Press Releases
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.
Today the House overwhelmingly passed H.R. 1259, the "Social Security Lock Box Act," which prohibits official government entities from using the Social Security surplus to mask the size of the on-budget deficit and establishes "points of order" (allowing Members to halt pending legislation) against considering any measure that would use Social Security surpluses for any purpose other than reforming Social Security and Medicare.
Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith today will vote to overhaul bankruptcy law and require debtors to repay some or all of their debt when they are financially able.
"Reforming bankruptcy laws is all about personal responsibility," said Smith. "People who can afford to repay their debts should do so."
The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1999 (H.R. 833) is expected to pass the House today.
Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith was named to the Honor Roll on the Concord Coalition Tough Choices scorecard, which scored Members of Congress on their votes related to fiscal discipline and responsible budgeting.
Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith will donate $400 to the South King County Multi-Service Center to purchase books for the agency's HEART (Homeless Education to Achieve Readiness for Tomorrow) program.
In 1997, Smith voted against a Congressional pay raise; however, it passed and Members of Congress received a 2.3 percent raise. Since then, Smith has donated that raise to education and community programs in the Ninth District.
Washington state Congressman Adam Smith today announced his support of the Crane-Dooley Sanctions Process Reform legislation, which establishes new procedures for consideration of future U.S. unilateral sanctions.
"Unilateral sanctions don't work," Smith explained. "I am a strong supporter of this legislation because it's clear that unilateral sanctions do not help advance U.S. foreign policy goals; on the contrary, unilateral sanctions can work to our disadvantage because they erect further barriers between America and the rest of the world."
Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith will introduce legislation today that will exempt family-owned businesses and farms from the estate tax.
"In my two short years in Congress, I've already witnessed family-owned businesses, the most prominent being Frank Russell Company of Tacoma, not being passed down to the next generation because of the onerous estate tax," Smith said. "My legislation will exempt family-owned businesses and farms from the estate tax so that they can stay in the family and survive."
U.S. Congressman Adam Smith will donate a portion of his Congressional pay raise to Federal Way eighth grade student Vinnie Vallejo, who is raising money to fund his role as a Student Ambassador in the People to People program.
In 1997, the House passed a 2.3% COLA, which amounts to just over $3,000 per year before taxes. After voting against the pay raise, Smith vowed to donate his pay raise to local education and community programs.