By Jason Smith, Member of Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Here in southeast and south-central Missouri, agriculture is our number one economic driver. Our farmers and ranchers produce the best agriculture products found anywhere in the world, including cattle, corn, soybeans, cotton, rice, and peanuts. As a cattle rancher and small business owner, I know first-hand that decisions made in Washington have a major impact on just about every aspect of our lives. And that’s just one of the many reasons I cannot wait for President-elect Donald Trump to return to the White House in January.
Whether it’s fighting for an America-first trade agenda, getting rid of burdensome regulations, or reining in government overreach, Trump is an incredible advocate for our rural communities. And with the team he’s assembled to lead federal agencies in charge of carrying out policies that significantly impact rural communities, I’m incredibly excited for what’s in store over the next four years.
Let’s start with former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin, Trump’s pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lee is a strong ally of Trump and he will work around the clock to deliver for our farmers, ranchers, and small businesses – not the wealthy elite and radical environmentalists who the Biden administration has always put first. We can count on Zeldin to protect farmers, ranchers, and small businesses from regulations that create needless red tape, drive up energy costs, and dictate what we can or cannot do on our land.
I was also pleased with President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of the Department of Interior: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. The Department of Interior oversees the National Park Service (NPS), which has unfairly targeted and harassed so many families that live and work within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. I look forward to working with Trump’s Department of Interior to hold the NPS accountable for making Missouri residents feel like they’re not welcome on land their families have owned or visited for decades.
Brooke Rollins, Trump’s nominee for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary, is also a major win for Missouri. USDA is in charge of policies and programs that are critically important to rural areas, from funding economic development projects and broadband expansion to administering the farm safety net. In addition, USDA is in charge of writing rules like the mandate for electronic identification eartags for cattle and bison moving interstate – a terrible Biden administration policy I’ve worked to defeat. USDA also has jurisdiction over the Forest Service, which has limited hunting and fishing in Mark Twain National Forest and restricted timber harvesting – an important economic driver in rural areas.
Under President Trump, we will once again have an administration that will fight for trade policies that put our farmers and ranchers first. As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade, I’ve been leading the effort to hold the Biden administration accountable for its absolutely disastrous trade agenda. I look forward to working with Trump and Jamieson Greer, his pick for U.S. trade representative, to combat unfair trade practices of foreign nations that hurt American workers, farmers, and ranchers.
For four long years, rural communities have suffered the consequences of having a president whose agenda is driven by coastal elites, far-Left activists, and radical environmentalists who want to dictate every aspect of our lives. Words cannot describe how grateful I am that America will soon have a president who actually cares about our rural communities. I know the future is bright for the hardworking men and women in rural Missouri.