Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the House Committee on Ways & Means hosted a field hearing in Yukon, Oklahoma, examining the state of the economy for American workers, farmers, and families. Congressional Western Caucus Vice Chair Adrian Smith (NE-03) and Western Caucus Members including House Committee on Ways & Means Chair Jason Smith (MO-08), and Reps. Kevin Hern (OK-01), Frank Lucas (OK-03), David Schweikert (AZ-01), Ron Estes (KS-04), Blake Moore (UT-01), and Randy Feenstra (IA-04) participated.

“Oklahoma is a place where self-reliance and the frontier spirit run deep. Oil, natural gas, and agriculture built Oklahoma. America’s heartland is the story of the people who fuel, feed, and build our country, said House Committee on Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith. “Today, two thirds of all the energy produced in Oklahoma is exported across the country and the world. The state is the number one producer of rye, one of the top producers of beef cattle, and it has the fourth largest number of farms in America. And yet, Democrats in Congress and the White House have targeted communities like this one for the heavy hand of government regulation.”

“As a representative of Nebraska and a huge agriculture district it’s great to be here in an ag area of our country where we get to help feed the world. I think that is a task that sometimes we take for granted ourselves with the production here in America but the fact that the world is relying on us in so many ways it's important that we get it right,” said Vice Chair Adrian Smith. “We look at the employee shortage, the worker shortage, and how that triggers the supply chain disruptions and crisis. There’s so many things we really need to talk about and obviously there's diverse perspective here at this table and I hope that we as the American people and representatives those of us more specifically can have the discussions that we need to have.”

“Over the past few years our state has welcomed families and businesses both small and large from states like New York and California,” said Rep. Kevin Hern. “In fact, Census data shows that Oklahoma is among the top 10 states in the country where people are moving to. But while Americans can migrate to states with friendlier business climates, they still face an overbearing federal government and burdensome policies from the Biden Administration that stunt their growth.”

“I cannot think of a single industry in our state that is not directly impacted by the work this Committee does” said Rep. Frank Lucas. “The future of ag, energy, and manufacturing in Oklahoma and across the nation is dependent on tax and trade policies that work for these industries, not against them. I look forward to joining my colleagues learning more about the challenges Americans are facing in their own communities and how Congress can work to address those issues.”

“What’s honestly going on in our society,” asked Rep. David Schweikert. “For those of you in the oil patch, the meat processing, let's be honest, you don't need someone with a university degree, you just need someone who shows up.”

“Some of the folks in the D.C. bureaucracies and on the east and west coasts call this flyover country. But what we’ve seen here today – and many of us already knew – is that folks in Oklahoma, Kansas, and other states here in the middle of the country are the most vibrant, hardworking, dedicated, and patriotic people in America,” said Rep. Ron Estes. “Agriculture is a major industry, and it’s these men and women who feed, fuel and clothe our country, and the world.”

“We're working on figuring out what is the most important thing to do and what do we need to do to make sure that small business owners have what you need to thrive,” said Rep. Blake Moore.

“When I talk about the Heartland, I talk about Oklahoma, I talk about my state, Iowa. You know we are the Bread Basket to the world and it goes somewhat unnoticed,” said Rep. Randy Feenstra. “I never hear from President Biden about all the food that we're creating and that we're exporting and yet we do it and we work hard and we're very happy about doing these things.”

These Congressional Western Caucus Members and House Ways and Means Republicans heard from the following witnesses during the field hearing:

• Bryan Jackson, Owner, Route 66 Meat Processing
• Chuck Mills, Owner and President, Mills Machine Company Inc.
• Joe Brevetti, Managing Member, Charter Oak Production Co.
• Kelli Payne, Former President, Oklahoma National Stockyards

“The beef industry as a whole is in a tough spot. There is not much profitability for a rancher because the cost of fertilizer and feed is too high,” said Bryan Jackson. “We would be more profitable if we could process at a lower cost.”

“The lack of workforce and supply chain issues, combined with inflationary pressures, have made this economy the most difficult economy I have dealt with in over four decades. In January 2021, our raw materials increased by 25%. The following month, the prices increased again by 15%, and the next month, the prices soared again by 20%. These substantial price increases of 10% – 25% continued for eight months. At that point, our suppliers told us just to call to get the current prices,” said Chuck Mills. “All I ask is for Congress to please allow me to continue running this family-owned business so that I am able to pass it to the next generation. Respectfully, please encourage able-bodied Americans to return to the workforce. Please do not raise tax rates that would further restrict our cashflow. Please do not make it any harder for me to stay in business here in Oklahoma.”

“We don’t want special treatment. We just want a level playing field to encourage investment. Burdensome regulations and increased taxes on oil and natural gas production hamper the ability of companies like ours to put Americans to work and bring affordable energy to families across the country. Unchecked inflation has hit all Americans very hard, including us independent oil and gas producers,” said Joe Brevetti. “America needs more energy, not less. More energy for America equates to more prosperity for all Americans.”

“The struggles of drought are exacerbated by high input costs, including fuel, feed and other supplies. All these negative impacts have caused some ranchers to sell their entire herd and many have indicated that they won’t re-stock anytime soon, if at all,” said Kelli Payne. “We have enough challenges with Mother Nature; let’s not compound the problem with more regulations.”

Click here to watch.