Press Releases

Today in the House Armed Services Committee, Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith was one of six Members of Congress to oppose the Weldon amendment to gut key provisions of H.R. 850, the Security and Freedom through Encryption Act.

Joining Smith in opposition to the Weldon amendment were Democrats Loretta Sanchez, Marty Meehan, Baron Hill, Ellen Tauscher, and Republican Mary Bono.

Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith will join other members of the centrist New Democrat Coalition today to unveil a tax cut proposal that is touted as the reasonable, pro-growth, and pro-family alternative to the $864 trillion Republican tax cut package.

Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith voted against a Congressional pay raise yesterday and has promised to donate it to local schools and education programs.

The pay raise is an automatic cost-of-living-allowance for all Members of Congress of $4,600 for the year 2000.

"I voted against the pay raise because I don't think Congress has regained the trust of the American people enough to justify it," Smith said. "That is also why I will donate my $4,600 pay raise to local schools and education programs."

Fresh off a recent tour of Silicon Valley, the New Democrat Coalition unveiled their E-genda today and criticized House Republicans for failing to include a permanent extension of the research and development tax credit in their tax cut package.

Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith will host a summit in August to bring public officials and leaders of the high-technology community together for a discussion of high-technology policy issues.

The summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 11, at the Bell Harbor Center in Seattle. Tentatively scheduled is a press conference on Tuesday, August 10, at 3:00 with key participants at a location to be determined.

Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith's amendment to H.R. 1501, the Child Safety and Protection Act, passed today with a 412-15 vote.

"This amendment encourages states to keep the most violent and dangerous criminals off the streets," said Smith, a former prosecutor for the City of Seattle. "I am pleased that the House overwhelmingly passed the amendment, which was recently passed by the Senate with 81 votes."

Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith, a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, today voted for the Fiscal Year 2000 Defense Authorization bill, which passed.

"The Department of Defense Authorization bill will go a long way towards meeting our defense needs," Smith said. "Perhaps most importantly, it provides a much-needed pay raise for the men an women serving our country, reforms the military retirement structure called REDUX, and increases funding for military housing and installations."

Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith today was appointed to the Democratic Task Force on Technology, a group of approximately 15 Members of Congress who will outreach to the technology community and advise House Democratic Leadership on technology policy.