Lloyd Smucker wants to reignite the American Dream. He believes this can be achieved by working to increase economic opportunity for everyone, reining in Washington’s out-of-control spending, and providing regulatory relief to small businesses so they can expand and create jobs.
Prior to being elected to Congress, Rep. Smucker owned and operated the Smucker Company for 25 years, and grew the small business to eventually employ more than 150 people.
He served two terms in the Pennsylvania State Senate where he chaired the Committee on Education. In that capacity, he pioneered reforms to increase accountability in education spending and worked to ensure Pennsylvania students had access to quality education. Rep. Smucker led the charge to hold elected officials accountable by proposing reforms to the ethics guidelines. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, he made it a priority to rein in spending and built a reputation as an independent-minded conservative who seeks creative solutions to complex problems.
Congressman Smucker introduced the Seniors Healthcare Choice Act (H.R. 1845) to relieve seniors of a lifetime penalty for seniors who enroll in Medicare past the age of 65. Today, a senior who chooses to maintain their employer-sponsored health care plan through COBRA coverage, instead of Medicare, faces a lifetime late-enrollment penalty on their future Medicare plan. H.R. 1845 would end this lifetime penalty, providing seniors the flexibility to enroll in Medicare at a time that best fits their needs, without the threat of a burdensome and unnecessary financial penalty. Learn more about the bill here.
Congressman Smucker introduced the Strengthening our Pediatric Workforce Act to help address our nation’s pediatric medical workforce shortage. The medical community is facing a severe pediatric physician shortage for numerous fields of specialty. These vacancies are negatively impacting the delivery of care, often leaving families who are caring for a sick child with no other choice but to travel to a hospital that can provide the care they need or wait weeks or months to see a specialist. This bipartisan legislation will address America’s growing pediatric physician shortage by creating a new grant program for children’s teaching hospitals to make additional residence positions available for pediatric specialists. Read more about this bill here.
Congressman Smucker voted in support of the American Health Care Act to help ensure Pennsylvanians have access to the care they need at a price they can afford. The bill repeals the Affordable Care Act and returns regulatory power to the states—where it belongs—so that governors can run state-specific programs instead of a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach. H.R. 1628 also ends Obamacare’s costly mandates and provides both a market-driven system that will lower premiums, and tax relief to hardworking Americans to help make health care affordable. Read more about this bill here.
Congressman Smucker cosponsored and voted in support of legislation to protect all seniors’ access to Medicare coverage regardless of their health conditions. The Affordable Care Act established the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) as a way to reduce Medicare spending. The board is charged with making Medicare cuts without Congressional oversight or input, giving the 15-member board unchecked power over Medicare spending which would directly impact seniors’ access to the care they deserve. Read more about the bill here.
Congressman Smucker cosponsored and voted in support of legislation that would make it easier for small businesses to offer more affordable and comprehensive health care coverage. The Small Business Health Fairness Act would empower small businesses to band together through association health plans to negotiate health insurance costs on behalf of their employees—providing quality care at a lower cost. H.R. 1101 passed the House of Representatives on March 22, 2017. Following passage in the House, the U.S. Department of Labor promulgated a final rule to expand access to affordable health coverage through Association Health Plans. They are expected to be offered to consumers this fall. Learn more about these plans here.
Congressman Smucker voted in support of legislation to expand and modernize Health Spending Accounts (HASs). H.R. 6311 increases benefit flexibility and allowable uses to make health care more affordable. This bill passed the House of Representatives on July 26, 2018. Read more about the bill here.
Congressman Smucker voted in support of the Right to Try Act to allow terminally-ill patients who have exhausted all other options to try medications that have passed basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety protocols but have not yet completed the full, multiyear approval process. This passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed into law on May 30, 2018. Read more about the bill here.