Smith: decisive leadership needed for Ukraine, inflation, labor shortages

NEBRASKA CITY – Congressman Adrian Smith made his first visit to Nebraska City since the state Legislature added Otoe County to the 3^rd congressional district.

The state Legislature added counties to the 3^rd District, including Thurston, Burt and Washington counties north of Omaha and Otoe County to the south.

Smith now represents 80 of Nebraska’s 93 counties, about 85 percent of the state’s geography.

 

He said he is anxious to work with the new additions to the district.

“Nebraska, it’s a big state. The Legislature saw fit, so it really wasn’t my decision, but I’m grateful though to work with the community here. You know, we’ve got big issues in Washington and around the world.”

He spoke Monday at the Lied Lodge and Conference Center, naming trade, labor shortages and inflation among the big issues.

Smith: “We’ve got inflation now happening and that’s not resolved by one bill passed by Congress and signed by the president. It requires more efforts. A lot of it is not doing what’s been done over the last year.

 

Over the last year, spending more money and shutting down more domestic petroleum development, that’s not been good, ultimately, for American consumers – ultimately for the world.”

He said petroleum and trade issues are also intertwined in the push back against Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

 Smith: “We’re not going to let them participate in the world economy like they were. I think it’s making a difference, but time will tell, because obviously Vladimir Putin is trouble for the world.”

In a Tweet, the congressman thanked Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce for hosting the event.

 

Here is the congressman's March 18 colunm:

As war rages on the doorsteps of our NATO allies, the United States is weighing the best path forward to provide additional support to Ukraine and hold Vladimir Putin accountable.

The destruction and bloodshed in Ukraine are tragic, and I was moved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s joint address to Congress earlier this week.

I was pleased when the House took action on a bill for which I’ve been advocating to revoke Russia’s trade privileges, a vote which President Biden and Democrats in Congress needlessly delayed. The world needs strong, decisive leadership from the United States, and President Zelenskyy has made it clear time is of the essence.

With my support, Congress has answered President Zelenskyy’s calls for additional humanitarian and security assistance by passing legislation to provide $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. That same measure also provided additional resources to support our national security, increasing defense investments by roughly 6 percent.

While Europe’s most significant conflict in more than 75 years continues, security concerns around the globe remain as America’s adversaries in other parts of the world continue to look for vulnerabilities as well. As the free world rallies in support of Ukraine, other aggressors have taken the opportunity to escalate their postures.

In March, China announced a 7.1% increase in its military budget. This increase outpaces China’s 2022 GDP growth rate target and continues China’s aggressive trend of increased military investments, nearly tripling their military spending over the last decade. The Chinese Communist Party’s denial of the independence of Taiwan is rightly another concern as China continues to seek any advantage it can toward reclaiming the island territory.

North Korea has fired or attempted to fire 14 missiles during ten rounds of launch tests in 2022 alone. Despite the failure of the most recent launch, North Korea’s ambition to develop missiles capable of reaching the U.S. is a serious threat and should be treated as such.

On March 13th, an Iranian missile barrage hit near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Thankfully, there were no American casualties, and the consulate itself was not struck, but the attack is clearly an attempt by Iran to test our country and our leaders.

The Iranian missile strike also raises more concerns about the trajectory of the Biden administration’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. Reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been one of President Biden’s most misguided foreign policy priorities. Iran is negotiating while continuing its malign practices. Congress should rigorously utilize our oversight capabilities to ensure we are not further empowering our adversaries.

As the world grows more dangerous, we must provide our military and defense experts the resources they need to ensure America has a strong defense posture at home and abroad. The interests of freedom are being tested, and America must stand firm against those who challenge us and our allies.