Jason Smith: America is safer, more secure and more prosperous under Trump's leadership

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

One year ago, President Trump returned to office with a clear promise: make life more affordable for hardworking Americans and restore strength to our economy. During his State of the Union address, President Trump shared how those promises have turned into results, and families across southeast Missouri are feeling the difference. 

During his speech, we saw Washington Democrats routinely refuse to stand for some of the most commonsense proposals he could offer, like requiring an ID to vote. Despite this disappointing display of partisanship, President Trump outlined a bold agenda to help working families and reaffirmed his commitment building on the success of this past year.

After four years of rising prices and shrinking paychecks under Joe Biden, wages have now increased more in one year under President Trump than they did during the entire Biden presidency. Inflation and gas prices have both fallen to their lowest levels in five years. This is real relief Americans are seeing at the grocery store, the gas pump, and in monthly household budgets, and the President rightly took credit for these results in his speech. Families in rural Missouri who were stretched thin by an economy working against them can finally have some breathing room once again.

A major reason for this turnaround is the Working Families Tax Cuts, which I authored. We enhanced the standard deduction, expanded the Child Tax Credit, and created Trump Accounts to help families build security for the future. Policies like no tax on tips and no tax on Social Security ensure workers and seniors keep more of what they earned, and no tax on overtime will surely be felt by the 24% of Missouri employees who regularly work more than 40 hours a week. We backed growth and investment led by small businesses and the private sector — not more spending by Washington bureaucrats.

As the President mentioned, we are also confronting one of the biggest affordability challenges facing families: health care costs. Already, we have helped deliver more access and lower costs. As part of the Working Families Tax Cuts, the Rural Health Transformation Program granted $216 million to Missouri to protect and strengthen access in rural and underserved communities. We also expanded access to Health Savings Accounts, allowing countless Missourians to use tax-free dollars for medical care. On top of that, we increased transparency in how pharmacy benefit middlemen operate and closed loopholes that allowed illegal immigrants to access taxpayer-funded benefits, protecting both patients and taxpayers. And the President talked about a key priority that we will be working on this year: holding health insurers accountable with transparent metrics for patients.

Beyond affordability at home, I was glad to see the President take credit for his America First trade policy, which has restored fairness for American farmers, workers, and small businesses. For years, other nations were allowed to exploit our producers through unfair and predatory trade practices. That era is over. Our trade deficit has plummeted, trading partners are eliminating barriers to American goods, and they are committing to trillions of dollars in new investment here at home. For Missouri farmers and manufacturers, that means new export opportunities and a more level playing field. It means our producers can compete — and win — without being undercut by foreign governments.

The American people demanded change, and in just one year, President Trump has delivered real results. Wages are rising, inflation is falling, families are keeping more of what they earn, and our farmers and businesses are competing on fair terms. I was excited to hear the President talk not only about the accomplishments we’ve delivered for working families, farmers, and small businesses, but also about the work ahead. The direction is clear, and I will continue working alongside President Trump to strengthen our economy, protect working families, and ensure our best days are still ahead.