Jobs and Economic Growth

Congressman Smith is working to build an economy that creates so many jobs that everyone who wants to work can find one. To encourage more jobs, he works to lower taxes, eliminate unnecessary regulations, and limit frivolous lawsuits. All of these efforts make it easier to start and grow the businesses that provide new and better jobs.

The economy in the 21st District depends increasingly on research and development in the high technology industries and on the visions and energies of small businesses. Congressman Smith is working in a variety of areas to help build and support our local economy.

Education

Providing a quality education is the key to our future prosperity. Equal access to education is the best way to reduce social inequality. In the 21st District, we are fortunate to have good public and private schools and colleges, including the University of Texas in Austin. Congressman Smith supports expanding educational opportunities as a way to insure future economic growth. Math and science education are particularly important to our high technology industry.

Border Security

Those who are looking for work should not have to compete against people who have entered the country illegally. As a member of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, Congressman Smith has long supported the strong enforcement of our border security laws. The flood of illegal immigration across our borders lowers wages for hard working Americans and threatens our national security. He will continue to work to keep our borders secure.

Technology and Intellectual Property

Our high technology economy can flourish only if we have strong protections for intellectual property. Otherwise, researchers, inventors and creators will have no incentive to innovate. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, Congressman Smith is working hard to strengthen our intellectual property laws.

Nothing endangers the growth of technology like piracy whether it is physical or digital. In early 2005, a bill Congressman Smith introduced to fight piracy became law, and it has already resulted in prosecutions of intellectual property pirates.

In addition, he is working to reform our patent system. It is vital to the continued growth of our economy and it must be improved. And he is working on legislation that will update the music licensing laws for the digital age so consumers will have more ways to legally download music. All of these initiatives will help build the 21st District’s high tech economy.

Transportation

A major cost to businesses is the time and money lost sitting in congested traffic. We need vastly improved transportation in the 21st District. The comprehensive highway bill that President Bush recently signed into law is a start. As a senior member of the majority party, Congressman Smith obtained $12.8 million in transportation projects for the 21st District in this bill. These funds will go to highways, commuter rail, and bike trails. They will ease traffic congestion and help everyone be more productive.

Free Trade

Our borders must be secure, but they must also be open to commerce. Congressman Smith supported the recent passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. This agreement will open new markets in Central America for the export of Texas products. The growth from these new markets will increase jobs in Texas.

Energy

The high cost of gasoline and other fuels is also hurting job growth. Unfortunately, no quick and easy fixes to this problem exist. Rather, it is a long-term challenge that requires long-term solutions. We must begin switching to alternative sources of energy as quickly as we can. To encourage that, the recently passed energy bill included tax credits for those who invest in solar energy that Congressman Smith cosponsored. It also encourages hybrid and hydrogen vehicles. Congressman Smith continues to work on all these issues on the Science Committee.

As we are making this transition, we must also remove as many obstacles as we can to domestic oil production and refining. As Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath has shown, the fragile nature of our petroleum infrastructure threatens supplies and can raise prices. We must work to improve that infrastructure.

Lawsuit Abuse

The explosion of frivolous lawsuits destroys jobs. Money spent paying unjustified verdicts to trial lawyers is money that cannot be spent to grow businesses and create new jobs. Congressman Smith has introduced legislation to make it harder for lawyers to file frivolous lawsuits. This legislation recently passed the House and awaits action in the Senate. He was also a key player in the recent enactment of class action reform that will reduce abuses in that area.

National Security

Not all jobs are in the private sector. In the 21st District, many good jobs come from the military presence here. Congressman Smith has worked with community leaders and other Texas members of Congress to insure that the 21st District and the State of Texas come out winners in the base closing process, and he will continue to do so. Beyond that local concern, he supports a strong national defense and vigorous domestic law enforcement to keep us safe from terrorism.

Health Care

The cost of health care continues to skyrocket. We must do more to reduce health insurance premiums so that health insurance is affordable to everyone. Congressman Smith supports legislation to allow small businesses to join together to secure affordable health insurance for workers.

One reason for these increasing costs is the rising cost of malpractice insurance for doctors and other providers. Congressman Smith has sponsored legislation, which recently passed the House, to rein in the costs of malpractice suits while preserving the rights of patients to recover for legitimate injuries. These are a few of many steps we can take to bring down the cost of health care. We must also reform Medicare and Medicaid so that they deliver high-quality health care in a cost effective manner.

Veterans

Those who have served our country in the armed forces deserve our respect and gratitude. We must keep our promises to them, particularly in the area of health care.

Retirement Security

Those who have worked long and hard to provide for their retirement deserve a solid Social Security system. We must never cut benefits for older Americans. Unfortunately, for younger Americans, the system may not be solvent by the time they reach retirement age. The time to address that problem in a reasonable and effective way is running out. Congressman Smith supports finding a fair and common-sense way to correct Social Security’s long term solvency problem.

Environment

Congressman Smith is an outdoorsman who supports the protection of our environment. His recent 21st District environmental initiatives include getting funds for Austin’s clean water project, for bike trails in the region, and for the expansion of the boundaries of the Balcones Canyon Wildlife Refuge.