Jason Smith is a 7th generation Missourian. A 4th generation owner of his family’s farm, a citizen-legislator, and a champion for the rights and values of rural Missourians. After serving from 2005 to 2013 in the Missouri General Assembly – rising to become Speaker Pro Tem – Jason was elected to Congress in 2013. Jason served in House Leadership as Conference Secretary during President Trump’s term in office, then became Republican Leader of the House Budget Committee in 2021, where he led the fight and exposed the wasteful Washington spending that led to the fastest cost-of-living increase in 40 years.
In January 2023, Jason was selected to chair the historic Ways and Means Committee – the oldest committee in Congress. At 42, he is the youngest member to chair the Ways and Means Committee in modern times, and he is the first Missourian to lead the committee since John Phelps – the namesake of Missouri’s Phelps County – in 1859.
As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Smith’s top priority is delivering for the working families, farmers, and small businesses that make the American economy the envy of the world. That’s why, under Smith’s leadership, the committee is traveling outside the marble halls of Congress to hold its hearings so that Americans who can’t afford to make the trip to the nation’s capital have the opportunity to shape the policies that impact their lives every single day. Whether it’s lowering taxes, providing regulatory relief, or ensuring our trade policies put American workers first, Smith is partnering with the American people – not lobbyists or special interests – to get America back on track.
Jason comes from humble roots and learned the value of hard work growing up in Salem, Missouri. He attended Salem High School, where he was an active member of FFA. At the University of Missouri-Columbia, Jason earned degrees in Agricultural Economics and Business Administration. After receiving degrees from both programs in three years, he attended law school at Oklahoma City University and graduated at the age of 23. In 2021, Jason was rated as the top conservative in the Missouri Delegation by the American Conservative Union; he is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and a supporter of the pro-life movement and traditional values. Jason attends Grace Community Church in Salem.