Washington, D.C. - House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) announced that the Committee will hold a field hearing on the State of the American Economy: The South. The hearing will take place Friday, April 21, 2023, in Peachtree City, Georgia.

“The Ways and Means Committee has traveled over two thousand miles to hear directly from small business owners, workers, and families in Appalachia and the Heartland about the state of the American economy. It has become clear that families, workers, and small businesses are facing real challenges from an unrelenting inflation crisis, worker shortages, supply chain issues, threats from China, and other struggles facing small businesses. This Committee will travel to Peachtree City, Georgia to hear from folks in that community about the challenges they face in the Biden economy, and how Congress can create a little breathing room by enacting true pro-growth policies that help our economy turn around and help workers and families with more money in their pockets. Under my Chairmanship, the Ways and Means Committee will continue to partner with the American people to develop solutions that will reverse the course of the Biden economy and deliver results that will improve their livelihoods.”

Members will be joined by the following witnesses:

• David Bergmann, President, NAECO, LLC
• Alison Couch, Owner, Ignite Accounting
• Lisa Winton, CEO, Winton Machine Company
• Matt Livingston, Owner, Coach's Bar and Grill

Additional witnesses may be announced prior to the hearing.

How to Watch the Hearing:

Members of the press who wish to attend in-person should RSVP with the Committee staff listed above. Those who are unable to attend in-person can access a livestream on the Ways and Means Committee YouTube channel. NOTE: The livestream will not be available until the hearing starts.

About the Hearing:

• The House Committee on Ways and Means is amplifying the voices and views of Americans living and working in communities across the country. A key part of that effort is a strong emphasis on hearings that take important conversations about the future of the country beyond the Beltway.
• Ways and Means Republicans are taking the conversation outside of Washington so the views of Americans on the front lines of today’s economy – workers, small businesses, farmers, and families – are informing the policies coming out of this Committee and Congress.
• These conversations will focus on the impacts of the Biden economy including record-high inflation, increased input costs, labor shortages, combatting China, and challenges facing supply chains of critical importance. They will also focus on discussing tax reform policies and how Congress can utilize both tax and trade policies to strengthen the economy, and benefit small businesses, farmers, and families.
• The State of the American Economy: The South field hearing will take place in Peachtree City, Georgia, with more field hearings in other locations to follow.
• At the hearing, witnesses – drawn from the local community – will share their own experiences and be given a platform to discuss the challenges they face in today’s economy.
  • Inflation has cost the average household roughly $10,000 since Joe Biden became President.
  • Overall, real wages for American workers are down 3.5 percent since President Biden took office.
  • The average mortgage payment is 15 percent higher than one year ago.
  • Interest rates in the last year have increased more than in the previous 15 years combined.

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