Adrian Smith, (Liz Macias, Central Nebraska Today)
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.
Smith said over the years the dynamics of power in Washington have shifted, he has found himself in the majority and minority multiple times. He said they must govern responsibility when in the majority and provide pushback and accountability in the minority.
Reflecting on his tenure, Smith said he is proud to have written and introduced a bill that passed the house that limited the growth of the Internal Revenue Service. It was written in response to President Joe Biden attempting to add new IRS auditors.
Smith said dating back to President Bill Clinton, there has been pushback when the IRS is attempted to be expanded. He added that being audited can be a stressful and cumbersome process for individuals and often, those people did not warrant an audit.
He said the taxpayers would have to foot the bill for those might then go on to audit them in the future. “We don’t need to spend the $10 of billions for tens of thousands of auditors,” Smith said adding he was pleased his bill passed the House.
When asked why he is seeking re-election, Smith said he seeks to be more effective as a representative and bases the growth off of his past experience in government.
Smith said he is currently the chairman of the trade subcommittee for the Ways and Means Committee to promote Nebraskan products to be sold around the world. “We have growing markets around the world, and we want access to those markets,” he said.
When asked about key issues he sees Nebraskans and Americans facing, Smith listed the security of the United States-Mexico border first. He said it is a difficult issue because of the many different aspects of immigration. “We need to strengthen the border,” he said.
Government spending and the U.S. debt was another issue Smith noted. He said he wants to see focus shifted back to the big picture items that are causing the debt to increase, rather than an inordinate focus on smaller issues.
Questioned about inflation, Smith said everyone has felt this, at the fuel pump, at the grocery store or restaurant. He said businesses are also struggling because they are also seeing the rising cost of their inputs, which then leads to them rising the cost of products or services.
Smith suggested that the Biden administration’s policies on spending help contribute to this inflation and feels the economy has marched ahead despite the policies, not because of them.
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 he remains humbled at the opportunity to serve the state and said he has gained experience from his tenure to better serve Nebraskans.
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.
