The National Club Association (NCA) recently interviewed Representative Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) to discuss his views on clubs, COVID-19 relief, health care, taxes and other critical club issues. Smith has represented Nebraska’s Third District since 2007 and serves as ranking member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures and as a member of the Subcommittee on Health. Prior to being elected to House, Smith served in the Nebraska State Senate for eight years and served his hometown as a member of the city council. He and his wife, Andrea, reside in Gering, Neb., with their son, Ezekiel.
You have served on your city council, in the Nebraska Unicameral legislature and in Congress since 2007. What got you into politics and what keeps you going?
I was first introduced to politics by my grandfather, who was a union activist and ardent Democrat. While we often disagreed, our discussions drove me to become more interested and thoughtful as I considered issues surrounding our government. I am a sixth-generation Nebraskan and find great pride in being able to serve my home district and give my fellow Nebraskans a voice in Washington.
The National Club Association represents private clubs around the country, including golf, country, city and athletic clubs. Clubs face many of the same issues any small business wrestles with every day: health care costs, taxes, labor policy and environmental issues. What’s your view on the government’s role in fostering a healthy business climate?
This past year especially, we have been reminded of how crucial small businesses are to our communities. Small businesses are the foundation of main street America, and I am pleased with the unprecedented, bipartisan work we did last year to keep as many small businesses as possible open with workers on their payrolls. Every entrepreneur has taken risks to get to where they are, and as a government our goal should be ensuring reasonable, consistent rules of the road for every business while fostering an environment which rewards hard work and skill appropriately.
NCA has been a leader in bringing resources to clubs around the country in response to the coronavirus and made those resources available to all clubs regardless of membership in the association. There have been stories about communities coming together to help those struggling with a seemingly ever-changing response to the pandemic. How have things gone in Nebraska? Where do you think more attention needs to be focused now that we’re one year into this?
I am proud of the way Nebraska has handled the coronavirus pandemic. In Nebraska we are fortunate to have an unemployment rate of just 3%, and nearly every business I speak with is desperate for workers to fill good jobs, just as they were before the pandemic. I have had three goals from the beginning of the pandemic: defeating the virus, reopening schools and reopening businesses. Moving forward those need to remain our goals, with a focus on support for states that encourage businesses and schools to progress expeditiously toward safely returning to full capacity, if they aren’t doing so already.
Can you speak to the different kinds of clubs you’re familiar with, from the Capitol Hill Club, a long-time and valued member of the NCA in Washington, to golf clubs across Nebraska?
The Capitol Hill Club has served as a staple for members of Congress, staff and professionals in Washington for decades. Patrons of Capitol Hill gather to discuss business and hold meetings, all while enjoying the club’s great dining facilities. In Nebraska’s Third District, the Sand Hills Golf Club is known for its one-of-a-kind design that’s made it the 9th ranked best golf course in America. The Prairie Club is another golf club known for its unique courses that draws crowds from across the nation. Both clubs provide a Scottish links-type golf experience, which is unique in the U.S., and are continuously considered some of the best courses in the world. I am proud to have them both in my home district.
Congress has allocated roughly $6 trillion toward supporting the economy and responding to the pandemic. Per capita, only Japan and Sweden have spent more. President Biden is now proposing an additional $3 trillion for infrastructure and other items. Are you concerned about the rate of spending affecting the economy and what do you expect for individual tax rates?
Infrastructure was a persistent issue for the four years of President Trump’s term, and it is no surprise it continues to be a focus under President Biden. While I am open to allocating additional resources to infrastructure, our focus should be on infrastructure that matters most to American families like roads, bridges and access to utilities like broadband. We must also work to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles which slow permitting and unnecessarily make projects more expensive, or we won’t see the fullest possible benefit of our investment. I am also concerned that proposals to offset this spending with general tax increases will hurt families when we are just beginning to reopen our economy.
The Affordable Care Act has been in effect for more than 10 years now. Do you expect to see any changes to the law this year and how will it affect health costs?
President Biden has already said he wants to make permanent the recent expansions to ACA premium subsidies that were included in the recent stimulus bill. In Nebraska’s Third District, I speak regularly with families who could afford monthly health insurance premiums prior to Obamacare, but who now pay premiums of over $30,000 per year because of ACA regulations that preempted the coverage they already had and were happy with. Rather than throwing even more money at this problem, we should address the ways ACA rules are driving up premiums and address the issues with cost and access on a market basis, which will reduce our overall health spend.
NCA is supporting legislation called the Personal Health Investment Today Act (PHIT Act), which would allow people with a health savings account to use up to $1,000 for an individual and $2,000 per couple toward fitness-related expenses. The aim of the bill is to allow people to invest in their health rather than only on sickness. The bipartisan bill has been introduced in the Senate and will be soon in the House. Is this an approach you could support?
I previously cosponsored the Personal Health Investment Today Act and intend to support it again this Congress when it is reintroduced. Health savings accounts are a valuable tool which provide people with important flexibilities in maintaining their health, and I think the goals of the PHIT Act would complement the existing flexibilities and increase the utility of these accounts.
You serve on the House Ways and Means Committee and as ranking member of the Select Revenue Subcommittee. What do you see coming up during this session of Congress?
Right now, our primary goal needs to be getting Americans back to work. I frequently hear from employers who need employees, and vice versa. As we continue to combat the coronavirus, our priority in Congress must be connecting workers with jobs so that we can reopen and rebuild our economy. The Ways and Means committee also plays an important role when it comes to improving rural access to health care. The pandemic has shown how valuable telehealth can be in safely connecting patients and their providers while eliminating the need to travel long distances, and I hope we can continue reducing barriers to those services.
Immigration is another issue of interest to the NCA and its members. House Democrats have already passed several immigration bills. With the ongoing crisis at the southern border, do you see any potential path for bipartisan action on immigration? H-2B visas are of particular interest to clubs. Why has it been so difficult to get additional visas through Congress?
Our country is a beacon of freedom and opportunity, but our legal process must be upheld and abided by to ensure the continued existence of such opportunity. I believe President Trump would have gladly worked with Congress on a comprehensive immigration plan, but many immigration advocates were too willing to give up possible improvements to hold out for more of what they want. In order to see any real change, both sides of the aisle will have to come together to reach a solution to the border crisis and establish a better system going forward.
How important are associations like the National Club Association and how can the voice of clubs best be heard in Washington?
Associations play an important role in connecting people with one another while also serving as advocates. Associations like the National Club Association provide unique opportunities for representation that the members of their society are seeking. I encourage all associations to meet with members of Congress to provide insight and express their concerns.
You get to choose a foursome for a round of golf: one Democrat, one Republican and one member of the PGA or LPGA. Why those three and where would you play?
The PGA golfer I would choose is Nate Lashley, he is originally from Scottsbluff, Neb., and his success has made all of us in his home district proud. I would have to choose my brother Aaron Smith as the republican golfer. Aaron is a great golfer and is always reminding me of the therapeutic value of the game. The democrat golfer I would pick is Doug Leafgreen, the local mayor at the time I served as a city council member. Doug and I worked well together and got a lot done for our community. We would have to travel back home to Nebraska’s Third District and play at either the Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen or The Prairie Club in Valentine. The unique design of the courses at both clubs are recognized and sought after worldwide. It would be a disservice as a representative of Nebraska’s Third District to not bring my guests to either club, so I would have to cheat and play 9 holes at the Sand Hills Golf Club and 9 at The Prairie Club!