Ozark Radio News spoke to Congressman Jason Smith about current events in the Capitol, including inflation, housing prices, and issues at the border.
Dan Williams:
This is Dan with Ozark Radio News and I’m here talking with Congressman Jason Smith. You may recognize him from some of the capital reports that we post on our website. Jason Smith wants to actually talk to us about various different things that are going on in the capital right now. We want to try to get your two cents on things while we’ve got you here on the phone, Mr. Smith. I guess inflation is a really big issue on people’s minds right now, and I know that’s something that you’re heavily involved with as well trying to figure out and find solutions for. What’s your take on this situation and what do you think the good solutions are?
Jason Smith:
It is estimated that, just this year alone, it’s going to cost every family across America $5,520 in just added expense. That means they’re paying more to put food on their table, clothes on their backs, or gasoline in their cars. For example, chicken is up 23% since Joe Biden took office. Electricity is up 20%. Eggs is up 37%. Inflation’s gone up 13.8% since Joe Biden took the oath of office, and why has that happened? It’s because government spending has fueled the economy.
Jason Smith:
Just last year alone, Dan, the House of Representatives passed more than seven and a half trillion, and that’s what a T, trillion dollars of spending on top of just funding government. It’s hard to imagine what seven and a half trillion dollars is. But the best way to describe it, imagine if you spent 10 million every day since Jesus Christ was born. You still wouldn’t spend seven and a half trillion, and that is what was spent just in the House of Representatives alone. That’s been put into the economy, that is what’s driving inflation, and that’s why you’re paying more at the grocery store and the fuel pump.
Dan Williams:
Trillions of dollars, that is a lot of money, honestly. You’re pretty correct there. I personally would have a difficult time imagining even just a fraction of that. When you actually start taking things from macro to micro senses, I think a lot of people may even struggle to just make ends meet with hundreds of dollars that they’re dealing with, much less thousands or millions or trillions or anything.
Dan Williams:
But speaking about some of the things that people are dealing with right now that actually segues into housing costs. Now, I know that kind of applies to inflation. What are your two cents on that situation? What do you think might be able to help that, or what’s the cause?
Jason Smith:
If you just look at what the Pew data just came out. It says 49% of Americans say that the availability of affordable housing is a major problem in their local community. We had a hearing last week in the House Ways and Means Committee where we talked about the availability of affordable housing. I actually used an example of a business owner in San Francis County, which is the other part of our district over near Farmington, that gave me some statistics that, if you just talk about in that area and throughout Southern Missouri, it actually is $37 more per foot just to build a house compared to what it was just two years prior. Virtually, a 2,000 square foot home in St. Francis County, building it brand new would cost 270,000. Now to do it, it would cost $100,000 more. So you’re talking about $100,000 increase. But you just put that from $50,000 project to 150,000. It’s getting so unaffordable, and it’s because of the cost of lumber, the cost of labor, the cost of everything, which is what we refer to as the inflation pack.
Dan Williams:
All right. Well, thank you very much for the information on that front. While I’ve got you here, I know that there’s a whole lot of stuff that’s going on in DC right now just in general, very tempestuous, I guess, in the world of politics at the moment, especially with upcoming elections. Is there any other topics you’d maybe like to try to look out for or maybe approach on while we’re talking?
Jason Smith:
Dan, something that is a huge security issue to the United States, of course, is what’s going on at the southern border. We’ve seen more than 3.1 million illegals cross the southern border since Joe Biden has taken the oath of office. It’s truly because, by the stroke of a pin by executive order, Joe Biden eliminated a lot of very successful policies, such as the Remain in Mexico policy, such as building the southern wall, and that has caused the southern border to change drastically and where people feel like they can cross without following the laws.
Jason Smith:
I’ve been to the southern border several times. If you look at just last month alone, six more people were retained at the southern border that’s on the terrorist watch list. The terrorist watch list, just in the last year, almost 60 has been detained at the southern border that’s on the terror watch list. How many do you think have come across the southern border that has not been detained in that 3.1 million? It’s terrible. It’s about a security issue. We are a country of laws. Laws need to be upheld and applied. Even Joe Biden needs to be doing that.
Dan Williams:
All right. Well, thank you very much, Jason, for talking with us here. I was actually really glad to get the chance to be able to hear some messages from you and actually just get the opportunity to connect with you here. Do you want to just give any last word to our listeners out there?
Jason Smith:
Dan, it was great to connect with you. Always excited to communicate the people who I’m fighting for in Washington, DC, and hope that we can connect again real soon.
