{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DCDFC60D-8AAE-483A-BBB5-20F3981B6976", "Weekly Column: Small State, Big Impact", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Kristi Noem", "N000184", "noem.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Rep. Kristi Noem \r\n\tThe swearing-in ceremony on January 3 marks the official start of the 115th Congress, but our work to prepare for these next two years has been ongoing for months.\r\nLast summer, House Republicans introduced a once-in-a-generation blueprint for the reforms we feel are necessary to move this country forward.\u00a0 In late December after most of Congress had gone home for the holidays, I \u2013 along with just 23 other members of the House Ways and Means Committee \u2013 came back to Washington to hammer out two critical sections of this blueprint: tax reform and healthcare reform.\r\nOn tax reform, we worked on a framework for a simpler, flatter and fairer tax code. Coming from a state that has zero income tax, I wanted to share a real-world example of the economic benefits of a lower tax rate.\u00a0 As a busy mom, I wanted to speak to the importance of a simpler tax return \u2013 one that may even be simple enough to fit on a postcard. As an experienced small business owner, farmer and rancher, I wanted the tax code to incentivize growth in the American economy.\u00a0 And as a taxpayer, I wanted the loopholes to be closed and the IRS to be held accountable.\u00a0 Our work continues, but I\u2019m glad we were able to communicate this vision from the onset.\r\nOn healthcare reform, we plan to take immediate steps to repeal Obamacare.\u00a0 While we\u2019re still navigating the best legislative path from that point, we are committed to protecting the healthcare needs of all Americans. At our meeting in December, we worked through a number of ideas for creating a system that no longer relies on mandates, but instead ensures affordable access so families can choose what works best for them.\u00a0 This plan would deliver unprecedented freedom, empowering Americans to purchase the healthcare plan of their choice, manage how they spend their healthcare dollars, and access their electronic health records.\u00a0 Moreover, it would include tools that drive down the actual cost for delivering healthcare, an expense that is higher per person in the U.S. than almost any nation in the world. The only way health insurance is going to be affordable is if the delivery of healthcare becomes less expensive too.\r\nWith so much at stake, it was important to get a seat at the table for South Dakota during these debates.\u00a0 After all, there are challenges that come with having just one representative in the House.\u00a0 Places like Texas, for instance, have dozens of congressmen who can represent the state\u2019s interests on any given issue.\u00a0 A state like South Dakota, however, occupies just one of 435 seats, so making our perspective known requires a deliberate effort.\u00a0 Getting in on these types of conversations is one of the reasons I fought for a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee last Congress.\r\nOur state might be small, but we\u2019ve already had a major impact on what\u2019s expected to be an aggressive 2017 agenda.\u00a0 What\u2019s more, those contributions have helped establish the tone for the 115th Congress and set the legislative branch up to hit the ground running on Day 1.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DCDFC60D-8AAE-483A-BBB5-20F3981B6976"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9885889012366533, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}