IMPORTANT UPDATES from CONGRESSMAN SMUCKER

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This week I want to share with you my thoughts on President Biden's failing economic policies, committee activities and news from the district. 

I enjoy hearing from you and responding to questions from your emails, phone calls, and letters. If you would like to share your concerns or opinions with me, or if you have questions about legislation or specific votes, you can send me an email here.

President Biden is Harming the Economy:

There are 9.3 million job openings across the country. While small businesses across the country cannot find employees, President Biden is paying people more to stay home. Biden's economic policies are killing small businesses that can't find workers and killing our economic recovery from the pandemic. Making the situation worse is the growing inflation in our nation. 

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the Consumer Price Index, prices are up 5 percent from this time one year ago, but President Biden is focused on middle-class tax hikes and plunging our nation further into debt with his reckless spending. Inflation affects all Americans and all of us will continue to pay higher and higher prices at the grocery store, the gas pump, and the hardware store. This is the highest inflation we've seen in decades. Biden's bloated big-government budget is wrong for America. It is harming our economic recovery and is endangering our long-term fiscal health. 

The NFIB released its May Small Business Optimism index, and nearly half of small businesses are struggling to fill jobs.

According to a recent report, an estimated $400 billion in unemployment benefits may have been stolen. This is an absolute disgrace. Earlier this year, House Democrats blocked Republican efforts to include fraud protection measures to improve the security of these programs. When will House Democrats work with Republicans to address unemployment fraud?

Committee Activity:

This week I joined a House Budget Committee hearing to get to the bottom of President Biden's disaster of a budget proposal. Under his plan, America would see the worst economic growth of any decade since the Great Depression. American families deserve better than this. I asked Acting OMB Director Young if she's concerned about current inflation, which is the fastest growing in four decades [spoiler alert: she’s not]. Biden's reckless tax-borrow-and-spend budget is wrong for America. Watch my comments below.

I asked the IRS Deputy Commissioner about the criminal penalties for the egregious and politically motivated leak of stolen taxpayer information and what they intend to do about it. Leaking taxpayer information is a crime. This cannot continue to happen time and time again. 

Watch my questions. 

Biden's Border Crisis:

Illegal border encounters reached 180,034 in May, which is a 21-year high and an increase of 674 percent from last year. Since President Biden has taken office, he has done nothing to try to solve the border crisis. The illegal crossings have increased month after month while Vice President Harris, who was tasked with solving the issue, has done nothing. The reversal of President Trump's policies has caused these increases, and the Biden administration must address it.

PA-11 News:

Congratulations to the four Spring Grove Rocketry Teams for making it into the top 100 teams in the USA. We are proud of them, and good luck at the TARC Nationals! I visited with the Spring Grove Area School District Rocketry team in 2019 to learn about the great work they are doing applying STEM lessons to rocketry!

On Friday, I joined professional soccer player Christian Pulisic at the ribbon cutting of the PA Classics Soccer Park "Pulisic Stomping Grounds." Sports build a stronger sense of community and bring us together. After what we've gone through this past year, building that sense of community is so important. Investing in opportunities for children to improve themselves is very important, as well. We know that children learn as part of a team, including through team sports, and can they take with them positive lessons and experiences that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. 

We give thanks to those who made these facilities possible, particularly Christian Pulisic—a native son and the pride of south-central Pennsylvania. These facilities will impact the lives of countless young athletes in our community, granting them an opportunity to play, learn and grow. 

Flag Day:

On June 14th we come together as a country to honor the flag that is an international symbol for freedom and democracy. The red, white, and blue unites all Americans! God Bless America and Happy Flag Day! 

Here to Help:

If you have any questions or issues with a federal agency, please know that my office is here to assist you. You can call our district or Washington, DC offices for assistance or visit my website for any issue with a federal agency or department.

To stay up-to-date on my work in the district and Washington, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also check out my YouTube page, where there are 100+ videos, many of which are direct responses to your questions.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Smucker
Member of Congress