Jason Smith

Mr. SMITH of Missouri

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. 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 Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5861) to extend reemployment services and eligibility assessments to all claimants for unemployment benefits, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. 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 Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8292) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase penalties for unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9076) to reauthorize and modernize part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to strengthen child welfare services, expand the availability of prevention services to better meet the needs of vulnerable families, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, it is not often that you find this many Republicans and Democrats voting together on a bill, but when it comes to supporting children and families, we are in strong agreement. Reauthorizing title IV-B is a first-in-a-generation win that will refocus the child welfare system on keeping families together and preventing abuse and neglect. Don't take our word for it. The title IV-B coalition, made up of 22 different national, State, and county organizations, has endorsed this legislation. The National Foster Youth Institute, the Child Welfare League of America, and the National Indian Child Welfare Association have all come out in support of this legislation. I also give a special thanks to Paris Hilton for personally coming to Capitol Hill and testifying about her lived experience and in support of reforms to this program. The legislation from Representative Hern that is also included in this bill will fix the disconnect between Federal laws that are currently setting up State and Tribal child support agencies for failure. The child support enforcement program is one of the most highly successful, cost-effective Federal programs that millions of families across the country rely upon each month. The program produces $5 in benefits for every $1 spent on administration. Nearly 13 million children, representing 18 percent of all children, are affected by this program. Twenty-six States from the National Governors Association have endorsed this legislation, along with the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Counties, and the National Association of Tribal Child Support Directors. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join them in supporting this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, title IV-B of the Social Security Act provides critical resources to protect the safety and well-being of children in foster care and gives States, Tribes, and territories flexibility to invest in prevention services to keep vulnerable families together whenever possible. Unfortunately, this program's authorization expired in 2021, and the program has remained largely unchanged since 2008. We have a responsibility to make sure programs are meeting the current needs of families and children who need it most. This reauthorization modernizes title IV-B child welfare and increases accountability. Right now, there are nearly 400,000 children in foster care and over 20,000 who age out of foster care each year. The Ways and Means Committee has worked over the last year to conduct a top-to-bottom review of America's child welfare system. We have held four hearings and numerous meetings with stakeholders to better understand where there are gaps and how to bring this program up to date to better serve America's children. I represent one of the poorest congressional districts in the country, and before I came to Congress, I practiced family law and saw firsthand how our child welfare system can put undue strain on families. That is why I particularly appreciate the opportunity to have worked with Representative Gwen Moore in introducing legislation, included in this bill, that prevents child services from taking children away from their families simply because they live in poverty. I think about the families separated in Missouri over the years not because of abuse or neglect, but because they could not afford to pay a bill or new clothes for their kids. It is not right, and this bill corrects that. The bipartisan legislation before us today is the result of those efforts. It will not only help address the needs of children in foster care but also support early intervention to help families stay together. The Protecting America's Children by Strengthening Families Act, introduced by the chair and ranking member of our Work and Welfare Subcommittee, Darin LaHood and Danny Davis, reauthorizes title IV-B for 5 years and makes significant reforms to modernize the program. Specifically, this bill reduces the administrative burden by dialing back paperwork and reporting requirements that are hamstringing caseworkers. It streamlines funding to improve access for Indian Tribes. It helps to prevent abuse and neglect and ensures that children are not separated from their parents solely on the basis of poverty. It addresses the caseworker crisis by improving access to training. It strengthens the support systems for the 2.5 million grandparents and relatives who provide kinship care to children who might otherwise enter foster care. It also improves outcomes for youth transitioning from foster care into adulthood. This bill also includes important legislation from Representative Hern of Oklahoma that would strengthen the tools available to States and Tribes to ensure millions of families receive the child support that they are owed. That bill would prevent the IRS from blocking State child support agencies from using contractors to administrator their child support enforcement program. Representative Hern's bill, the Strengthening State and Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act, will harmonize Federal laws so States can continue carrying out necessary child support payment collections and allow Tribal child support agencies to direct access to the same tools. This bill avoids additional significant costs that would be incurred by both States and Tribes should the IRS policy go into place as it is scheduled to do on October 1. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SMITH of Missouri

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3784) to amend title VII of the Social Security Act to provide for a single point of contact at the Social Security Administration for individuals who are victims of identity theft, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, a Social Security number is the gateway to taking control of an American's identity and finances. Congress owes it to the American people to do everything that we can to ensure their identities are protected and that the process for taking back control of their identity when their Social Security number is compromised is streamlined and easy. We especially owe it to the almost 1 million children who were victims of identity fraud in 2022 through no fault of their own. H.R. 3784 is a long-overdue step forward in streamlining the Social Security Administration's process and alleviating the burden on victims. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3800) to codify Internal Revenue Service guidance relating to treatment of certain services and items for chronic conditions as meeting the preventive care deductible safe harbor for purposes of high deductible health plans in connection with health savings accounts, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. 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 Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, 6 in 10 Americans live with at least one chronic disease, such as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Nearly 90 percent of the $4.1 trillion in annual healthcare spending in this country goes toward the treatment of patients with chronic diseases. Part of improving the delivery of healthcare in America must be expanding the opportunity for folks to better manage their chronic health conditions so that they can live longer, healthier lives, and we can bring down the financial impact of healthcare on individuals, families, businesses, and the government. The Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act, introduced by Ways and Means colleagues Dr. Wenstrup and Representative Blumenauer, will expand treatment and disease management options by allowing employers that offer high-deductible healthcare plans to also offer predeductible coverage, otherwise known as first-dollar coverage, for 14 chronic healthcare services. Those services include beta blockers for patients with congestive heart failure, blood pressure monitors for patients with high blood pressure, inhalers for patients with asthma, and cholesterol drugs and testing for patients with heart disease. The list does not have to end there. In fact, the bill also allows for that list of covered services to be expanded in the future. The Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act actually codifies a Trump administration policy that will incentivize employers to offer coverage for these services so that they can lower healthcare costs for their workers and their businesses. High-deductible health plans are a great option for employers and employees looking for more affordable coverage, and this bill will make them even more beneficial to individuals with chronic disease. Flexibilities like these in care delivery and coverage options are key to improving patient outcomes, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. 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 Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1432) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the deductibility of charitable contributions to certain organizations for members of the Armed Forces, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1432, the VSO Equal Tax Treatment Act, or VETT Act, introduced by my Ways and Means colleague, Dr. Brad Wenstrup, and Representative Jimmy Panetta. In short, this legislation makes it easier for those looking to support our veterans to do so through donations to the veterans service organization of their choosing. Right now, certain VSOs are prohibited from accepting tax-deductible donations if over 10 percent of the members in their organization are not considered ``wartime veterans,'' but this prohibition is outdated. As our veteran populations age, this needlessly restrictive definition excludes veteran populations who joined the service following the Vietnam war and before the Persian Gulf war. An estimated 2.4 million veterans living today do not meet the definition of wartime veterans, including some of the men and women who bravely served this country in Iraq and Afghanistan. VSOs provide critical services to our Nation's veterans. They help with filing service-connected claims with the VA. They provide other types of assistance when it comes to navigating the confusing web of government programs our veterans rely on. They also stand in support of our military families, the moms and dads, the husbands and wives, and the sons and daughters of our veterans. Under this legislation, our tax code will no longer discriminate among our veterans service organizations. Charitable contributions to all federally chartered, tax-exempt organizations that serve current and former members of the military will be tax deductible. The Ways and Means Committee approved this legislation unanimously. I urge all my colleagues to follow our bipartisan lead and vote ``yes'' on this commonsense bill to support our veterans, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).

Mr. SMITH of Missouri

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. 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 Missouri

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as the world's leading democracy, America is an example for other nations to follow. Unfortunately, we are also a target for foreign actors seeking to influence and undermine our elections. Over the last year, as the Ways and Means Committee has been investigating concerns about the dangerous influence of foreign money in our elections, it has become clear that loopholes exist in our tax code that foreign donors are able to take advantage of so they can influence the American electoral process. Under current law, foreign nationals are prohibited from making contributions directly to election campaigns, but there is nothing that prohibits overseas cash flowing from foreign nationals, including from adversaries of the United States such as China, through tax-exempt organizations and then into the hands of super-PACs. The committee's investigation discovered a particularly disturbing example: A foreign national from Switzerland has given over $100 million through his tax-exempt organization to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4), which subsequently distributed $63 million to super-PACs to try to persuade the American voter. According to The New York Times, the Sixteen Thirty Fund is a leading vehicle for dark money on the left. The American people shouldn't be subjected to TV and digital ads financed by the Chinese Communist Party or other nations seeking to influence the vote or undermine our elections. I think we can all agree that our election should be free of foreign interference. For my colleagues on the left who spent years talking about foreign election interference, this should be a no-brainer. If they care about our electoral process and making sure it is open and fair, then we need to make sure foreign money can't drown out the voices of American voters. The legislation before us today, sponsored by Representative Malliotakis, the No Foreign Election Interference Act, was approved in May by the Ways and Means Committee 39-1. Her bill closes this loophole in the tax code by restricting tax-exempt organizations from donating to super-PACs after receiving foreign gifts or contributions, and it revokes the tax-exempt status for organizations that repeatedly violate this law. This bill is not aimed at program service revenue or member dues but clearly focuses on contributions and gifts made to tax-exempt organizations that then make donations to super-PACs. When it comes to our elections, the American people, not wealthy foreign donors, should decide the future direction of our country. Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Malliotakis for her leadership on this issue, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill so that we can maintain the integrity of our election system. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Wow, Mr. Speaker. This is about as swampy as you can get in Washington. This bill passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee 39-1, including the gentlewoman from California who voted ``yes.'' The only difference between when it passed out of the committee to where we are today is that some outside interest groups, who apparently control the voting cards and the opinions of a lot of people, said this is a bad bill, so now we are a ``no.'' That is very, very unfortunate. I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis).

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8314) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose penalties with respect to contributions to political committees from certain tax exempt organizations that receive contributions from foreign nationals, as amended.

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

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I think it is noteworthy to know that whenever we did the markup on this bill in committee, the other side did not present one amendment to protect what they are suggesting now that they should have done in amendment. Guess what? They voted 39-1 for this bill. Those penalties that the gentlewoman from California was pointing out that she didn't like, that hasn't changed. That was in the bill, and they passed it. She voted for it. This bill is about making sure American elections are decided by American voters, not foreign nationals who want to tip the scales in favor of their preferred candidate or policy. The 2020 elections were the most expensive elections in history with election spending totaling more than $14 billion, an amount surely to be surpassed in 2024. The American people deserve to know that the commercials and ads that are being pumped through their TVs and phones are free from foreign influence. Representative Malliotakis' bill will close a loophole that allows wealthy foreigners to exercise outsized influence in our U.S. elections through donations to tax-exempt organizations who then flood our airwaves through super-PAC spending, emboldened with foreign dollars-- not American dollars, foreign dollars. I urge my colleagues to stand with American voters who shouldn't have their voices silenced by billionaires from overseas. I ask and encourage this body to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.