After more than a year and half in office, Congressman Adrian Smith can confidently report — whether for good or ill — “Times are changing” for America and its government. As a result, “We need to be very judicious in our approach” to policy and legislation.
Smith stopped in York Wednesday, right after Congress adjourned for a five-week recess.
The country’s fiscal calamity, he said, has its roots in a “lack of restraint by both parties.” He said, “We’re not going to tax our way to prosperity,” a statement he said is proven by “fairly basic math.”
While Smith and everyone else agrees federal spending has run amok, he said, “I’m not sure everyone is ready to take a hit in their favorite program.”
Reform is on many tongues of late, and in one area — Medicare Advantage — Smith feels it has already been beneficial to include private providers in the mix. He said 5,000 people in his district participate in Medicare Advantage.
“I get the sense they’re satisfied with it,” he said.
Look for more of the same in the realm of agriculture, too.
“This is probably the last farm bill as we know it,” Smith said, predicting “even more reforms” than were invoked this year are about to come down the pipe.
In answer to a question on partisan gridlock between Republicans and Democrats gumming up the legislative works, Smith acknowledges it’s frustrating, but said, “I didn’t ask for this job because I thought it would be easy.” Besides, if Democrats emerge from the fall election even stronger than they are now, “We might get rid of partisan gridlock” altogether if Republicans are left with little weight to push around.
“Both sides are guilty of some partisan protectionism,” he said, citing a vote to cap attorney fees at $2,000 per hour “that failed on a straight party line vote.”
Smith said relying upon the government to solve every problem is not realistic.
“Solutions to things don’t always come in the form of legislative resolution,” he said.
What can Americans expect in terms of partisanship over the next decade? Hard to say.
“The political winds shift,” he said, noting that gridlock is not automatically a bad thing. The country’s founders, he said, “had in mind decentralized power. They designed gridlock” into the fabric of national government to provide layers of checks and balances.
With current approval ratings of Congress even lower than those for the president, reportedly at historical lows as dismal as 6 percent, what’s a government and its constituents to do?
“I think we need to contribute to a debate that offers solutions rather than just criticize,” Smith said.
As for his own record, the congressman said his legislative service has not been a race to see how many bills he could introduce and get passed. That’s by design.
“I’ve always practiced restraint,” when it comes to adding to the morass of legislation. “I’ve seen some people introduce a bill just to get a (particular) constituency off their back.”
Smith said his approach is often to jump on bills of others that he favors, and also work in committee through the amendment process to imprint his influence upon the legislative body and its work.
“I’m serious about my service,” he said. “I want to be effective.”
On the volatile topic of immigration, Smith said, “We need to have higher expectations of enforcement.” That and a better utilization of technology to keep a finger on the pulse of immigration. Also, he said some language and other concessions America provides are over the top.
“Honestly, I don’t think our immigrants expect it,” he said. Even so, “We hand out these things that aren’t expected ... then it becomes expected.”
As for employers caught in the immigration issue, he said, “A well intended employer acting in good faith ought not to be expected to do the INS’s (Immigration and Naturalization Service) job.”
His personal plan into the future, among other things, is, “I want to be realistic in what I put forward,” and “I’m willing to take the arrows from saying no from time to time.”
Contact — stephen.moseley@yorknewstimes.com
