From Trailer Park to Congress (feat. Chairman Jason Smith)

Summary

Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley – "From Trailer Park to Congress" (feat. Chairman Jason Smith)

Podcast: Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley
Release Date: June 16, 2026
Guest: Chairman Jason Smith, U.S. House of Representatives
Host: Savannah Chrisley
Theme: A candid conversation about rising from humble beginnings to Congressional leadership, bipartisan legislative wins, championing foster care reform, and the real-life impact of major new policies.

---

Episode Overview

Savannah Chrisley sits down with Chairman Jason Smith, the youngest ever leader of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, to discuss his extraordinary journey from a Missouri trailer park to becoming one of the nation's most influential policymakers. The episode explores Smith's commitment to working-class Americans, the inside story of landmark legislation (“the one big beautiful bill”), bipartisan efforts for foster care reform, and personal reflections on faith, motivation, and being “the people’s chairman.”

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Background and Motivation

• Smith’s upbringing: Raised in a single-wide trailer in rural Missouri by a preacher/auto mechanic father and a mother who worked at a lawnmower store. First in his family to graduate college, earning two degrees from Mizzou by age 20.
  • “Growing up most of your life in a single wide trailer, I just wanted to have a better quality of life.” — Chairman Smith [02:35]
• Overcoming shame and embracing roots:
  • “The longer I was in Congress, the prouder I got of how I was raised… It allows me to be a better representative. The district I represent is the ninth poorest in the country.” — Chairman Smith [04:04]
• Fuel for ambition:
  • “When someone tells me, Savannah, you can’t do it, I absolutely will do it.” — Chairman Smith [17:48]

2. Foster Care Reform & Bipartisan Wins

• Fostering the Future Act: Crafted in partnership with First Lady Melania Trump, aimed at supporting foster youth as they age out of the system.
  • “Every Republican, every Democrat in Congress voted for and passed the Foster and Future initiative.” — Chairman Smith [07:17]
  • “Right now, when they age out of the system, they’re literally just patted on the back—good luck. 40% end up in jail. 3% go to college. This is helping, giving them a hand up.” — Chairman Smith [07:45]
• Churches & adoption:
  • “We have enough churches that if one church adopted a child out of foster care, we’d have none left in the system.” — Savannah [08:14]

3. Media, Politics, and Bipartisanship

• Reality vs. media narratives:
  • “Probably 70% of all the legislation that passes Congress is extremely bipartisan. But it won’t get the attention… if it doesn’t bleed, it’s not going to lead.” — Chairman Smith [10:13]
• Reflecting America’s diversity:
  • "Elected representatives are reflective of who sends them to Washington. Southeast Missouri is totally different than San Francisco." — Chairman Smith [11:05]

4. Writing the “One Big Beautiful Bill”

• Bringing Congress to the people:
  • “My first committee hearing as chairman wasn’t in D.C., it was in a lumber yard in West Virginia. We hit 32 different states in two and a half years.” — Chairman Smith [21:34]
• Signature tax reforms:
  • “No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, tax relief for seniors, increasing the child tax credit…” [23:16]
  • “We helped everyone. It doesn’t matter if you were from a poor family or a wealthy family, you benefited.” [26:25]
  • Memorable story: “A single mom with three kids got a $10,000 tax refund—she’ll be able to pay rent for a year and buy groceries. That’s life changing.” [25:48]

5. Trump Investment Accounts & Economic Opportunity

• Universal ownership:
  • “Michael and Susan Dell donated $6.25 billion for the Trump investment accounts. Every child in the lowest 80% of zip codes under 10 years old gets $250 in an index fund.” [30:35]
  • “If a child is born from January this year for the next four years, they’ll receive $1,000 seed money…” [32:00]

6. Healthcare System Challenges

• Insurance vs. true care:
  • “Health insurance is not healthcare… People’s health care decisions are dictated by what insurance will provide or not.” [36:41]
  • On infertility coverage: “How can the Republican Party sit and say we’re pro-life, but not force insurance to make these reforms?” — Savannah [36:18]

7. Energy Policy & AI Data Centers

• All-of-the-above approach:
  • “We changed it to make the tax code incentivize all forms of energy… not just solar or wind.” [38:44]
• AI Data Centers & U.S.-China Competition:
  • “Chinese dollars are coming into non-profits to create opposition to data centers… China wants to lead in AI, control your data, be dominant.” [42:27]
  • “If our allies can help, great. But we cannot be reliant on countries that want to see us fall.” [45:00]

8. Pro-Life Policy Beyond Abortion

• Consistency in “pro-life” values:
  • “You don’t get to pick and choose who you’re pro-life for… If you don’t care about [returning citizens], care about yourself—because they will be your neighbor.” — Savannah [47:26]

9. Reflections on Faith and Centering Values

• Guiding principles:
  • “God, family, and country—my three priorities, in that order.” [19:39]
  • Inspirational verse: “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) [20:19]

10. Economic Reality for Working Families

• “Affordability is the number one issue… The ninth poorest district—family of four makes just in the low $40,000s.” [49:52]
• On gas prices: “They’ve never reached the highs under President Biden.” [51:04]
• On wage growth: “Wages grew more in President Trump’s first year than all four years combined under Biden.” [53:09]

---

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the significance of his background:
  • “I believe the fingerprints of that kid that grew up in a single wide trailer and then upgraded to a double wide… are on everything I do.” — Chairman Smith [21:34]
• On drive and naysayers:
  • “If someone tells me I can’t do it, I absolutely will do it.” — Chairman Smith [17:51]
• On lasting legacy:
  • “I hope that whenever my time as chairman is over, people can refer to me as the people’s chairman… I just want to make sure my fingerprints, who I’m fighting for, is delivering for them.” — Chairman Smith [55:29]
• Advice to kids from humble backgrounds:
  • “You don’t have to wait in line. You just have to be the best one in the line.” — Chairman Smith [19:10]
• On policy literacy:
  • “We need more politicians to talk to the American people in a way they can understand.” — Savannah [58:41]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Smith’s Background & Upbringing: [01:29]–[05:12]
• Shifting Shame to Pride: [03:19]–[05:12]
• Foster Care Reform & Bipartisanship: [05:56]–[10:13]
• Political Media, Bipartisanship Realities: [10:13]–[11:41]
• Educational Fast Track & Early Career: [11:41]–[12:41]
• Overcoming Naysayers & Young Voices in GOP: [17:27]–[19:25]
• Faith & Staying Grounded: [19:39]–[20:50]
• Writing the “One Big Beautiful Bill”: [21:21]–[23:16]
• Explaining Ways and Means Committee: [24:36]–[25:47]
• Signature Tax Relief Stories: [25:30]–[27:00]
• Trump Investment Accounts: [30:35]–[32:34]
• Healthcare System Critique: [36:41]–[38:08]
• Energy Policy & AI Data Centers: [38:08]–[45:00]
• China’s Influence on U.S. Policy: [42:27]–[45:00]
• Pro-life Policy Consistency: [47:26]–[49:21]
• Economic Concerns & Real Working Family Issues: [49:34]–[53:08]
• Legacy & Being the ‘People’s Chairman’: [55:29]–[56:26]
• Rapid Fire Policy Terms Explained: [57:06]–[58:41]
• Listener Q&A on Taxes, Foster Youth, & Future-Proof Careers: [59:11]–[64:25]
• Personal Reflections on Progress: [63:27]–[64:25]

---

Listener Questions & Answers (Selected Highlights)

• Q: "How does the no tax on tips deduction actually work?"
  A: “You can deduct up to $25,000 of tips a year… Absolutely tax free.” — Chairman Smith [59:11]
• Q: "Is anything really permanent in this bill?"
  A: “The majority is permanent… Individual tax rates, child tax credit, standard deduction, and more. What’s not permanent: no tax on tips, overtime, Social Security—they’re through this president’s term but may be extended.” [61:07]
• Q: “Advice: AI or trade?”
  A: “Do both. Trade jobs, like welder, plumber, are AI-proof. But also learn to use AI.” [62:54]

---

Takeaway

This episode is an accessible, heartfelt deep-dive into policy for everyday Americans, driven by Smith’s real-world experiences. It’s a rare behind-the-scenes look at how landmark bipartisan legislation is shaped by listening to constituents, the value of humble roots in government, and the practical impact of new policies for millions. Savannah’s bracing honesty and Smith’s directness make this a must-listen for anyone curious about how authentic public service can still shape American life.

---

Most Memorable Moment

“I just want to make sure that my fingerprints—where I came from, who I’m fighting for—is, is delivering for them.”
— Chairman Jason Smith [55:29]

---

(Summary excludes advertisements and sponsor messages in accordance with instructions.)

Transcript

[Commercial Narrator]

This Father's Day at Lowe's, we have extra big deals for a very limited time so you can get dad the gift he's been wishing for. Get a free select Craftsman dewalt or cobalt battery when you buy a select combo kit. Plus save $90 on a Kobalt 24 volt battery, string trimmer and leaf blower combo kit. Now $129. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Ballot through 615 while supplies last selection varies by location. You're listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact you might not know yet. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. Pop over to progressive.com, answer some questions, and you'll get a quick quote with discounts that are easy to come by. In fact, 99% of their auto customers earn at least one discount. Visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little cash back. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings of $946 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings will vary.

[Savannah]

Welcome back to this week's episode of Unlocked. I am super excited for today's guest. As you know, on this podcast, we love talking about all things that happen in our country and the people that it affects. So today I have Chairman Jason Smith. Welcome.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Thank you for having me. It's great to be with you.

[Savannah]

Of course. I was super excited about this. Your story is absolutely insane. I mean, when you look at where you came from, you came from a single wide trailer in Missouri. Your dad was a preacher. Auto mechanic. Your mother worked at. They did batteries, right?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Lawnmowers.

[Savannah]

Lawnmowers.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Brickenstraden.

[Savannah]

Yes. So your mother worked there and you went to Mizzou.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That's right.

[Sponsor Voice]

You went there.

[Savannah]

What? Graduated at 23?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

20.

[Savannah]

20.

[Sponsor Voice]

Wow.

[Savannah]

Okay, so you graduated at 20 and you were on the fast track. And that's not really the story of someone who came from what you came from, you know, and so I'm just super excited to kind of dive into all of that. And I think starting like growing up the way that you grew up and now you being the youngest chairman of the oldest committee in our government is absolutely insane. Did you ever see that for yourself?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You know, I did not. Like you said, growing up most of your life in a single wide trailer, I just wanted to have a better, better quality of life. And I was the first, first in My family to ever graduate college. And when I had the opportunity to get elected to Congress at 32 actually 13 years ago today.

[Will (IQ Bar Founder)]

Wow.

[Savannah]

Congratulations. The anniversary, I guess it's also your birthday's coming up.

[Sponsor Voice]

It is.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And I celebrate the whole birthdays for the whole month.

[Savannah]

I'm that way too.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

It's the only way to do it.

[Savannah]

It is.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I mean it's your month.

[Savannah]

You only get it one time. You only get that number one time.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So yes, make the best of that number.

[Savannah]

Exactly.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

But whenever I first got elected to Congress, I was very shy in sharing my background and like how I was raised because I thought people would look down upon me or, or think less of me.

[Savannah]

But I think especially you're taught that like if you don't come from X, Y and Z, you're supposed to feel shame about this. And unfortunately that just carries with you. You know, I hear my parents talk about like growing up and my dad's parents worked in a textile factory and picked cotton and all of these things. And it's just like that's how he grew up, you know. But there is a sense of, I think shame that goes along with it. Cause you're like, I don't have what the other kids have.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That's exactly right. But the longer that I was in Congress, the prouder I got of how I was raised. You know, my parents, what they taught me, you know. And it's also who I believe that the Republican party has become. And that's the party of the working class, working families, small businesses, farmers. And it was such a great experience to grow up in my family, you know, like visiting my grandparents farm, which I now own today and where, where I live. So to just like wash my hands, we had to pump water out of a cistern of a well outside, you know, they had an outhouse, they had no indoor plumbing. I didn't realize that that was unusual, but it was unusual. But I'm so thankful for those experiences because it allows me to be a better representative. The district I represent is the ninth poorest in the country out of 435.

[Savannah]

Wow.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So it's the Ozarks, very similar to Appalachia. And so being that I came from that environment, it's very easy to represent your friends and neighbors.

[Savannah]

Yeah, I love that. And I have said just watching you and the things that you do. Yes, you are a Republican. People who listen to my podcast obviously know where I stand and how supportive I am of the administration. But I think with the things that I've watched You do. It's not Democrat and Republican thing. It's just a humanity thing. It's a person thing. I mean, you know, the big, beautiful bill is absolutely amazing. We'll definitely go into that. But also the fostering the youth is huge. I think.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I'm so proud of that.

[Savannah]

Yes. So that's something I love. So Fostering the Future act was actually. Went through the House, passed unanimously, and it was alongside first lady Melania Trump, which I absolutely love, because that's something that she stood beside. And how was that for you? Just standing next to her, you know, and having these things happen?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I mean, Savannah, the first lady, like you said, she's an exceptional lady. So impressive. Very intimidating whenever I'm in the room with her. She's so smart. You just don't want to say anything.

[Savannah]

I could see that, like, very.

[Sponsor Voice]

Just after.

[Savannah]

After watching the documentary. She is very particular, you know, that she knows if she says something, she's going to stand beside it, and she knows what she's saying.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So good. She contacted me. We've been working on her initiative, Fostering the Future, putting it into legislation. And she's like, I want to do a bipartisan roundtable with your committee members at the Ways and Means Committee. And I. I felt like maybe she just needed to do it with just Republicans because I was afraid that the Democrats would not be nice to her because they're. They.

[Savannah]

They can be.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

They don't like her husband.

[Sponsor Voice]

Yeah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You know, you don't know how they'll. They'll respond. But it went so well. The Democrats even said nice things about her after it was over with. And we ended up every Republican, every Democrat of the committee, and every Republican and Democrat in Congress voted for and passed the Foster and Future initiative. Now it's over in the United States Senate. And it's so important, because what this does, Savannah, it helps foster kids. The kids that are the most needed. And right now, when they age out of the system, they're literally just patted on the back. Good luck with life. And 40% end up in jail. 3% is all that goes to college. And so this is helping, giving them hand up. The first lady told me she's like, jason, I want to use my power and influence as the first lady of the United States to help these foster kids.

[Savannah]

Wow. I love that. I work a lot with the Jockey Underwear family, and they have their own foundation for kids in the foster care system. And one of the stats that I heard was for, we have enough churches in this country that if one church Basically adopted a child out of foster care. We would have no kids in the foster care system.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Wow.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That's incredible.

[Savannah]

Which was ab. Like, when I heard that, it absolutely blew my mind. And then that made me think, okay, so what are we doing wrong when it, you know, as a preacher's kid, Right. Like, what are we doing wrong in our churches that now we have all these kids in foster care? You know, like, when are. When are we going to step up and when are we going to do something about it?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

We could always do better. You know, before I was ever elected to public office, I was an attorney for foster kids. And so I saw firsthand children that had been abused or neglected and was pulled out of their home and put into foster facilities. The needs are so real. The needs are so real. So blessed. See some good stuff happening. For those who don't have lobbyists in

[Savannah]

Washington, D.C. and people don't realize the world of Washington, D.C. like, that's. It's very cutthroat. And these lobbyists, if you don't have one, it's hard to get anything done. That's how. When I look at my whole situation and I'm like, I never one time hired a lobbyist to do what I needed them to do. I just did it. But that's not normal. You know, people don't realize. And I love, too, when you go back and you talk about, you know, when Melania was, you know, speaking to all of you guys, that Democrats and Republicans unanimously all voted to pass this, and then when she left, Democrats even had positive things to say about her. Do you think that we are coming together more than what the media likes to portray?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So, Savannah, probably 70% of all the legislation that passes Congress is extremely bipartisan, but it. It won't get the attention because if it doesn't bleed, it's not going to lead. Usually what you see are the. The Kardashians in Congress is what I would say that like to get clicks and not really try to legislate true, effective legislation for the American people. They just try to get attention. 70% gets done, but it's not covered in the news. What is covered is that 30%, that. That creates a lot of controversy.

[Savannah]

And that's the thing is you have these news outlets that want to preach, oh, we need to come together, we need to come together. But they are the ones that. That are helping to contribute to the divisiveness of the American people.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Absolutely.

[Savannah]

So it's not the politicians themselves, it's the media and how they're portraying it.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You know, I tell everyone that elected representatives are reflective of who sends them to Washington. They really are. They're. They're a combination. And so a lot of times that's why you see the extreme personalities is because of, of the areas that sent them. Because southeast Missouri is totally different than San Francisco, California.

[Savannah]

Yes, it is.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

New York City is so different than even Miami, Florida. So it's, it. We have a very diverse country. It's what makes us so great, though.

[Savannah]

I love it. So going back because I am still in such awe of just your education and how you did what you did, coming from what you came from. You got what, two degrees in just a few years?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I did. I got two degrees from the University of Missouri. Go Tigers. By the time I was 20, I even took like 27 credit hours in one semester because I knew what I wanted to do. And I figured that if I would take more classes, I could save on room and board because I was paying for my way through school with what I didn't have in scholarships. And working as has a I. I worked in the sporting goods section at Walmart in Columbia, Missouri. Like selling guns. So was it helped me get through get through college okay?

[Sponsor Voice]

So I've been rethinking my wardrobe lately in a real way. I got to a point to where

[Savannah]

I had a closet full of stuff

[Sponsor Voice]

and nothing I actually wanted to reach for. And I realized what I was missing was just basics that actually feel good. I mean, pieces that are easy also elevated at the same time. That's exactly what quince is. And I keep coming back to them because the quality is genuinely there and I'm not lying. Also, the price makes zero sense for how good it feels. I've been living. When I say living, I mean living in the 100 European linen wide leg pants and the linen short sleeve shirt. You best bet this is going in my suitcase for the Cayman Islands. Both of them are so breathable and effortless and they look like I spent way more than I did. I mean, I actually checked the price twice because I couldn't believe it. And here's the thing about quints. It is not just the linen. Their denim is soft and wearable in a way that most denim never is. Their organic cotton sweaters are perfect for summer nights when the AC is blasting everywhere you go. And they've also expanded into home kitchen and bedding now too. So it's really become the place I go when I want something that feels elevated without the ridiculous markup. Everything at Quinn's is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands because they cut out the middlemen and work directly with ethical factories. You're paying for quality and craftsmanship, not just a brand name. Linen pieces starting at $32. When I tell you it truly is that simple, elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quince.com/unlocked for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Quite n c e dot com unlocked for free shipping and 365 day returns. Qu dot com unlocked you're listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact you might not know yet. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. They make it super simple. Pop over to progressive.com answer some questions and you'll get a quick quote with coverage options tailored to your choices. Plus you'll see which discounts you may qualify for like the online quote discount or savings for paying in full. In fact, 99% of Progressive Auto customers earn at least one discount. See if you could save when you switch to Progressive. You'll feel good about making a savvy choice. Visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little extra cash back Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings of $946 by new customer surveyed who saved with Progressive between June of 2024 2025. Potential savings will vary.

[Commercial Narrator]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Sponsor Voice]

I want to tell you about Rula. Rula is a healthcare company that actually makes this whole process feel manageable. Partner with over 100 insurance plans and the average copay for patients is just $15 per session. That's real therapy from licensed professionals at a price that actually makes sense. And here's the thing, they don't just match you with whoever's available. Rula looks at your goals, your background, your preferences and gives you a curated list of licensed in network therapists who are actually aligned with what you need. No wait list, no frustrating back and forth appointments available soon as tomorrow. Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high quality therapy that's actually covered by Insurance. Visit rula.comunlocked to get started. That's R U L A.comunlocked. you deserve mental health care that works with you and not against your budget.

Ever notice how life's best stories don't happen in your living room? They happen on the open road, out on the water or parked under the stars. At Progressive, they get that you want to focus on the experience, not worry about the what ifs. That's why they offer quality insurance designed for your ride, whether That's a boat, RV or motorcycle. Adventure with confidence. Visit progressive.com and see how easy it is to protect your favorite way to get away. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in D.C. prices vary based on how you buy.

[Savannah]

What was it that made you want to do it? Was it, I need to prove someone wrong? I need to. I need someone to see me do this. What was it?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So I think it's multiple factors, but one that really, really affects me is drive. When someone tells me, savannah, you can't do it.

[Savannah]

Oh, see, I already know where you're going with this.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I absolutely will do it. Because like it just whether it was to become chairman of the House Ways and mean.

[Becca Tobin]

Yeah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

They told me, you haven't waited your turn. There's people with more seniority. You can't do this.

[Savannah]

Okay.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And I was like, I'll show you. I'm going to do it. And it's the same way with, when I ran to Congress, I had to beat 26 other Republicans just to win the Republican nomination to run for Congress. When I ran for State rep at 24 years old, I was told by the then speaker of the House, the governor, is that I was too young, I couldn't win. Guess what? I won.

[Sponsor Voice]

See?

[Savannah]

And that's what I see. Now I have said that if we don't get younger, more conservative voices into play and the Republican Party, the party will cease to exist eventually.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Exactly right. You have to have those fresh ideas, the fresh, fresh voices. I'm really excited about a lot of the candidates for Congress right now.

[Savannah]

Yes.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You have a 28 year old in Iowa that just won the Republican nomination on Tuesday.

[Savannah]

Wow.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And he's a phenomenal candidate, but he's just one of so many that's across the country.

[Savannah]

And why do you think we're seeing an influx in these younger voices?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I think that they've been inspired. They've been inspired to make a difference. And, and you don't have to, you don't have to wait in line. You just have to be the best one in the line.

[Savannah]

I love that.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And you can get it done.

[Savannah]

I love that. And in the work that you do, you know, obviously we've spoken about. Your dad was a preacher. Do you see that showing up, like, how you were raised in that environment? Do you see that showing up in the work that you do today?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Without a doubt. It's the basis of everything I say, that God, family, and country are my three priorities, and in that order. And that's extremely important. It's how I was raised. Very thankful for it. And know that God has his will in everything that we do, and it all works out.

[Savannah]

And when you're sitting there at the Capitol, when everything gets loud, is there something that comes to mind to you, that eases you? Whether it's a Bible verse, whether it's a moment at home with your family, what is it that kind of settles you back down?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So my favorite Bible verse is one that I really hold dear. It's Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. And so whenever I'm going through some of the toughest times, I know that he's there and it'll be okay. It'll be fine. And, you know, it's. It's a tough time, but I'm so thankful that. That I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I know where to turn to at all times.

[Savannah]

Yeah, I definitely think we've seen kind of a revival in the Christian faith ever since Charlie obviously, was assassinated. I think just seeing the younger group, I've seen it firsthand with, like, my brother and his college at the University of Alabama. Just so many of these kids just finally looking for something to believe in.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So great.

[Savannah]

Yeah, it's absolutely amazing. And so when you are, as we've said, I mean, you wrote the one big beautiful bill, which is.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That was fun.

[Savannah]

Absolutely amazing. That is one of the biggest accomplishments that anyone could ever have. And when you're writing these bills, how does that kid that grew up in a trailer show up?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You know, I believe the fingerprints of that kid that grew up in a single wide trailer and then upgraded to a double wide.

[Savannah]

Now that's an upgrade.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That was an upgrade. We doubled. But everything that's within it, the whole. The whole way that I ran the committee to create the one big beautiful bill is because of who. Who I represent, where I come from, what I did my first committee hearing, Savannah wasn't in Washington, D.C. as chairman, I did it in a lumber yard in Petersburg, West Virginia, in Appalachia. And it was called State of America's Economy, Appalachia. I brought in working moms. I brought in coal miners. Coal miners, farmers and small business owners. Just the issues that they were facing. I then took the entire Ways and Means Committee to Yukon, Oklahoma, to a farm farmers and ranch gas producers. We then went to Peachtree City, Georgia, to a factory and heard from factory workers and small business owners. And ultimately we hit 32 different states in two and a half years.

[Savannah]

Wow.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And that is where we got the information and the priorities of the 103 different tax titles that was in the big beautiful bill. When you look at working class priorities like no tax on tips, no tax on overtime tax relief for seniors, increasing the child tax credit, increasing the standard deduction, no tax on auto loans made in the United States, I could go on creating the Trump investment accounts. These are all transformational for working families.

[Savannah]

Yes. And I think what I love most is you said you spent two, two and a half years traveling all around. You have so many politicians who are not willing to truly get in the mud. You know, they're not willing to go out to their constituents. They're not willing to go out to places and see it firsthand. They want to go off of hearsay and, oh, I heard it's bad here or there. But no one's really going out and doing the research themselves.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You have to. And it's incredible. When you leave Washington, D.C. and you go out to what I refer to as real America and visit with everyday common citizens, there's so many Americans that can't even afford to fly to Washington, D.C. use that expense to talk to their legislators. So we need to come to them. I took the Ways and Means Committee to a homeless shelter in Chicago to talk about work requirements, because the Ways and Means Committee people don't realize how important it is.

[Savannah]

I would say it is.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You can say that again.

[Savannah]

Yeah. People do not realize how important it is. It is probably the most powerful sector of our government, in my opinion. Can you explain to people the importance of the Ways and Means Committee and what exactly you do?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Absolutely. The Ways and Means Committee, like you said, is the oldest committee in all of Congress. It's the only committee that actually grants its authority from the Constitution. It's over all revenues that come into the United States. So that's over $5 trillion. So all tax policy, all trade policy, all of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid was created in the Ways and Means Committee. And then you have welfare programs, plus we have oversight over the irs, cms, various entities. So you're pretty busy.

[Sponsor Voice]

I.

[Savannah]

Absolutely, yeah. I mean, like I said, arguably one of the Most important jobs is what you have. So what would you say in the tax bill? What is something that went in there that may not have gone in there if someone that grew up super wealthy would have written it?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That's a great question. I, I don't know if we would have ever gotten the no tax on tips and the no tax on overtime.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And if you look at the filings this past year, seven and a half million Americans use the no tax on tips deduction.

[Savannah]

Wow.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Savannah. I had this young lady that came up to me in southeast Missouri two months ago and she's like, congressman, I just want to say thank you. I just got my tax refund back and it was over $10,000. She's a single mom with three kids who's a waitress that works overtime. And she said, because of that tax refund, I will be able to pay my rent for an entire year plus some groceries. That is life changing. And that's in fact why we wrote this policy, is to help those everyday Americans. But we helped everyone.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

It doesn't matter if you were from a poor family or a wealthy family, you benefited because we, we treated everyone, Everyone the same.

[Savannah]

Well, yeah, I think it's kind of like at the end of the day, if you're working overtime, it doesn't matter how much money you have.

[Sponsor Voice]

Right.

[Savannah]

Like you're working overtime to provide. So why should we tax you on that, on your tips? If you're going out here serving people, why should we tax you on it? It doesn't matter if you're Democrat, Republican, it does not matter your social status, it doesn't matter anything. Everyone should be treated the same name.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That's exactly right.

[Sponsor Voice]

Visit goodgirlrx.com and use code UNLOCKED15 to get 15 off at checkout. Medical care is provided by licensed physicians. Not all patients qualify. Good Girl Rx is a female focused health and wellness company built around the belief that women deserve better access to care and better conversations about their health. Through our telehealth platform, women connect with licensed medical providers from the comfort of their own home. During your virtual appointment, a doctor reviews your health history and goals and if clinically appropriate, may discuss prescription treatment options as part of a personalized plan. Those Options can include GLP1 medications like tirzepatide, as well as wellness therapies such as nad, depending on what your provider determines is right for you. Every treatment plan is individualized, medically guided and based on your specific needs, not trends or one size fits all solutions. I'm the founder of good girl Girl Rx and this is my personal experience. For me, the biggest shift wasn't just physical, it was finally feeling heard, supported and honestly cared for without shame. Everyone's journey is different, results vary and not everyone qualifies. But access to real medical guidance can be life changing. Visit goodgirlrx.com and use code UNLOCKED15 to get 15% off at checkout. Medical care is provided by licensed physicians. Not all patients qualify.

This message is sponsored by IQ Bar.

[Will (IQ Bar Founder)]

Hey, I'm Will. I started IQ Bar because I couldn't find a protein bar that wasn't loaded with sugar and unpronounceable ingredients. So I decided to make my own. IQ Bars are ultra low sugar packed with protein, fiber and brain boosting nutrients like magnesium and lion's mane. And they got zero weird ingredients. And if you've been meaning to try them, now is a great time. Because right now you can get 20% off all Iqbar products plus free shipping when you visit iqbar.com and enter promo code BAR20. Whether you're at your desk, on the road or mid workout, iqbar has functional, clean and delicious options for every occasion.

[Sponsor Voice]

Now you can get 20% off all IQ Bar products plus free shipping when you visit iqbar.com and enter promo code BAR20. To get 20% off plus free shipping, go to iqbar.com and enter Promo Code BAR20. That's iqbar.com promo code BAR20.

When you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on track because there is no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts and hard to find parts, you can get what you you need fast and all in one place so nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. Call 1-800-granger-cranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

What is that?

[Commercial Narrator]

Oh yeah, it's a World cup holder.

[Sponsor Voice]

Like the soccer tournament World cup holder

[Commercial Narrator]

for the world Fits every car, holds every cup.

[Sponsor Voice]

It has a Carvana logo.

[Commercial Narrator]

Carvana made it. They buy and sell cars so they made a car cup holder.

[Savannah]

So got any good cups lately?

[Becca Tobin]

Used to.

[Sponsor Voice]

Just couldn't figure out where in the world to put them.

[Commercial Narrator]

The World Cup Holder brought to you by Carvana. Proud sponsors of the World Cup Holder, sign up today to win [e-mail] not authorized or endorsed by FIFA. Not a real product for parodying fair

[Chairman Jason Smith]

use purposes only with people who work overtime you want to incentivize them to work overtime right now, before this, they were taxed even more for working overtime. And that's, that's not fair. And so it's, it's, it's making a huge difference in the lives of everyday Americans. The Trump investment accounts, though, I can't hit on that again. To me, that is my, my favorite piece of legislation within the one big beautiful bill, because it does not matter if a child is born on a county road or a city block, they are going to have the same opportunity. And you're looking at individuals like Michael and Susan Dell that are donating to every kid in America. They, they donated $6.25 billion for the Trump investment accounts. So every child under 10 years old in the lowest 80, 80% of zip codes will get $250 into their investment accounts. That will give them an ownership in today's economy that will be part of an index fund where they can use and it can be transformational.

[Savannah]

And so how does this work? If you're talking to the everyday person who may not understand these terms, how does this account work? How do people sign up for it? How does it benefit them? When do they see the benefits?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You can sign up now. There's been over 5 million kids that have signed up so far, but we need a lot more. And so just Trump accounts, that's all you have to put in your Google search or on AI, you will find it. It's very easy to sign up. If a child is born from January of this year, for the next three year, actually four years, they will receive a thousand dollars seed money into their investment account to allow them to have an ownership in today's economy.

[Savannah]

Wow. And parents can actually contribute to that fund as well?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Absolutely. Parents can contribute to it and also parents, employers, and also charitable organizations can donate to it. And that' you have, you know, great individuals like the Dell family that has donated to these funds.

[Savannah]

That's absolutely amazing. And whenever you're speaking about children, you know, I want to go back to the fostering the youth, because I think that is so huge. I think, you know, the chaffee was not modernized since 1999. And so what would you say the biggest change for a kid aging out at 18 is now?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So they're actually gonna have a hand up, you know, with the voucher program that has been more than doubled. It allows them to have so many other opportunities, whether it's technical schools, whether it's going to college, whether it's getting a job because your Voucher cap went

[Savannah]

from 5,000 to 12,000.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That's exactly right.

[Savannah]

Okay, so that. That's going to help them.

[Sponsor Voice]

How? What.

[Savannah]

That helps them. But also there's something. What does that mean also for, like, community college for them?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

They can attend a community college. They can use that towards community college. It's just a big step up right now. And there's multiple things within the chaffee program, the fostering the future legislation that we brought forward.

[Savannah]

So what can listeners do right now? Because obviously it's passed through the House. So what can listeners do who want to research this and maybe, you know, use their voices to make sure that this is passed in its entirety?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Where we need the help is the United States Senate. It's. It's over there. It looks like that it's gaining a lot of support. I don't see why it wouldn't. It's for the foster kids of today and tomorrow. And so just contacting your lawmakers makes a huge difference. Saying that you care about this and you support the first lady Melania Trump's fostering the future initiative and to finish it, this will be the first time in 30 years that we've had these kinds of reforms to the foster care system.

[Savannah]

And why do you think that is? Why do you think that it. Because I know for me, it feels like foster kids have just continuously fallen through the cracks when it comes to, you know, when it, when it comes to actual policy and it comes to D.C. it just has never really seemed like anyone's cared.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You have to make it a priority. And like, like I discussed just the Ways and means Committee with the jurisdiction from tax to welfare programs to foster care, to trade, Social Security, you, You have to have a fair balance in moving. You know, know, we passed the largest tax cut in U. S. History with the one big, beautiful bill. Okay, check that off now. Let's help. Let's help foster kids do something that hasn't been done in 30 years. It's the same way with, with health care and trade. We've, we've been focusing on so many health care items because if you just look at healthcare, the broken system, you know, it.

[Savannah]

Don't even get me started. It is like, like, it is absolutely insane. I was literally. I had a fertility specialist on my podcast a few weeks ago, and it was insane to hear the conversations that we were having. And when it comes to healthcare, you know, when a woman gets pregnant, you can't see an obgyn until you're 8 to 10 weeks pregnant. And I have Said to her, I'm

[Sponsor Voice]

like, we need to do reform around

[Savannah]

this, because, you know, how many lives you could save and how many miscarriages you could prevent if these doctors had to see a patient at the first sight of pregnancy? Like, how can the Republican Party sit and say, we're pro life, but we're not going to, you know, force insurance carriers to make these reforms.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Amen, sister.

[Savannah]

That's absolutely insane to me.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I love it. Savannah. No, you're exactly right. Health insurance is not healthcare, and that's the problem. So many people's healthcare decisions are dictated by what their insurance will provide for or will not provide for. And when you. I brought in the five largest health insurer CEOs to my committee just a couple months ago, and it was quite interesting. Like, I asked every one of those health insurers to just raise their hand, like, do you own medical practices? They all raise their hands. These are health insurers. Do you own PBMs? They all raise their hands. Even one owned a bank. Like, they're not health insurance companies. They're health care insurance.

[Sponsor Voice]

That's insane.

[Savannah]

That's absolutely insane. I even think. And you know something I want to challenge you on to make sure you get done is the cost of IVF for insurance carriers to have to cover that. It is absolutely insane. I just went through the whole egg retrieval process myself, and it was $30,000. And I'm grateful for the fact that I can do that, but most people are like, all right, I have to go through one round. That's all the money I have, and if it doesn't work, then I'm not gonna have a kid. And for me, I'm just like, how do we. We're going out here and again saying we're pro life, but yet we're not helping these women and couples. We're not helping them have kids any easier.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

We can always do a much better job.

[Savannah]

Yeah, I absolutely love just everything that you're doing. And also right now, what a big topic is. I swear, it's. My algorithms on social media are insane. The American energy policy under the big beautiful bill. Can you explain that to some people just in true. Just layman terms? Because people don't understand it. You know, people are sitting at home watching their electric bill go up, and they're like, why is this affecting me?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So the biggest. The biggest changes within the big beautiful bill when it came to energy policy was, for one, repealing a lot of the special tax giveaways of the Green New Deal. A lot of the, the various tax credits for electric vehicles and for windmills, to be honest. And solar panels. What we did, we changed it to make the tax code incentivize all forms of energy. Not picking and choosing whether it's solar or wind or it's natural gas, but or nuclear, let's do them all. And so that's virtually what we did. We helped try to streamline the permitting process for a lot of energy projects within the big beautiful bill. But there's a lot more, a lot more that can be done.

[Savannah]

And what I love too is within that you preserved batteries, which was a very forward thinking thing to do at the time. Because people don't realize that right now the topic of AI data centers are, it's huge. You have people who love it, you have people who hate it, and people just keep saying my energy prices are going up. Everyday people because of these data centers and they're not really well informed on that. Can you kind of set the record straight when it comes to these data centers and how the government is a huge advocate for it and the American people are like, you're an advocate for these big companies, but what about us?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Savannah, that's a big onion to unwrap. But I, I will do that. There's a lot of concerns, valid concerns for people to have in regards to the consequences of data centers coming into their communities. One, of course is those data centers. It takes a lot of power, power to power them. And so will it be taking power off of the grid that could affect the local, local individuals. But data centers have came up with alternatives like fuel cell technology, self generation where they're not taking off the grid so it wouldn't affect the, the, the local residents. So there is, there are ways to.

[Savannah]

Well, there are, there are some states not to interrupt you, but there are some states now that governors are actually signing orders that state, if you are having an AI data center, you must have your own power. You cannot pull from the grid. And I think that's why it was so important of, you know, like I said, very forward thinking with the batteries. Because with these batteries these AI data centers are now able to, you know, oil and gas, right? You take the stranded gas to power the batteries which then never touches the grid. And I think when you see people like Ilhan Omar in Congress that are talking so poorly about these data centers, I feel like it's such fear mongering.

[Sponsor Voice]

Granger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, filters ready to clog. H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So something that I will flag for you that should raise raise the eyes of a lot of your listeners too. For the last couple years we've been investigating under our oversight arm within the Ways and Means Committee, 501C3s and C4s and foreign dollars that's coming in from outside of the United States and put into these 501 C3s and C4s that create chaos and unrest, like organizing the protests that you see in la, New York, Minnesota. But what we have found recently is Chinese dollars coming into these non for profits and organizing opposition to the data centers throughout the country. Why is China doing that? China is doing that.

[Savannah]

They want to lead it.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

They are in a race. They are a race with United States. They want to control your data, they want to have all your information and they want to can be the leader and the one that's dominant on AI. It is scary to me that this foreign money is coming in to create unrest and chaos and opposition. Are there concerns with the data centers?

[Savannah]

Absolutely.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

But you can address every one of them if you go line by line, make sure the communities want it. The communities don't want it. Don't build there, don't go somewhere else, but do not go to China. We, we need them in the United States.

[Savannah]

Well, that's what I've said. I spoke to a college for Turning Point USA and one of these kids, you know, some of these kids show up very well informed even if they disagree with you. Some of their questions, I'm like, wow, you did your research, like way to go. But some of them, they're like, how can you stand behind these data centers, you know, just taking up all of this farmland? And I started laughing and I said, if you truly think people are coming in and just stealing farmer's land, you're just ignorant, honestly. And I'm like, these farmers got paid a really pretty penny for their land for these data centers and if we don't hop on board, we're going to be looking at China in 10 years, 15 years and saying, well, why are they so far ahead of us? And like what you just said, they're wanting us to do that. They're wanting us to look at them and say, I want to be where you're at. And they're making sure, they're trying to make sure that happens by putting all this money, dumping it here and trying to change the narrative.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Look what China has done with semiconductor and batteries. Like, they have literally swallowed up the competition. And so much of the world now is beholden to China. We're doing a better job. The President has really made an aggression, massive push for those supply chains to come back to the United States so that we're actually manufacturing them. We need to manufacture all things that, that affect our food supply, our energy supply, and health care. We cannot be reliant on other countries, especially other countries that aren't our friend, that love to burn our flag like we, we cannot be relying on them. If, if our allies can help us, that's great, great. But we cannot be reliant on countries that want to see us fall.

[Savannah]

Without a doubt. I absolutely love that just the way, just everything that you have done. I mean, like I said, the one big beautiful bill. We will never see something like that happen again in our lifetime.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You know, it's the, it's the largest tax cut in U.S. history that.

[Savannah]

Let me stop you. Everyone said would never happen.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

They said it would never happen. And that's why I pushed Savannah for one big bill. I had to convince Leader Thune. I had to convince the entire United States Senate. I spoke to the President numerous times laying out why I thought this was the best approach to get it done. And we were able to do it. And if we wouldn't have done that in one single bill, which is now the largest tax cut in the U.S. history, the most significant welfare reforms in U.S. history, the largest one time investment in securing the border created the golden dome for protection for the United States. It had so many provisions in there that people don't even talk about. People say that they're pro life. Well, guess what? We defunded Planned Parenthood in that bill. That, that's pretty big. When, when you look at people say, say we're pro Second Amendment, what has Congress done? Well, guess what? We eliminated attacks on the Second Amendment for the first time since 1925.

[Savannah]

Wow.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

100 years. So there's a lot of big things that, that we've delivered the promises that the President campaigned on.

[Savannah]

Yeah. And that's the thing, you know, when you speak about pro life, it's. I've had this discussion with some Republican members and you know, I Hear a lot of them preach, pro life, pro life. And I'm like, okay, so where do you stand with prison reform? And they're like, that's so good. What do you mean? And like, there was one in particular that we had some words, and I was like, you don't get to pick and choose who you're pro life for. Like, you want to sit and preach, I'm pro life. But what about these men and women who are behind bars who 97% of them are entering back into society? What are we doing to help them? What are we doing to make sure they enter back into society in a safer, faster manner? What? More educated? If you don't care about them, then care about yourself, because they're going to be your neighbor.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Savannah, that passion is incredible. And that is the passion of someone who would be a great, great public servant leading the charge.

[Savannah]

I love that. Trust me, I have heard it. But I'm like, do I really want my life to end?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Or, you know, it's just a different type of life?

[Savannah]

Yes, it is.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

It doesn't end. I'm still. Still breathing, but it's a different type of life.

[Savannah]

I will say, though, what I have seen at the Bureau of Prisons with director William Marshall has been amazing. Just the reform that's happening, the things that are changing, obviously we need more of it. I've said we would be so much more successful if we had head of Fortune 500 companies going in and saying, hey, six months before you get out, let's give them furloughs every single day to let them go in and learn. Learn a trade. Whether it's an in and out, whether it's at jockey, whether it's learn, start from the ground up and work your way up in these companies. You know, we need more of the Clean Slate act, which is huge, that I wish would be passed universally.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

It's just like those foster care kids that are aging out of the system when. When people are. Are aging out of the prisons. They need a help. They need to help to be productive citizens.

[Savannah]

Exactly. I trust me, I am passionate about a lot of things. But when you do, when you go back home, when you go back to your district, what are the constituents asking you? You know, because Your life in D.C. is very different than your life and

[Chairman Jason Smith]

in Missouri, you know, it's all over the board. But affordability is the number one issue right now. Savannah, like I said, the congressional district that I represent, the ninth poorest out of 435, a family of four in my congressional district makes just in the low 40s. And, and when they have seen gas prices that are four to five dollars, you know, $4 a gallon, well, and

[Savannah]

that's what's tough is, you know, and that's something that I have had people say to me. Right. But because people know where I stand, I feel like I owe the President my life for giving my family our life back. I stand behind him. I stand by his policies. But people say, like he touted lower gas prices, lower grocery prices, and look at how expensive gas is right now. It's easy for someone who is financially well off to say, well, it's just, you have to sit through the uncomfortability just for a minute because it's going to be comfortable on the other side. Right. Like it sucks right now, but it's going to be worth it in the end. But every day people don't see that

[Chairman Jason Smith]

we need these gas prices to go down. But what I will say, Savannah, is the gas prices are still lower right now than they were during the Biden administration. Even as high as they are are, they're still, they've never reached the highs under President Biden. But when you look at my congressional district, they're not driving electric vehicles.

[Savannah]

No.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And they're not driving gasoline trucks. They're diesel trucks. And diesel is$1.50 more than gasoline. And most of my people have to travel 25 to 50 miles one direction to go to work or to go to the store. And they don't have those fuel efficient cars driving a diesel pickup truck. So it's really affecting them. But I, I trust the President. I, I believe that this Iranian conflict will be over with.

[Sponsor Voice]

Yes.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And the gas prices will, will go down. The economy, I mean, the economy is doing well. We had Secretary Besson in our committee this week.

[Savannah]

I love him.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

He is such a fighter, Savannah. And does, does a great job and super smart. And I asked him a couple questions. I was like, what's the core inflation right now? And you know, he said 2.8%.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

What was the core inflation at this same point during the Biden administration? It was 6.4%. But, but Democrats are saying that, oh, we're raising it. It's 2.8%. When you're a guy and when you controlled the House and the senate, it was 6.4.

[Savannah]

Why can't we do something about the lies that are continuing to spread? Like why can people in Congress not be held accountable for just straight up lying, especially when you have the numbers to prove it?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Yeah, I guess it's a speech and debate clause that allows them to.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

To.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

To say whatever, but it's just. It's so crazy, Savannah. I'll set in the committee hearings and hear things, and I'm like, that's simply not true.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Like, you know, talk about wage growth to say that wages haven't grown. They've grown more in President Donald Trump's first year than all four years combined under Biden.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Can they grow more? Absolutely. Can we always do better? Absolutely. The president wants to make America great, and that requires every day to be better than the day before.

[Savannah]

Yep. Amen. I definitely am all for. You know, like you said, you sit here and you hear all these lies, and you're like. And it's. How is this happening? You know, we actually just went through this. And I will say, karma is real. It shows up. Maybe not when you want it to, but eventually it will show up. Our judge in our case, Judge Eleanor Ross, is the judge who just got reprimanded for having sex in her chambers. And you've probably seen this because Congressmen are now calling for her to be impeached. And it's a whole thing. And she wasn't even in her reprimand. She wasn't even named. This came out through another source, and now it's all over the media. But even in her reprimand, it was just like, write an apology to your clerks. But didn't even name her. Didn't even name the judge. And I'm like, so this judge is allowed to have sex in her chambers, Cheat on her husband? The clerks came out and said she barely even ruled on things, that she would just have the clerks write it up like it was crazy. And I'm like, when do these people get held accountable?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That's insane.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And that's the frustration that so many Americans have, is that they've seen. Seen things being done wrong. And. And it feels like that people aren't being held accountable. Whether it's what's happened in years past, the President Trump has been calling for the Justice Department to go after a lot of different things. And I. I think that. I think they're working on it. I think they're getting there. But we're impatient Americans.

[Savannah]

Yeah. We want it.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

We want it now.

[Savannah]

Yes, we do. And, you know, with all the work that you've done, I mean, you've done some amazing things. What do you want to be known for? You know, when. What do you want to be known for in history? When this Congress comes to an end,

[Chairman Jason Smith]

It's a great question, Savannah. You know, I hope that people will always see that my focus has been trying to deliver for working families and small business owners and farmers. It's big reason why I've taken the committee out of Washington to hear from real Americans and to try to deliver for them. I. I hope that whenever my time as chairman is, is over, that people can refer to me as the people's chairman because I think that that would be the most powerful thing. I'm just, I'm just a kid, kid from Salem, Missouri, that had the opportunity to serve in our nation's capital and to lead the most powerful committee in Congress. It's a blessing. Not everyone gets to do that. And I just want to make sure that my fingerprints of where I came from, who I'm fighting for, is, is delivering for them.

[Savannah]

I love that. I feel like you truly are a man for the people and, and not Congress. You know, like you're not trying to pacify the government. You're trying to make sure that the people are being treated right.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

They're your bosses. If the people don't like you, they'll get rid of you.

[Savannah]

They will. They will get rid of you. We know that. And so before we wrap up, I want to do a little game, a little rapid fire game. Okay, so you have 15 seconds to translate these terms for someone who has never set foot on Capitol Hill. So you're like the everyday person. Okay.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Obbba the one big beautiful bill. It's the largest tax cut for working families in US History.

[Savannah]

Chaffee program.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That is a program to protect and help foster kids of today.

[Savannah]

45x tax credit.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

45x is the production and manufacturing tax credit.

[Savannah]

Reconciliation.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Reconciliation is not what happens after a fight in Congress. It's in fact the rules to be able to pass legislation through the United States Senate by overcoming the filibuster with just 51 votes.

[Savannah]

Standard deduction.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Standard deduction is what 96% of all Americans use to file their taxes. It is just a one time line deduction, helping to simplify the taxes when they file them.

[Savannah]

Foreign entity restriction.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

These are restrictions that are put in on countries such as China so that they don't benefit from our tax incentives.

[Savannah]

Continuing resolution.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Continuing resolution is just a way to continue existing funding with zero changes.

[Savannah]

Ways and means.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Ways and Means is the best committee in Congress. I tell people Ways and means is all the ways to be mean if it's not done right. But it's a great committee that affects every, every individual's life.

[Savannah]

CBO score.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I Get frustrated with almost every CBO score. It's the Congressional Budget Office. Every piece of legislation that is filed has to have a score of what it would cost. And the CBO is.

[Savannah]

Is who doesn't see how easy that was? I've said we need more politicians to talk to the American people in a way that they can understand. So there is. We had some listeners write in some questions and so wanted to ask you these. We had one person say, I'm a server in Vegas and y' all told me my tips would not be taxed. Walk me through what exactly shows up in my paycheck this year.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

So the best way that they do it, the way that we. We made the no tax on tips, is you can deduct up to $25,000 of tips a year. And so that deduction can be on your taxes whether you itemize or whether you use the standard deduction that what we just discussed. So Basically your first $25,000 in tips is absolutely tax free.

[Savannah]

Wow. My family is one paycheck away from the edge. Did anything in this bill actually help me or is it just talked about.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Everything in this bill helps them. Let's think about the child tax credit would have went to a thousand dollars. Now it's $2,200 made permanent. If we wouldn't have passed this bill, Savannah, every single American would have faced a 21% tax increase as of January 1st of this year. So we prevented the largest tax increase in U.S. history from taking effect. Plus we made additional tax cuts, such as no tax on tips, no tax on overtime. Those had never been allowed, ever. And then no tax on Social Security, along with no tax and auto loan interest for autos made in the United States. And we increased the child tax credit. If we wouldn't have passed this bill, the child tax credit would have went from 2,000 to 1,000. Instead, it's 2,200, and it's permanent. The last time we had this level of permanency in the tax code was 1986 under President Ronald Reagan. So this was pretty transformational.

[Savannah]

Wow. That was my next question was how do we. What is actually permanent in the big beautiful bill for, you know, if a Democrat does come into office next and tries to get rid of it, what can they get rid of and what can they not?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Not pretty much everything. The majority is permanent. There's a few temporary provisions, but whenever you look at the individual tax rates, those are all permanent. Those aren't changing. When you look at the child tax credit, it is permanent. And indexed for inflation. Inflation. The standard deduction is permanent. And indexed for inflation. The death tax exemption is permanent. And index for inflation, bonus depreciation or 100% expensing for businesses is permanent. Research and development expensing is permanent. The interest deductibility deduction is permanent. I could go on and on.

[Savannah]

Wow.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

But the majority is permanent. What is not permanent is no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security. They're through this president's term. But I hope to think that my colleagues would work in a bipartisan effort to make sure that those provisions never expire.

[Savannah]

Yes, that. That would be a hope. Because there is no way that anyone on either side of the aisle could say that is not good for the American people.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And the reason why those provisions are not permanent is because they're new provisions. And that forces Congress to look at that. Okay, there's an issue with this provision. We need to make this change. And then whenever they extend it, they can. They can modify it to make sure it. It's working. Working better.

[Savannah]

Okay. I aged out of foster care at 18 with nothing. Will this bill actually help the kids coming up behind me?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Absolutely.

[Savannah]

I'm 24 and trying to figure out if I should learn AI or learn a trait trade. What is the honest answer?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I think you need to do both. A trade is one job that AI is not going to be able to take away. Welders or plumbers, electricians. That's not gonna. Accountants and lawyers are the ones that AI will make a big impact on. But use them both. Like have your technical trade, but also understand how AI works and how to utilize it.

[Savannah]

Yeah. What is something about being a chairman that would shock the kid you were back in Salem?

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That's a great question. You know, the kid back in Salem never even flew on an airplane until he was a senior in high school.

[Savannah]

Wow.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

And his first flight was to Washington, D.C. it was to. I had a scholarship to the Washington leadership conference with the ffa. And that absolutely changed my life. To think that my first time ever on a plane and going to Washington, D.C. was for a leadership conference of an organization that, without a doubt, Savannah changed my life. I couldn't speak in front of a group. Group of people until I was in the ffa. And now, now I'm chairman of the most powerful committee in that building. I don't think that kid in Salem ever saw that coming.

[Savannah]

I love that. Well, thank you so much for spending time coming here doing this interview. I feel like so many people needed to Hear the things that you've had to say and the impact that you've made just on this country and generations to come. Like, you will forever be known for it. So thank you, Savannah.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

You're so kind. And thank you for. For what you do and for having me.

[Savannah]

Thank you.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Hello and welcome to Pluto Foe. If you know the name of the movie you'd like to see, just stream it for free on Pluto tv where all your blockbuster favorites are landing all summer long. Catch Angel. Anchorman. The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

[Commercial Narrator]

Fantastic.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Men in Black, one through three.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

That's what I'm talking about.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Mean Girls.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

Shut up.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Titanic.

[Chairman Jason Smith]

I'm the king of the world.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

And so much more. For Showtime's press, Nothing. They're free 24. 7.

[Savannah]

That is so effective on Pluto TV.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Stream now. Pay never.

[Becca Tobin]

Hi there, it's Becca Tobin. I am currently the mother of a four year old, which means I have been through it. But I still have questions and maybe even a few answers. From surrogacy to toddler chaos, I have learned a lot and also not nearly enough. That's why I decided to launch Baby Gang, a six part series from the Lady Gang where I'm getting real about fertility, parenting and all the stuff nobody actually tells you. I'm bringing in some experts for the tough stuff and some other celeb moms and friends for parenting survival stuff. It's honest, it's messy, it's emotional, and yes, we are definitely laughing through it. Because whether you're in it, thinking about it, or just curious, we've got you. So join the Baby Gang wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sponsor Voice]

So here's how you can save up to 70% on your favorite brands. From rebel.com has everything for your home, family and life. From strollers to skincare at unbeatable prices. Every day, Rebel drops thousands of new products for up to 70% off. It's a constant stream of endless deals from brands like Uppababy, Nuna, Baby Bjorn, Nespresso, Breville, Wilson, Dyson, Caraway and more. Every listing is one of a kind and the best things go first. So you have to move fast. Save big on your favorite brands. Shop now for up to 70% at from rebel.com.