Adrian Smith
This week, the House was set to continue its work on the twelve annual appropriations bills to ensure the government is responsibly funded. Unfortunately, our legislative work to cut wasteful spending was disrupted when a small handful of Republicans voted with Democrats to remove the Speaker of the House. I voted against vacating the chair because it sets a disruptive precedent and because the House should be focused on delivering results for the American people.
House Republicans already have a record of success in the 118th Congress, and I believe we should be building on that record as a team united, not fighting amongst ourselves. It’s unfortunate we are in this position, but we must come together, elect a new speaker, and get back to doing the People’s business. I thank former Speaker Kevin McCarthy for his service and will continue speaking with my colleagues and Nebraskans as I consider which of my House Republican colleagues would most effectively lead the House as Speaker.
Over the last 275 days, our Republican Majority has delivered meaningful wins for all Americans. We started with reopening the House to the American people, ending proxy voting, and forcing the Biden administration to end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. House Republicans have worked hard to return to normalcy and get our country back on track since retaking the majority. With millions of families and small businesses depending on us, we cannot let off the gas.
To push back on the Biden administration’s anti-growth agenda, we passed H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act which, if enacted, would unleash domestic energy production and restore American energy dominance.
House Republicans also passed H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. This bill confronts the ongoing gaps in our nation’s border enforcement, boosts manpower at the border, invests in enforcement technology, and mandates resumption of border wall construction. The path we are currently on is unsustainable as fentanyl, national security threats, and unprecedented numbers of illegal immigrants exploit border vulnerabilities, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis.
In the Fiscal Responsibility Act, we fought for and delivered the largest deficit reduction in our nation’s history, clawed back unspent COVID funds, and passed a version of my bill to repeal IRS funding for its army of agents set to conduct middle-class audits.
By passing H.R. 5, the Parent’s Bill of Rights Act, House Republicans took a strong stand for parents everywhere by recognizing the primary role parents play in their children’s education and reaffirming their rights to be informed of what students experience at school. A bill I have introduced, the Educational Choice for Children Act would further empower families to make their own educational decisions by increasing access to high-quality education regardless of ZIP code or socioeconomic status.
We still have plenty of work to do to put our country on a path towards prosperity. Securing the border, passing the remaining eight appropriations bills through regular order, bringing much-needed accountability to the Biden administration, and tackling major economic challenges like inflation will require House Republicans to work together as a team. The new Speaker of the House must have a plan to build on our successes, and continue our work to reduce deficits, expand economic opportunity, and protect the freedoms of American families. I look forward to hearing from my colleagues who are seeking the role in the coming days.