WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman Adrian Smith is seeking to continue representing the Third Congressional District of Nebraska in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Smith ran for the open seat in the 3rd district in the 2006 election. Three-term incumbent Tom Osborne had given up the seat to run for governor of Nebraska. He was reelected to a seventh term in 2018 and recently won the general election with 78 percent of the vote in 2020.
Of his recent work in Congress, Smith cited his bill that helped to repeal part of the Inflation Reduction Act provided $80 billion in additional funding to the IRS.
A press release the White House stated that much of the funding would be, “dedicated to closing the tax gap by specifically enforcing tax compliance by the wealthiest tax evaders.”
Smith saw things differently and said these IRS auditors would have squeezed more out of the American people. The full bill passed the House but did not pass the Senate.
To date, $12 billion has been repealed and Smith said that they are seeking to repeal another $20 billion. Smith said the IRS has not been able to find the workers available to fill the new posts.
Another issue Smith has been working on is allowing for the year-round sale of E-15 blend fuels.
“Restrictions on E15 are outdated and backwards, and the EPA has taken the right action to waive unnecessary red tape as we head into the summer months,” Smith said in an April 2024 press release.
On April 11, Smith joined a bipartisan group in leading a Biofuels Caucus letter urging President Biden to issue the necessary waiver for year-round sale of E15. On April 17, Smith joined Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) to introduce the Year-Round E15 Act, a bipartisan bill to expand the sale of E15 in 2024.
Smith said the bill has not been passed as a whole yet, but he continues to work with Senator Deb Fischer on the issue. He said seasonal E15 sales are allowed but they are seeking them year-round.
Looking to the future, Smith said the current Farm Bill on the table needs to be passed.
“Ensuring federal agriculture policy reflects the needs of Nebraska’s outstanding producers places the Farm Bill among my top legislative priorities,” Smith said in a 2023 column.
The bill has been stuck in a lodge jam in the Senate, but it has moved through the House and is out of committee.
Smith said he wants to see the bill passed before the end of the year, because they will have to go back to square one with elections taking place this year and new Congress members coming in next year.
When asked what he felt the biggest issue facing the people of the Third District, Smith did not hesitate when he said, “the size of the federal government, the cost of the federal government. This has gotten out of hand.”
Smith said the appropriations process limiting spending needs to get back on track and noted that mandatory spending is one of the biggest additions to the debt. “We need to get a better handle on it.”
He said issues arise in Washington D.C. when the government attempts to dictate a certain outcome and said this is not what the American people they want. He said the government should help provide the opportunity for them to decide for themselves, a career, or create a business.
When asked about what guides him in his decision making, Smith was quick to answer, “hearing from Nebraskans.”
He said he takes those issues he hears from those in the state and takes that and discusses with his colleagues in Washington D.C., craft policy and then converts that into bills and finally laws.
In closing, Smith said a political campaign should be a humbling experience for any candidate, as it prepares them to serve the public in office.
Editor’s Note: Adrian Smith appeared on 1340 KGFW and this article was written using information provided during that interview. The full interview can be found here.
