Wake Up to the Issues

On Thursday morning, I participated in the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce’s Wake Up to the Issues event – an annual breakfast to discuss ways we can work together to improve our communities. 

We discussed a wide variety of issues, including the need for a robust infrastructure plan that works for our district and will make real investments in our transportation systems to help support our local economy, and the need for immigration reforms that help our agriculture community that relies on immigrant labor to get their products to market.

We also discussed the new tax reform that passed into law a couple months ago. As of February 15^th, all employers should have updated their federal withholdings, and constituents across our district will have more money in their paychecks. This new tax law will help small businesses expand and create more jobs, and allows Americans to keep more of their own money instead of sending it to Washington. I’ve been hearing from constituents and small businesses about the positive impacts of this new law, and I encourage you to read their stories on my website here.

If you’d like to share with me how this new tax law is impacting you and your family, you can email me here. Be sure to check your next paycheck to see the difference!

Fixing the Broken Federal Budget Process

The federal budget process is completely broken. During my first year on the House Budget Committee, I pushed for reforms to add meaningful enforcement mechanisms and accountability because our current budget process has led to five continuing resolutions for just one fiscal year. The status quo isn’t working, and Washington cannot continue to govern from one funding crisis to the next.

Earlier this month, Congress passed a two-year budget agreement and another continuing resolution. I believe this legislation failed the American people, and I did not support it. I support funding our military and a number of other provisions that were included in the legislation, but I believe we can keep our nation strong and secure without requiring irresponsible spending increases, ignoring the deficit, and growing the size of the federal government. 

In April of last year, I sent a letter to House Budget Committee Chairman Diane Black urging a hearing on comprehensive budget process reform, and I also cosponsored three bills to provide greater accountability in the federal budget process. Following these efforts, in January of this year, I introduced the Joint Commission on Budget Process Reform Act of 2018 – legislation that would establish a bipartisan, bicameral commission to reform the broken process. 

You can learn more about these efforts here, and feel free to send me your thoughts or ideas on how to reform the federal budget process here.

Fighting the Spotted Lanternfly and Other Invasive Species

Have you heard of the Spotted Lanternfly? This invasive species was first found in Berks County a few years ago and it has spread to the surrounding areas, prompting a coordinated effort to prevent it from spreading even more. It has already inflicted significant financial losses on local agricultural producers and homeowners, and poses a serious threat to the national and international agriculture industry and food supply chain. 

That is why I wrote a letter to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (TX-11) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (MN-07) asking for $20 to $40 million in this year’s Farm Bill to help eradicate the Spotted Lanternfly. It’s currently quarantined in Berks, Chester, and Lancaster Counties, as well as ten other counties in Pennsylvania. According to Penn State University, the Spotted Lanternfly could destroy up to $18 billion worth of Pennsylvania’s plant-based commodities if we don’t take immediate action.

But there is some good news already. Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced $17.5 million in emergency funding to help stop the spread of this invasive species. These funds will go a long way in supporting the coordinated response effort and protecting the livelihoods of farmers and homeowners in our communities, and I’ll continue my effort to help ensure the necessary resources are available to combat the Spotted Lanternfly. You can read more about this important issue here. 

Here's Lloyd!

This past week, the House of Representatives was not in session, so I spent the week traveling around the district meeting with and hearing from constituents about some of the important issues facing our communities. Here's a look at where I was and what I was doing. And if you'd like to stay up-to-date on my work in the district and in Washington, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter!

The flyADVANCED facility at the Lancaster Airport was the first of its kind when it opened in 2010, and is now the largest Cirrus Authorized Service Center – working to ensure planes receive regular maintenance. You can learn more about this impressive facility here.

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You probably didn’t know this about me, but I’m a big fan of the Big Mac at McDonald’s. So I had a great time visiting with the crew at the McDonald’s on Reading Road in Ephrata. The manager, Megan, leads a wonderful team who taught me how to make a Mac Junior! If you’d like to invite me to your place of work, you can do so here.

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On Wednesday morning I participated in a vibrant discussion about the impacts of the new tax law at Eden Resort in Lancaster. If you’d like to share how the new law is impacting you and your family, you can send me an email here.

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Bosch has a security systems facility in Lancaster. I took a tour of the facility and was quite impressed with the highly technological work being done by our neighbors and community members. You can see more photos from my visit here.

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I had a wonderful visit with students and teachers at Conestoga Valley High School on Wednesday afternoon. My favorite part had to be the 3D model of the U.S. Capitol building that Michael printed. I look forward to seeing these students continuing to excel in the future. If you’d like to invite me to visit your school, you can do so here. You can also read my thoughts and learn about my efforts to improve our education system here.

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Alzheimer’s robs its victims of one of their greatest treasures – their memories. I am in awe of the courage and resilience of Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers, and was glad to meet with a number of advocates in my Lancaster office. I just recently signed on as a cosponsor of the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act to help expand resources needed to help end this terrible disease. If you’d like to schedule a meeting in one of my offices, you can do so here. You can also read my thoughts and learn about my efforts to improve our health care system here.

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I visited and toured the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus in Coatesville on Thursday morning where I got a firsthand look at the extensive training first responders undergo in order to make split-second decisions during emergency, life-or-death situations. I’m grateful for their hard work and commitment and will continue my efforts to support our first responders and help ensure they have the resources necessary to keep our communities safe. I’m pictured above in a simulator to experience what it’s like driving an emergency vehicle. 

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Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter! You can stay up-to-date on what I'm doing in Washington and Pennsylvania by following me on Twitter and Facebook.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Smucker