Rice District Rep. Jason Smith to Chair House Committee on Ways & Means

WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier this week, Representative Jason Smith (R-MO) was tapped to lead the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means.  

The Committee is the oldest in the U.S. Congress and is the principal tax-writing body in the House of Representatives.  The Committee oversees not only taxes and revenue generation, but also tariffs and reciprocal trade agreements for the United States.

"We congratulate Congressman Smith on his appointment to this important and influential role,” said Peter Bachmann, USA Rice vice president of policy and government affairs.  "We are especially eager to see Chairman Smith once again engage with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office and others in the Biden Administration regarding India's over-subsidization of their rice sector, leading to suppressed world rice prices and making U.S. rice farmers less competitive on the global playing field."
 
Trade is critical for U.S. rice farmers as approximately half of the rice produced here is exported to more than 120 countries around the globe.  Additionally, tax policy continues to be an important issue for rice farmers and rice-related businesses looking to pass operations onto the next generation. Smith will be poised to prevent harmful tax policies that could impact the continuity of agricultural businesses.  

“Congressman Smith has long been a friend of Missouri agriculture and especially Missouri rice as the Bootheel’s direct line of communication and representation to Congress, and we commend him on this appointment,” said Zach Worrell, a Pemiscot County, Missouri, rice farmer and member of the USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee.  “We are looking forward to having a rice industry ally lead this Committee to advocate for U.S. rice on a global scale on the many trade issues we face.”

Smith is a farmer, businessman, and former state legislator, and is currently serving his sixth term representing Missouri’s 8th Congressional District.