The Ways and Means Committee of the United States Congress has focused its efforts in 2023 on addressing the needs and priorities of working families, small businesses, and farmers, while also ensuring transparency and accountability in government. Led by Chairman Jason Smith, the committee has made significant strides in advancing solutions to the challenges facing the country.
Chairman Smith expressed the committee's commitment to working families, stating, "The Ways and Means Committee hit the ground running in 2023 - refocusing the Committee's work on the needs and priorities of working families, small businesses, and farmers, while simultaneously restoring its oversight responsibilities." He emphasized the importance of bipartisan agreement on critical issues such as healthcare and trade policies.
Throughout the year, the committee has held a record number of hearings, with a 127% increase compared to the previous year. These hearings have allowed members to gather information and insights from various stakeholders, including workers, families, farmers, and small businesses. Chairman Smith highlighted the importance of engaging with local communities, stating, "Held 7 official field hearings and site visits in communities across America to hear directly from workers, families, farmers, and small businesses about policy changes needed to improve their lives in the Biden economy."
One of the committee's key achievements in 2023 was the enactment of substantial welfare reforms, which represent the most significant changes in a generation. These reforms include strengthening work requirements in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, promoting work, and lifting more Americans out of poverty. Additionally, the committee has advanced tax relief measures for working families, Main Street businesses, and farmers through the American Families & Jobs Act, while also protecting American innovation and competitiveness.
The committee has also played a crucial role in ensuring transparency and accountability in the Biden Administration. Chairman Smith highlighted the committee's investigation into President Joe Biden's role in his family's foreign business dealings, stating, "A sizeable portion of our work this year has been in doing what, unfortunately, the Committee failed to do last Congress - shine a light of transparency and accountability on the Biden Administration." The committee has established an IRS Whistleblower online portal for secure submissions from employees regarding any wrongdoing at the agency, and has released over 1,000 pages of whistleblower-provided evidence and testimony.
In addition to its legislative efforts, the committee has been actively engaged in international trade negotiations. It successfully enacted a trade agreement with Taiwan, reaffirming Congress's Constitutional authority over trade. Furthermore, the committee has altered the course of OECD global tax negotiations by exposing the potential loss of U.S. revenues to foreign nations.
Overall, the Ways and Means Committee's work in 2023 has been dedicated to advancing the interests of working families, promoting transparency and accountability, and addressing the challenges facing the country. Chairman Smith expressed the committee's commitment to continue fighting for working families in the new year, stating, "That investigation will continue into the new year just as we will continue to fight for working families."
Through its efforts, the committee has demonstrated its dedication to the American people and its commitment to strengthening working and middle-class families. As the year comes to a close, the impact of the Ways and Means Committee's work in 2023 will continue to resonate in the lives of Americans across the country.
To learn more, click on this link: https://waysandmeans.house.gov/in-2023-ways-means-committee-fought-for-working-families/
