Adrian Smith

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues have sufficiently described the details of this bill, why we need to do it, and that we should do it immediately. I certainly urge my colleagues to support it so that we can get this done, especially to assist our men and women in uniform. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us today, the Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act, takes an important step to protect the privacy of all Americans, especially our veterans and servicemembers returning from overseas. It requires Customs and Border Protection to remove personally identifiable information from any shipping manifest before CBP makes the manifest information available to the public. Under current law, Customs and Border Protection is required to make certain shipping manifest information available for public disclosure. Unfortunately, there is no requirement to ensure these manifests do not contain Americans' personal information. Instead, U.S. citizens returning home from military postings or job opportunities abroad are expected to navigate a complicated and bureaucratic system--that often experiences significant delays, I might add--to request that any personal information be removed from manifests to protect their identity from fraudsters and scammers. Our brave men and women in uniform, as well as Americans whose employers or family commitments have required them to relocate overseas, already face numerous hurdles when they return home. Ensuring U.S. Customs and Border Protection proactively removes this data from manifests is a simple, straightforward, and actually long overdue step to protect their identities. I applaud Representatives Michael Waltz and Bill Pascrell for their leadership on this legislation and Senators Daines, Stabenow, and Peters for leading this effort in the Senate. I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to follow the Ways and Means Committee's lead and unanimously pass this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Waltz), an expert on this topic.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to identity theft, it is not just ourselves, our friends, and our coworkers, but it is also children who are at risk. In 2021, roughly 1.25 million children were the victims of identity fraud. In many cases, it can take years before families discover that their children had their Social Security numbers stolen and misused by criminals. Unfortunately, when parents try to obtain a new Social Security number for their child, they hit a government roadblock. Under existing policy, the Social Security Administration will only issue a new number if a child can show this theft caused harm within the past 2 years. Because children do not have a work or credit history, many families never realize their child's identity has been compromised until it is too late. Last year, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem testified that her family was victimized by an improper disclosure of their Social Security numbers. Congress must take steps to protect the American people from identity theft and those who have had their Social Security numbers compromised. H.R. 3667, the Social Security Child Protection Act of 2023 introduced by Representatives Wenstrup and Blumenauer, will require the Social Security Administration to immediately issue a new number to a child under the age of 14 when that child's Social Security card has been compromised. This is a commonsense fix to a serious problem that millions of families face every year, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), the author of the bill and an expert on this topic.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank my colleagues for a bipartisan effort in moving forward a solution. I am proud to say that the tradition within the Committee on Ways and Means, especially Social Security issues, is bipartisan. When we can work together, we can move legislation forward. I always welcome opportunities to have discussions that we know are important for America. On the need to address Social Security, it is my hope we can have a bipartisan action moving forward. Meanwhile, we have a bill here that I think shows that we can work together to strengthen Social Security, that we can root out some fraud, assist the American people in rooting out fraud, and, hopefully, ultimately, prevent it so that Social Security can be stronger as a result. Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank Dr. Wenstrup for his diligent effort along the way, and I urge my colleagues to support this good piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5862) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 relating to authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to consolidate, modify, or reorganize Customs revenue functions, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, America's trading relationships, as well as the challenges we face in trade around the world, are evolving every day. We must respond to those challenges now, not years in the future. Families, farmers, workers, and small businesses rely on us to look out for them in an increasingly complex world. Last year, the Committee on Ways and Means traveled to the port of Staten Island in New York and a cattle auction barn in Minnesota to listen to the American people whose livelihoods depend on international trade. They all asked Congress to do more to insist on strong enforcement of our trade laws. The bill before us, H.R. 5862, will help address the challenges of ever-changing threats around the world through more effective enforcement of U.S. trade laws. It takes six narrowly defined jobs at Customs and Border Protection and replaces them with a single position of trade specialist in the agency's Office of International Trade. This streamlining will make CBP respond faster and more effectively to our Nation's trade challenges and protect and defend America's economic interests. I thank the bill's sponsor and author, certainly, Representative Steel, as well as Representative Panetta, for taking the lead on this critical issue for American workers and the security of our supply chains. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure that American workers, families, farmers, and small businesses are not left behind. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Steel), an author of the bill.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for very sufficiently described the bill, why we need to do it, and the details contained in the bill. Mr. Speaker, I certainly urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great Nebraskan and patriot, John ``Gene'' Slattery, affectionately known as ``the boy who sold his shirt'' because of his extraordinary efforts as a young boy to raise funds for North Platte, Nebraska's World War II Canteen. Gene recently passed away at the age of 90. The North Platte Canteen was one of the largest volunteer efforts during the war, providing millions of American soldiers who passed through North Platte by rail with meals, baked goods, and other items. Gene was the last surviving major figure of the beloved Canteen, but his work and legacy, and the work and legacy of the entire Canteen, won't ever be forgotten. Upon learning of the Canteen as a 9-year-old, Gene began donating for auction anything he could find--toys, scrap metal, even the shirt off his back. By the end of the war, Gene had raised more than $2,000 for the Canteen. His contributions and fundraising gained national recognition and were noticed by President Franklin Roosevelt, who sent Gene a letter and a $5 donation. Gene and the North Platte Canteen volunteers represent the very best of Nebraska and America. The Canteen volunteers and the great lengths to which they went to support our troops will always live on in our hearts.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 291, and YEA on Roll Call No. 290.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our bill, the Employer Reporting Improvement Act. As was mentioned, the bill was adapted from legislation that my colleague, Mr. Thompson, and I have been working on for years, the Commonsense Reporting Act. The Employer Reporting Improvement Act is a strong step toward cleaning up the complicated process employers use to report data required by the IRS and providing employers relief. This data is used to determine if an employee's health coverage is considered affordable. Unfortunately, an inadvertent mistake or omission in reporting this data can result in a financial penalty for the employer long after the original submission. The potential financial penalty can put a serious strain on small businesses who are already struggling with workforce shortages and persistently high inflation. While the vast majority of these mistakes are ultimately corrected without a financial penalty being enforced, employers are still forced to navigate a complicated maze of bureaucracy to clear up these unintentional mistakes. The Employer Reporting Improvement Act makes simple, yet effective changes, including codifying actions previously taken to create more safeguards and flexibilities, improving the reporting process, and making it less likely employers are faced with resolving reporting problems several years after the fact. In fact, one of the most important pieces of the bill is the creation of a reasonable statute of limitations, 6 years, for penalties resulting from reporting errors. As we continue our work to improve employer reporting requirements, I hope we can work with the Treasury Department to find a path forward on prospective reporting, as Mr. Thompson also elaborated on. I am glad to support the Employer Reporting Improvement Act. I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 1, Lower Energy Costs Act, an actual solution to the problems we are facing. We have seen what happens abroad when Nations are at the mercy of energy imports from nefarious actors. We have seen what happens at home when energy prices skyrocket and families struggle to pay for gas and groceries. That is why I am a staunch supporter of this bill and the mission behind it. H.R. 1 is an important step toward unleashing American energy, lowering prices, and strengthening our energy supply chains. The American government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. We need an all-of-the-above energy approach. Increasing production and untangling energy from overly burdensome red tape is key toward providing certainty and stability to American businesses, consumers, and families. That is why I support this bill, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Third District native Pete McClymont for his contributions to the Nebraska beef industry. Pete was raised on a farm and ranching operation near Holdrege, Nebraska, and has maintained a lifelong commitment to growing the Nebraska cattle business and advancing the State as a leader in agriculture. With steadfast excellence, Pete has fostered growth in numerous sectors of agribusiness in Nebraska and recently announced his retirement after 25 years of service in several roles with the Nebraska Cattlemen, including the last 10 as the organization's executive vice president. Nebraska's first nickname was ``The Beef State,'' and Pete's list of accomplishments in maintaining that reputation is long. Despite having to navigate the difficult conditions of disasters, drought, and market challenges, Nebraska's beef industry is better for his leadership, and we continue to be grateful for his outstanding service.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 5, I call up the bill (H.R. 23) to rescind certain balances made available to the Internal Revenue Service, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill currently under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the process for considering our first bill of the 118th Congress reflects our commitment to Americans and an open legislative process. Congresswoman Michelle Steel and I first introduced this bill in September. Members were given more than 72 hours' notice prior to today's consideration. Mr. Speaker, 72 hours is more than enough time for Members to review this bill. In fact, it is two pages long and covers only one topic. If Members wish to vote on this bill, they must be present in the House Chamber because proxy voting is no longer an option. Now let's focus on what this bill does--it repeals the vast majority of the Internal Revenue Service funding Democrats enacted last year in order to pay for their Green New Deal. The primary purpose of that funding is hiring more auditors and support staff to vastly expand IRS's audit capacity. And not just audits on wealthy Americans. With that expanded capacity, IRS can bring in more revenue by auditing more middle- and lower-income families and more small businesses. Families and small businesses are struggling under the weight of record inflation and supply chain shortages. Small businesses are struggling to find workers at any wage. The overwhelming majority of Americans, about 85 percent, follow the law and pay their taxes. The last thing they need is more IRS agents knocking on doors to conduct audits. Yet, this IRS funding is part of the broad Biden administration strategy to tax and audit exponentially more Americans by looking into their bank accounts, requiring online payment services to report them when they split a dinner check with friends or pay their babysitter after a night out, and then target them using 87,000 new IRS employees. Americans deserve to know their government is working for them, not against them. Today, Mr. Speaker, you are going to hear Democrats claim there really won't be 87,000 new IRS employees. I imagine that they will say that new employees aren't going to target middle-class families and small businesses, and that Republicans don't care about IRS's customer service failings. Let's focus on the facts. When a Federal agency hires a new employee to replace one who retires, it does not increase the agency's head count. Yet, the Biden administration's own documents say they are increasing the head count by 87,000 over the next decade with these funds. Secretary Yellen's own instructions to IRS stated audit rates of families earning less than $400,000 should continue to be audited at historically similar rates. Under those instructions, 9 out of every 10 new audits can target families earning less than $400,000. And because Republicans are committed to delivering a government that is accountable, this bill retains funding for customer service and IT modernization at IRS--despite the fact these accounts would be more appropriately addressed through regular appropriations--to ensure IRS has the resources to make much-needed improvement to taxpayer services. Mr. Speaker, there are numerous reasons to support this bill. It protects families and small businesses. It ensures agencies are funded appropriately. Most importantly, it stops autopilot funding for an out- of-control agency that is perhaps most in need of reform. IRS needs to fix its customer service and return processing problems, not focus on auditing families and small businesses. Americans want an IRS that works for them, not against them. This bill is a great first step in that direction, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an excerpt from a 2021 Biden administration proposal called ``The American Families Plan Tax Compliance Agenda'' that asks for $80 billion in IRS funding and clearly shows a plan for 86,852 new hires. [From the U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 2021] The American Families Plan Tax Compliance Agenda Restoring IRS Resources The first step in the President's efforts to restore IRS enforcement capability is a sustained, multi-year commitment to rebuilding the IRS. This involves spending nearly $80 billion on IRS priorities over the course of the decade including hiring new specialized enforcement staff, modernizing antiquated information technology, and investing in meaningful taxpayer service--including the implementation of the newly expanded credits aimed at providing support to American families. Importantly, the additional resources will go toward enforcement against those with the highest incomes, and audit rates will not rise relative to recent years for those earning less than $400,000 in actual income. The President's proposal includes two components: a dedicated stream of mandatory funds ($72.5 billion over a decade) and a program integrity allocation ($6.7 billion over a decade). These mechanisms provide for a sustained, multi- year commitment to revitalizing the IRS that will give the agency the certainty it needs to rebuild. The IRS proposal includes year-by-year estimates of the additional resources that will be directed toward the agency as well as the specific activities that these resources would support. The design ensures that the IRS is able to absorb and usefully deploy additional resources over the entire 10- year horizon and keeps budget growth manageable at around 10 percent per year.