[Congressional biography]
Born: December 19, 1970 in Scottsbluff, NE
Education:
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Career:
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Elected Office:
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Date | Subject | Result | Conserv. Position | Smith Voted | |
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2022-01-12 | Diminishing Active Military Service [HR1836] | Passed (287-135) |
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This bill, known as the "Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act," would cost taxpayers $5 billion over 10 years by expanding access to full veterans benefits by rewarding annual training engaged in by National Guard and Reserve members in addition to active military service. The bill provides no spending offset for the costs associated with the increased benefits. CPAC points out any call-up of reserves to active duty is already included in time served and diminishes the role of active military service. | |||||
2022-01-13 | Federalizing State Elections and Weakening Ballot Integrity [HR5746] | Agreed To (220-203) |
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This bill, known as the "Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act," federalizes state elections and makes unelected bureaucrats within the Department of Justice arbiters of election law. CPAC opposes this attempt to federalize state elections and weaken election integrity. | |||||
2022-02-03 | Withdrawing From the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change [HR4521] | Rejected (196-235) |
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Perry (R-PA) amendment to the "United States Innovation and Competition Act" withdraws the United States from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC requires the U.S. to spend billions of dollars in commitments to other countries and forces changes in U.S. energy production which are not being followed by other countries, such as India and China. | |||||
2022-02-04 | Pouring Gasoline on an Inflationary Fire [HR4521] | Passed (222-210) |
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This bill, known as the "United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021," spends $320 billion of taxpayer funds on union-favored special interests. CPAC believes the free market, not government, should dictate investment into private industry, and opposes fueling an inflationary fire through $320 billion in new discretionary spending. | |||||
2022-02-08 | Postal "Reform" Act Without Reform [HR3076] | Passed (342-92) |
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This union-backed bill, known as the "Postal Service Reform Act," does nothing to actually reform the postal service and instead bails out the pension system that is deeply in debt. The bill removes the requirement that USPS prepay its pension health benefits. CPAC believes this is a fiscally irresponsible way of avoiding competition with private delivery services. | |||||
2022-03-17 | Protecting Employers from Costly Litigation [HR963] | Rejected (184-246) |
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Fitzgerald (R-WI) amendment to the "Fair Act" removes a provision from the bill that bans the use of arbitration for non-union employees while allowing it for unionized employees. CPAC believes this blatant sop to the trial lawyers, as well as the unions, is highly discriminatory. | |||||
2022-03-30 | New Mandates on the Transportation Industry [HR5706] | Agreed To (339-85) |
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This bill expands government mandates and the regulatory power of the Department of Transportation under the guise of preventing sexual harassment. CPAC opposes expanding the authority of the federal government over the private sector. | |||||
2022-03-30 | Complicating the Process for Economic Development [HR5547] | Agreed To (304-122) |
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This bill, known as the "CEDS Act," would require businesses which request funds from the Economic Development Administration to provide a litany of non-economic impacts from the proposed developments. CPAC believes this policy puts smaller-sized firms at a disadvantage by vastly expanding application requirements. | |||||
2022-03-31 | Forcing a Christmas Vote on the Budget [HR6833] | Agreed To (232-193) |
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This continuing resolution postpones the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriation until just before Christmas. This move prevents Congress from having time to pass the full 12 appropriation bills separately and continues the trillions of dollars in debt that has fed inflation. CPAC supports a resolution that would extend into the new year when there would be a change in congressional leadership. | |||||
2022-04-04 | Health Insurance Mandates [HR1916] | Agreed To (310-110) |
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This bill, like Obamacare before it, requires private health insurance plans to cover congenital anomalies. The bill also has a price control feature in that coverage limits and co-pays may not be more restrictive than other benefits. CPAC opposes these mandates that drive up the cost of healthcare for everyone. | |||||
2022-04-05 | Giving NATO New Non-Defense Responsibilities [HRES831] | Agreed To (362-63) |
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This resolution would establish a "Center for Democratic Resilience" within NATO tasked with "monitoring and identifying challenges to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law." Considering the majority of NATO members fail to meet their defense spending obligations, CPAC believes the alliance should prioritize defense rather than invent new roles which could undermine U.S. sovereignty. | |||||
2022-04-07 | More Chinese Coronavirus Giveaways [HR3807] | Passed (223-203) |
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This bill, known as the "Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act," includes an additional $42 billion dollars for a restaurant relief fund and money for other small businesses. CPAC points out that hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars have already gone unaccounted for, or gone to ineligible recipients. | |||||
2022-05-10 | Sending Another $40 Billion Overseas Without Proper Oversight [HR7691] | Passed (368-57) |
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This bill spends an additional $40 billion in taxpayer funds to assist Ukraine through economic, humanitarian, and military aid. This bill does not allow for the spending to be overseen by a special inspector general and was an amount more than three times what European nations as a whole had provided to Ukraine. CPAC believes all foreign aid and assistance should at the very least be targeted and made accountable to the U.S. taxpayers. | |||||
2022-05-11 | Wasting Taxpayer Funds To Compete With Private Weather Prediction Services [HR1437] | Agreed To (333-81) |
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This bill, known as the PRECIP Act, requires the weather service to work with the National Academy of Science to predict precipitation estimates to advise federal agencies, at a cost of $31 million. CPAC knows it's tough enough to predict tomorrow's weather without devising meaningless forecasts of precipitation in a certain place. The Weather Service already competes with private enterprise on specific forecasts and CPAC considers this a further waste of taxpayers' money. | |||||
2022-05-11 | Diverting Tax Dollars to "Blue" Cities [HR6531] | Failed (262-156) |
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This bill, known as the "Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act" allows the Biden administration to send taxpayer funds with limited oversight to a narrowly defined "area of persistent poverty." CPAC recognizes many low-income rural areas would be excluded from receiving funds, while cities which persistently vote Democrat to their own demise would be rewarded. | |||||
2022-05-13 | Expanding the "Community Services" Program [HR5129] | Passed (246-169) |
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This bill reauthorizes the Community Services Block Grant program and redirects it to satisfy the left's agenda of increasing taxpayer funds to certain areas and increasing handouts to those with higher incomes (for example, increasing the threshold for grants to 200% of poverty levels) all at an increase in spending of more than $1 billion for the first five years. CPAC opposes these grant programs that can easily be corrupted for political purposes. | |||||
2022-05-18 | Giving Biden's Politicized DOJ More Power to Wield Against Conservatives [HR350] | Passed (222-203) |
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This bill would encourage and expand the FBI's targeting of American Citizens. For example, it would authorize the assignment of a special agent for each of 56 field offices to act as a "hate crime liaison." Considering recent abuses by the FBI like labeling parents that attend school board meetings as domestic terrorists and identifying Catholic groups as having a high propensity to produce "white nationalists", CPAC fears the grave misuse of this legislation. | |||||
2022-06-15 | Mandating the Federal Reserve to "Eliminate Economic Disparities" [HR2543] | Passed (215-207) |
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This bill, known as the "Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act," interferes with the U.S. banking system with preference based on race. Specifically, the bill calls for the Federal Reserve to "exercise all duties and functions in a manner that fosters the elimination of disparities across racial and ethnic groups with respect to employment, income, wealth, and access to affordable credit." CPAC opposes violating the principle of equal treatment under the law. | |||||
2022-06-23 | Forcing Federal Agencies to Perpetuate Radical Gender Theory [HR4176] | Passed (220-201) |
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This bill, known as the "LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act" requires federal agencies to list and collect radical gender identities when conducting surveys. | |||||
2022-06-24 | Expanding Gun Control [S2938] | Agreed To (234-193) |
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This bill, the so-called "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," includes various gun control measures including expanded background checks for those under 21 and provides additional funding to states that administer "red flag" laws which allow judges to arbitrarily seize firearms from individuals even when no crime has been committed. | |||||
2022-07-13 | Massive Cuts to Defense Spending [HR7900] | Rejected (78-350) |
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Lee (D-CA), amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which would cut $100 billion from defense spending. CPAC supports a robust national defense and opposes blanket non-targeted cuts to defense. | |||||
2022-07-15 | Forcing States to Provide Abortion on Demand [HR8296] | Passed (219-210) |
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This bill, known as the Women's Health Protection Act, removes all restrictions on abortions. Specifically, this bill allows abortion by telemedicine and prohibits any government entity from interfering with an abortion in any way. The bill would also eliminate parental notification or consent to a minor's abortion as that might delay an abortion, which is prohibited, and provides no religious conscience protections. CPAC believes abortion is always a human tragedy and supports restrictions on the practice. | |||||
2022-07-15 | Directing States to Eliminate Restrictions on Out-Of-State Abortions [HR8297] | Passed (223-205) |
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This bill, known as the "Ensuring Access to Abortion Act," prohibits any restriction on trafficking women to get abortions across state lines. CPAC believes abortion is always a human tragedy and supports restrictions on the practice. | |||||
2022-07-21 | Violating Conscience Protections [HR8373] | Passed (228-195) |
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This bill, the so-called "Right to Contraception Act," would overturn commonsense conscience laws and force religious organizations, like the Little Sisters of the Poor, to distribute chemical abortion pills and other abortifacients. CPAC supports conscience protections. | |||||
2022-07-27 | Forcing Taxpayers to Bailout Private Pensions [HR6929] | Passed (254-175) |
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This union-backed bill forces taxpayers to spend nearly $1 billion to pay for pension benefits lost as a result of the bankruptcy of General Motors in 2009. CPAC opposes singling out General Motors' employee benefits when other businesses had to deal with the results of the "great recession" too. | |||||
2022-07-28 | Stealing from Taxpayers to Fund a Government-Favored Industry [HR4346] | Agreed To (243-187) |
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This bill, known as the "CHIPS Act," takes $250 billion from taxpayers to give to the government-favored semiconductor industry without necessary protections that would prevent Chinese linked firms from being the primary beneficiaries. CPAC does not believe the government should use taxpayer funds to support one industry over another. | |||||
2022-07-29 | Reviving The "Assault" Weapons Ban [HR1808] | Passed (217-213) |
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This bill revives the Clinton-era assault weapons ban although there is little agreement on what an "assault" weapon is. CPAC supports the founders' belief in the Second Amendment. | |||||
2022-07-29 | Excessive Restrictions on "Big Cat" Ownership [HR263] | Passed (278-134) |
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This bill, known as the "Big Cat Public Safety Act", would place excessive new restrictions on the ownership of big cats (i.e., lions, tigers, cheetahs, jaguars) in order to restrict the ability of small, community and family-owned zoos to compete with the big zoo industry. CPAC recognizes this bill as a prime example of profit-motivated business competitors petitioning the government to quash competition. The bill was lobbied by Carole Baskin, whose tax-exempt Big Cat Rescue "sanctuary" would be exempt from restrictions in the bill while her competitors would be stifled. CPAC opposes this crony measure designed to restrict competition and enrich special interests. | |||||
2022-08-12 | The Inflation Expansion Act [HR5376] | Agreed To (220-207) |
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This bill, the so-called "Inflation Reduction Act," includes a long list of measures that raise taxes, feed inflation and advance the left's agenda to reduce America's energy independence. Examples include funding for the IRS to add 87,000 employees, price controls on some drugs (which creates shortages and raises prices -- even for other drugs), and adding tax credits for those who get renewable energy (including electric cars) and solar from union-approved sources. The bill "pays" for this through a minimum corporate tax and a 1% stock transfer tax among others. CPAC opposes this massive increase in government. | |||||
2022-09-15 | Repealing Government Employee Reform [HR302] | Passed (225-204) |
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This bill eliminates the new Schedule F class of federal employees created in 2020 that attempted to allow those who hold policy-making positions to be appointed rather than be filled by union protected positions. | |||||
2022-09-29 | Giving the Failing VA New Bureaucracies to Manage [HR8888] | Agreed To (376-49) |
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This bill sets up a new bureaucracy within the Veterans Department, the Office of Food Security, to advise veterans of nutrition assistance programs. CPAC opposes setting up new offices within the V.A. when it does nothing to alleviate the huge backlog of cases in the V.A. | |||||
2022-09-30 | Forcing a Christmas Vote on the Budget [HR6833] | Agreed To (230-201) |
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This continuing resolution postpones the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriation until just before Christmas. This move prevents Congress from having time to pass the full 12 appropriation bills separately and continues the trillions of dollars in debt that has fed inflation. CPAC supports a resolution that would extend into the new year when there would be a change in congressional leadership. | |||||
2022-12-08 | An Attack on Religious Rights [HR8404] | Agreed To (258-169) |
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This bill, the so-called "Respect for Marriage Act," is a trojan horse that will be used to decimate religious liberty. This legislation would force people of faith and religious-affiliated institutions to violate their sincerely-held beliefs. Those individuals who choose to adhere to tenets of their faith and moral convictions would face costly litigation. And for religious-affiliated institutions, the legislation would empower President Biden's politicized IRS to threaten their tax-exempt status. Sen. Lee (R-UT), offered an amendment which would have given these necessary protections which are not included in this bill. | |||||
2022-12-23 | A Lame-Duck Budget With Record Non-Defense Spending Increases [HR2617] | Agreed To (225-201) |
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This is the appropriations bill for the entire $1.7 trillion federal budget for Fiscal Year 2023, and it sets overall spending limits by agency or program. This new budget includes nearly $800 billion in non-defense funding, a 9.3% increase -- $68 billion -- over Fiscal Year 2022. This represents the highest level of non-defense funding ever. Passed only 3 days after being introduced, CPAC vehemently opposes this method of passing the budget, including allowing Democrats to pass the first-ever lame duck omnibus before the new Republican majority takes power. |
Represents a "Yes" vote. Represents a "No" vote. Indicates that this member voted against the conservative position on a particular vote. "No vote" means that this member did not cast a vote (or voted 'Present' instead of Yes or No). |