Rep. Adrian Smith

Six years ago, Washington managed to do something many people thought was impossible. Amidst President Trump’s first term and Democrat leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans and Democrats came together to enact the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

In today’s political environment, that kind of bipartisan accomplishment feels increasingly rare. However, it happened because lawmakers on both sides recognized how important trade with our North American neighbors is to American workers, manufacturers, and farmers.

Now, six years later, the joint review of USMCA is upon us — a moment of particular importance for Nebraska. While the agreement benefits the entire nation, its impact on Nebraska’s economy is especially significant.

More than 90 percent of Nebraska’s annual corn exports go to Mexico and Canada. From corn and soybeans to beef and ethanol, our producers rely on strong export markets to keep operations running and rural communities growing. In 2024 alone, Nebraska exported more than $1.6 billion in agriculture products to our North American trading partners.

This is why USMCA mattered then — and why it still matters now.

When the agreement was negotiated, it modernized outdated trade rules and included stronger labor protections, updated digital trade standards, and important safeguards for agricultural biotechnology. It was a major step forward and continues to serve as a model for future trade agreements.

But here is the reality: trade agreements only work when every country follows the rules.
As we approach the six-year review of USMCA this July, it is clear there is still more work to be done. Canada continues to create unfair trade barriers for American dairy producers, while Mexico has imposed restrictions and policies which create uncertainty for American agriculture and businesses.

Recently, I became concerned by reports that Mexico’s tax authority — known as SAT — has adopted aggressive enforcement practices targeting American companies operating there. These actions reportedly include retroactive tax interpretations, arbitrary audits, and burdensome appeals processes.

That is why I recently led a letter with 19 of my Republican colleagues to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, urging the administration to hold Mexico accountable ahead of the USMCA review.

The message was simple: Mexico should not be allowed to balance its budget on the backs of American companies while ignoring commitments made under USMCA. If the agreement is going to succeed long-term, enforcement must be taken seriously.

I also traveled to Mexico to meet directly with Mexican officials during the first round of bilateral negotiations relating to the Joint Review. These conversations are important because strong relationships matter, especially when discussing trade issues affecting millions of jobs and billions of dollars in commerce between our countries.

I believe there is a real opportunity to strengthen USMCA for the future — but only if all parties are willing to live up to the commitments they made.

As Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, I will continue working to expand markets for Nebraska agriculture and manufacturing, push back against unfair treatment of American producers and businesses, and ensure trade agreements work for the people who depend on them every day.

Nebraska producers compete with the best in the world, and I will keep working to ensure they have the opportunity to succeed.

On Memorial Day, we honor the brave men and women who gave their lives defending our nation. Their sacrifice secured the freedoms and American values we cherish, and their service will never be forgotten.

As we continue the Joint Review of USMCA I led a letter with 19 of my colleagues to U.S. Trade Ambassador Greer and Secretary Bessent, urging them to address Mexico's unfair tax enforcement policies targeting American companies.

Read my full letter below ⬇️
https://adriansmith.house.gov/media/press-releases/smith-leads-letter-urging-ustr-and-treasury-hold-mexico-accountable-ahead

In Congress, I work every day to make the American Dream more attainable by advancing commonsense policies that strengthen our communities, support working families, and preserve the values that make our nation great.

Yet none of the work we do in Washington would matter without the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who have defended our country with their lives. On Monday, May 25th, Americans across Nebraska and our nation will gather to honor those heroes during Memorial Day ceremonies and moments of remembrance.

Memorial Day is not simply a holiday marked by cookouts, ball games, and the unofficial start of summer. It is a sacred day set aside to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation so future generations could continue to live in freedom.

A day born in the shadow of the Civil War, one of the most painful and divisive chapters in our nation’s history. For “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself,” said Brevet Lieut.-Col. Edmund B. Whitman, after he oversaw the collection of thousands of remains across the war-torn South and created mortuary records of reburials in new national cemeteries.

Now, more than a century and a half later, those words still carry profound meaning. Even in a time of deep hardship, Americans understood the importance of coming together to honor those who had fallen in defense of the country they loved.

Today, despite our differences, we remain united in gratitude for the courage, sacrifice, and devotion of the servicemen and women who never returned home. We also remember the families who endured the absence of a loved one during service and now carry the never ending weight of loss. Their sacrifice is woven into the story of our nation just as surely as the sacrifice of those we honor on Memorial Day.

Every freedom we enjoy today—the freedom to worship, to speak freely, to raise a family, to pursue opportunity, and to live according to our beliefs—was secured at a tremendous cost. Generations of Americans placed duty above self, willingly stepping forward to defend liberties many of us too easily take for granted.

Here in Nebraska, the values of service, humility, and love of country remain deeply rooted in our communities. Memorial Day offers an opportunity not only to remember the fallen, but also to reflect on the extraordinary price paid to preserve the freedoms we enjoy each day.

As families gather across our state this Memorial Day, may we all take time to pause in quiet remembrance. Attend a local ceremony, visit a veterans cemetery, fly the American flag, or simply offer a prayer for the fallen and for the families who continue to bear the burden of sacrifice.

Because of their courage, our nation has endured. Because of their sacrifice, freedom lives on.

Every year, I am amazed by the level of talent displayed across Nebraska’s Third District during the Congressional Art Competition.

Congratulations to this year's winners:

First Place: Ava Paitz from Litchfield Public School with a piece entitled "Waiving Patriotism."

Second Place: Ariah Michelle Perez from Kearney High School with a piece entitled "Chill in the Night."

Third Place: Conrad Lichtenberger from Litchfield Public Schools with a piece entitled "Echoes of the Herd."

Fourth Place: Aubrey Matzen from Hastings St. Cecilia High School with a piece entitled "Jaguar - Henry Doorly Zoo."

Fifth Place: Jenna Holm from Litchfield Public School with a piece entitled "The Golden Harvest."

Please join me in thanking our brave first responders and praying for all of those impacted by last night's severe weather across Nebraska.

My staff and I stand ready to assist in any way possible.

Tornadoes, hail, flash flooding reported across southeast Nebraska Severe storms were seen across southeast Nebraska on Monday.

Please join me in praying for all of those impacted by last night's severe weather in Howard County.

My staff and I stand ready to assist in any way that we can as you begin to recover from this devastating event.

Howard County Emergency Management confirms two homes destroyed by tornado near St. Libory, Nebraska Howard County Emergency Management confirms two homes near St. Libory have suffered heavy damage from a tornado that passed through the area early Sunday evening.

My staff will be hosting a mobile office hour tomorrow, May 19th, for constituents in Harlan County.

If you have thoughts to share or need assistance with a federal agency, please stop by to see how my office can help!

Smith Announces Upcoming Mobile Office Hour for Harlan County Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03) announced today that his staff will hold a mobile office hour for constituents in Harlan County on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. This office hour is an opportunity for constituents to meet directly with a member of Smith's staff about federal issues, receive assistance with...