to work as intended, with co-ops passing along their profits to their producer owners. Finally, while I would have preferred we repeal the death tax in full, doubling the exemption and keeping a stepped up basis will help provide certainty for more farmers, ranchers, and small businesses. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the conferees for their work on this strong product. I am anxious to pass this bill and get it to the President for his signature.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Brady for the time and for his leadership as we continue our efforts to pass this historic legislation. Mr. Speaker, after nearly 7 years of work in the Ways and Means Committee and more than 31 years since our last true tax reform, many hearings along the way, it is time to pass historic comprehensive tax reform. Our current Tax Code is antiquated, as we know. It is complex, and it ignores many of the improvements and competitiveness, which have been adopted by every other major economy worldwide. The time for tax reform is now. Others have already outlined many of the highlights of this bill, but I think they warrant mentioning again. Simplified compliance and rates for individuals and families means more than 95 percent of Americans will be able to file their returns on a postcard. Lower rates for small businesses recognize the important role they play as job creators in our economy. A 20 percent top corporate tax rate and transitioning to a territorial system will ensure our businesses remain competitive with the rest of the world. In addition to lower rates, expanded expensing will further encourage entrepreneurs to invest in capital to grow their businesses, and full repeal of the death tax, including the continuation of step-up in basis, will ensure our Nation's farmers, ranchers, and small manufacturers can continue creating opportunity for generations to come without the threat of double taxation. Our Tax Code shouldn't reward businesses and investors because they hired accountants and lawyers to help them avoid taxes, and the estate tax does exactly that right now. I think it is equally important to praise what the bill leaves alone in the Tax Code. With our impending entitlement crisis, we want Americans to save everything they can for retirement. This bill leaves those incentives intact. It also excludes a proposal, which had initially been included in the bill, to apply self-employment taxes to rental income. This could have had serious repercussions for ag land rental, and I am glad it was dropped. And I particularly appreciate how this bill continues the deductibility of State and local taxes for businesses, including farmers and ranchers. U.S. producers have made great strides in increasing production on a per-acre basis, but land remains a primary input as they work to feed the world. Ensuring the property tax on land and production remains deductible as business cost is vital to their continued success. This is the moment to finally provide the tax relief Americans have been asking for and to make our country competitive again. I urge the passage of this progrowth bill.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on Rollcall No. 628.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2792 and to thank the gentlewoman from South Dakota for her tremendous effort on this piece of legislation. This is a good bill which improves existing law and sends an important message: taxpayers should not provide benefits to individuals wanted by the police under outstanding warrants or parole violations for felonies or other serious crimes. Let me say that again. This improves existing, actually, bipartisan law, and it is not a new concept. It only applies to individuals with outstanding warrants for serious crimes. The bill provides 4 years for the Social Security Administration to implement this law and to ensure benefits are not unfairly or improperly discontinued. It also provides a process under which SSA notifies beneficiaries of issues with an outstanding warrant or parole violation and provides time for them to address the concern with law enforcement. In addition, SSA is empowered to provide compassionate allowances for those with serious disabilities or medical concerns who are unable to clear their warrant in a timely fashion. Mr. Speaker, this is a narrow bill which protects both law-abiding beneficiaries and taxpayers. It is important that we have these funds to help the needy families who are benefiting from the MIECHV program, the home visitation program, a unique Federal program that actually shows that it makes a positive difference in the lives of young people and young families. Mr. Speaker, it is important that we look at the entire issue in a fiscally responsible way, where we have the funds through this bill to pay for the needs among needy families across America.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 3823) to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to provide disaster tax relief, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet on Monday, October 2, 2017, when it shall convene at noon for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2824.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2824, the Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents Through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act. This bill would reauthorize the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, known as MIECHV, for 5 years and make sure the program continues to focus on results. I would like to note, this bill represents the first full reauthorization proposal Congress has considered for this program. The Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee, which I chair, held a hearing on the program earlier this year. We solicited feedback from stakeholders, marked up a bill in committee, and today we are debating this bill on the floor. This is how Congress is supposed to work, and this bill is an example of Congress getting its work done. The MIECHV Program helps support State and local efforts to provide voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to parents and children living in communities that put them at risk of poor social and health outcomes, including in rural areas like those I represent. Unlike many other programs that focus on money spent or people served, this program focuses on achieving real results for families. Specifically, this program promotes school readiness of young children, increases economic self-sufficiency of families, improves prenatal health and birth outcomes, and prevents childhood abuse and neglect. Madam Chair, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand what home visiting looks like. In March, I spent time in Nebraska with the Panhandle Public Health District's Healthy Families America program in western Nebraska. The program focuses on improving the economic success and school readiness of vulnerable children and families in three Nebraska counties: Scotts Bluff, Morrill, and Box Butte. During my visit, I met with Dawn, one of the program participants, who told me what it was like for her to work with a home visitor. Her home visitor helped her find a stable home and a steady income to provide for her growing family. These are the types of outcomes we should be expecting when we have programs to help those who are struggling to get ahead. MIECHV works because funding is tied to evidence. Unfortunately, MIECHV is the exception, as few Federal social programs have been evaluated at all, and almost none condition funding on evidence of whether the program actually works. In the Better Way agenda put forward by House Republicans last year, we proposed doing more of what MIECHV does: measuring how well programs are working to focus funding on those which produce real results. When we spend limited taxpayer dollars to help those in need, we must make sure we are spending money on effective programs. To do otherwise is a disservice to both taxpayers as well as those we are seeking to help. On March 15 of this year, the Human Resources Subcommittee held a hearing on MIECHV. In the hearing, we heard from those with firsthand experience with home visiting programs, and their input was invaluable as we developed this proposal. Both before and after the hearing, we sought input from States and others about how the program was working and how it could be improved and strengthened. These conversations also informed the bill before us today. I should also note, there is broad bipartisan support for MIECHV, including from dozens of national organizations and hundreds of State and local organizations, including business leaders, law enforcement officers, faith-based groups, healthcare providers, child welfare advocacy organizations, and early education providers. While I understand some of my colleagues would like to continue this program or even increase its funding without an offset, under the rules that govern this Chamber and our current deficits, it would be irresponsible and against the rules of this Chamber to fund this program without finding ways to reduce spending elsewhere. That is why we are considering this as part of a package of two bills today: this bill and the Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act of 2017, which will be considered later this week during its own debate. Instead of increasing our Nation's debt, we should be doing more of what we are doing here today: prioritizing Federal spending and focusing on what works by improving the integrity of one program to provide funding for another. Madam Chair, I am grateful for the time we are spending here today to consider the reauthorization of this important program, and I appreciate the opportunity to stand in support of this bill today. I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, September 18, 2017. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Brady: I write concerning H.R. 2824, Increasing Opportunity through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, which was additionally referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I wanted to notify you that the Committee will forgo action on H.R. 2824 so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. This is done with the understanding that the Committee's jurisdictional interests over this and similar legislation are in no way diminished or altered. In addition, the Committee reserves the right to seek conferees on H.R. 2824 and requests your support when such a request is made. I would appreciate your response confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 2824 and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor. Sincerely, Greg Walden, Chairman.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meehan).

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Madam Chair, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bishop).

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes).

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski).

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Madam Chair, I just want to add for the Record that the State of Florida matches their funds more than 2 to 1 already, so I am anxious to present the data here as it becomes necessary and is helpful to the exchange here. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.