S E113: Inside Ways & Means: Jason Smith on Trump, Voter Trust, and the Big Tax Cut :: Ep 113 Try That in a Small Town Podcast
S E113: Inside Ways & Means: Jason Smith on Trump, Voter Trust, and the Big Tax Cut :: Ep 113 Try That in a Small Town Podcast  
Podcast: Try That in a Small Town Podcast
Published On: Mon Jun 15 2026
Description: Chairman Jason Smith of the House Ways and Means Committee joins the Try That In A Small Town podcast from CMA Fest in Nashville. He breaks down what the powerful Ways and Means Committee actually does and how it touches every American’s life through taxes, trade, Social Security, Medicare, and more.  Jason opens up about his small-town Missouri roots, being a fourth-generation farmer, raising white buffalo, and why he still lives in the same rural community he represents. He explains how he took the Ways and Means Committee on the road to 32 states to listen to working families, small businesses, and farmers before writing what he calls the “Big Beautiful Bill” – the largest tax cut in U.S. history, including no tax on tips and overtime.  The conversation gets candid on Social Security’s future, election integrity and slow vote counts in places like California, and what happens when people lose trust in the system. Jason also shares behind-the-scenes stories of working closely with President Trump – from grilling him for three hours on every line of a 103-title tax bill in the Oval Office to the now-famous “red button” that just orders Diet Coke.  Along the way, they talk CMA Fest, Jason’s obsession with Reba, the Chiefs, Mahomes vs. Brady, cleaning up Washington, D.C., and why he believes the founding fathers’ values are really small-town values. Jason closes with a powerful story of a single mom whose $10,000 tax refund changed her life – and why that’s why he still fights for small towns and working families.  Timed highlights  2:00 Who is Chairman Jason Smith and what is the Ways and Means Committee?  5:13 CMA Fest, first concerts, and Jason’s country music roots  7:11 The Ozarks, one of America’s poorest districts, and small-town values  8:14 Reba superfan stories and being starstruck in DC  10:02 How the guys first met Jason at the South Dakota Governor’s Hunt  11:49 Nashville’s Bluebird Café, songwriting, and music in DC  13:06 Jason’s priorities: working families, small businesses, and farmers  14:19 White buffalo, donkeys named Bill, Hillary, Chelsea, and Hunter  15:29 Growing up poor in a trailer, farm life, and why that shapes his politics  19:15 Taking Ways and Means to 32 states and writing the “Big Beautiful Bill”  20:20 No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and tax ideas from real Americans  22:06 Social Security history, FDR, and why both parties will keep it  23:35 Will Social Security ever go away? Jason’s answer and insolvency warning  26:49 How Jason became the youngest Ways and Means chair since before the Civil War  29:01 Inside the steering committee and what it takes to win the gavel  32:31 Life on call with President Trump and 5:30 a.m. texts  33:00 Three-hour Oval Office grilling on the “Big Beautiful Bill”  35:07 The Diet Coke button story and a handwritten note after Jason’s dad passed  37:34 Elections, slow vote counts in California, and voter trust  40:31 Why “every vote counts”: Jason’s one-vote victory story  43:03 Chiefs fandom, Mahomes vs. Brady, and elite QB mindset  48:19 How Trump cleaned up Washington, D.C. and made it feel safe again  51:39 What do you buy a president for Christmas and Trump’s generosity with guests  52:14 Jason presents a Congressional Record honoring “Try That In A Small Town”  54:57 Why the song struck a nerve in small-town America  56:24 The waitress, a $10,000 refund, and how tax policy changes real lives  59:19 Jason’s schedule, gym routine, and juggling DC with life back on the farm  1:01:21 Final thoughts on serving small towns and inviting listeners to DC  ______________________________________________________________________________________________SPONSORS: The Try That in a Small Town Podcast is powered by e|spaces!Redefining Coworking - Exceptional Office Space for Every BusinessBook a tour today at espaces.comFrom the Patriot Mobile studios:Don’t get fooled by other cellular providers pretending to share your values or have the same coverage. They don’t and they can’t!Go to PATRIOTMOBILE.COM/SMALLTOWN or call 972-PATRIOTRight now, get a FREE MONTH when you use the offer code SMALLTOWN.Original Brands - Our original sponsor since the beginning!!Original brands is starting a new era and American domestic premium beer, American made, American owned, Original glory.Join the movement at www.drinkoriginalbrands.comPeacemaker Coffee CompanyFounded by retired police officer/chief Chris Morris, Peacemaker delivers clean, low-acidity coffee while supporting police, firefighters, EMS, military, veterans, teachers, dispatchers, and medical personnel through donations and programs.https://www.peacemakercoffeecompany.com/________________________________________________________________________________________________Follow/Rate/Share at www.trythatinasmalltown.com -For advertising inquiries, email info@trythatinasmalltown.comProduced by Jim McCarthy and www.ItsYourShow.coSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.