Press Releases

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) yesterday voted in favor of H.R. 1, legislation to implement many of the remaining 9/11 Commission recommendations. Smith was pleased that House Democrats acted so quickly during their new majority in Congress to make Americans safer. The bill passed by a vote of 299 to 128.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) today stated his opposition to a troop surge in Iraq. Smith met with President Bush and senior administration officials yesterday to learn more about the President's proposal.

"After the meeting I considered the President's argument and reviewed the available information, including the Iraq Study Group Report. In the end, even though I gave the President's argument due consideration, I don't find it persuasive. A troop surge is not the answer in Iraq," Smith said.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) today issued the following statement after voting to increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over two years. The bill, H.R. 2, passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives.

Today U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) and his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 6406, which will extend trade preferences for developing nations and to establish permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Vietnam. The bill passed by a vote of 212 to 184.

The measure extended the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) preference program for six months, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for two years, and a critical provision of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for five years, in addition to establishing PNTR with Vietnam.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) issued the following statement in response to the passage of S. 4046, a bill to extend the authority of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR):

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) today issued the following statement after joining his colleagues to pass H.R. 6111, a bill that extended certain tax deductions and included a temporary fix to physician payments under Medicare. The bill passed by a vote of 367-45:

I voted for this bill because of many of the good things it included. However, I was very disappointed several key provisions were left out of the final package.

Today the bipartisan Iraq Study Group (ISG) released The Iraq Study Group Report: A Way Forward - A New Approach. The ISG called for increased diplomatic outreach in the Middle East, for Iraqis to take responsibility for the security of their country, and the responsible redeployment of our troops from Iraq. These recommendations validate positions that U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) has held for some time.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) will join colleagues in meetings with both Speaker-designee Nancy Pelosi and President Bush this week to discuss the New Democrat Coalition's agenda in the 110th Congress, as well as the needs of his constituents.