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Smith visits Capitol, meets with congressional district delegation

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Freshman Congressman and former Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem Jason Smith, R-8, is visiting his district this week and spent some time in the Capitol building on Wednesday to reconnect with his former colleagues.

“I wasn’t really planning on staying so long but I just keep seeing old friends and colleagues and we get talking,” Smith said. “It’s nice to see those faces again, and to be welcomed so warmly.”

Congressman Jason Smith
Congressman Jason Smith

Smith is in the Capitol for the first time since the last day of the 2013 legislative session, which ended just a few weeks before Smith successfully won a special election for Missouri’s 8th congressional district. It’s Smith’s district workweek, and he said he’ll be meeting with the entire 8th district statehouse delegation on issues concerning their shared constituents.

“Sometimes a constituent ends up calling us for a state issue, or calling them on a federal issue, and I just want to make sure we’re keeping up our relationship with our lawmakers down here and that we’re aware of the constituents needs,” Smith said.

On the differences between state and federal politics, Smith lamented the importance of personal relationships on the state level, and the cynicism in Washington D.C.

“I’ve met with more than 100 members of both sides of the aisle in congress, and I do that just to meet them, get to know them, and to begin building a relationship,” Smith said. “And without fail, a few minutes into every meeting, they ask me ‘ok, so what do you want?’ And I don’t want anything, I literally just want to get to know them and build something.”

Smith said here in Missouri, he found close friendships, not personal agendas, often dictated negotiations. But in Washington, he says, everything is about seniority.

“Everything is about seniority and ‘what can you do for me?’” Smith said. “But I don’t want to wait 10 or 15 years to be able to do something great for my district.”

Smith returns to D.C. on Monday, where he said he’s hoping the Farm Bill, currently in conference, will be on the floor for a vote.

“We need that bill, not just my district but this country, we need it,” Smith said.