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This week, the United States House of Representatives passed the “Jobs for America Act” to grow our economy and put Americans back to work. This package of bills included proposals to provide our farmers and small business owners with needed tax relief, and reduce unnecessary regulations. For the 2014 tax year, unless the “Jobs for America Act” or something like it passes, the amount of equipment that farmers and small businesses can expense like tractors, heavy machinery, or computer software, will be reduced by ninety-five percent. Section 179 of the tax code – the section that provides for the equipment deduction – expired on January first of this year. Unless it is renewed for 2014, folks will only be able

New Madrid, Mo. - Officials who represent the region's largest employer today announced layoffs that will affect 125 to 200 area workers. Noranda President and Chief Executive Officer Layle K. "Kip" Smith said job cuts are related directly to a decision by the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) to deny competitive power rates to the New Madrid smelter. Layoffs are expected to come in phases during the next six months, Smith told a crowd of employees, dignitaries and press. Those cuts will reach across all sectors of the company's staff, including both administrative and plant personnel, he said. In addition to eliminating jobs, Smith said the company will suspend a $30 million capacity expansion project at the plant. "Unfortunately, this

Over the last two weeks I have visited dozens of farms and ranches and listened to hundreds of farmers on my second annual Eighth Congressional District Farm Tour. Agriculture in South-Central and Southeast Missouri is incredibly diverse. If fact, we grow everything except citrus and sugar. While the crops we grow and the livestock we raise are diverse, every farmer I talked to in the last two weeks brought up the same topic: the EPA war on rural America. No other federal agency pushes more intrusive and ineffective regulations on farmers than the Environmental Protection Agency. On the Farm Tour, the EPA’s proposed “Waters of the United States” plan was discussed numerous times. Back in April, the EPA announced it would

Agriculture is the number one industry in Missouri. Our Eighth Congressional District is home to a great variety of agricultural interests. Our district is one of the most diverse agriculture districts in the country growing everything except sugar and citrus fruits. In the fertile Missouri Bootheel we grow cotton, rice, corn, soybeans, wheat, peanuts and even raise catfish. In stark contrast to the Bootheel stand the Ozark Foothills where we have cattle, dairy and timber producers. This week and next, I am traveling our district and listening to the challenges farm families are facing on my two week Farm Tour. Although each farm is unique and each crop or animal raised is different, the message from each visit is the

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO – Today, Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) celebrated the passage of Amendment 1, the Right to Farm. Before his election to the United States House of Representatives in June 2013, Smith was the original sponsor of the Right to Farm legislation in the Missouri General Assembly. "I couldn't be happier with the success of the Right to Farm Amendment. Missouri farmers now have protection from outside interest groups written into our state constitution,” said Smith. “When I proposed the Amendment in the Missouri House I knew it would be a tough fight, but as a farmer I knew what was at stake. This is a proud moment for me and a victory for all Missourians."