Press Releases

Smith Statement on Equal Pay Day

Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement on Equal Pay Day:

April 12, 2016

“We must close the gender pay gap. Despite the many positive transformative changes in our nation’s workforce, women still get paid less for equal work and make 79 cents for every dollar earned compared to their male counterparts. This disparity particularly impacts women of color and cannot continue.

“Equal Pay Day symbolizes how much more the average woman in the United States must work to earn what a man earned in the previous year. Today marks these extra 103 days, a day where we recognize how much work remains to achieve pay equality. In addition to wage disparities, women are shut out of leadership and management roles far too often. As women continue to make up a growing percentage of our workforce, the gender wage gap is an increasing burden to working families and will limit our nation’s future economic success.

“As we recognize Equal Pay Day, we must continue fighting for policies that move us towards a fairer and more equal society. Congress must implement policies that address the wage gap, such as the Paycheck Fairness Act. I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation that would help ensure women are paid equally for equal work. We also must expand access to affordable child care and paid family leave that can further help women enter and remain in the workforce. When women succeed, America succeeds.” 

 

“I am disappointed that the Boeing Company has decided to cut as many as 4,000 jobs in Washington state by June 2016, with additional cuts possible by the end of the year. Although we do not yet know exactly where in our state the job cuts will take place, the reduction of Boeing’s workforce here will have devastating impacts on our region’s shared prosperity. The effect will be felt immediately by the thousands of hard-working employees—and their families—who have contributed greatly to Boeing’s growth and have demonstrated loyalty to the company over the years. I hope that Boeing will recognize that the world-class workforce in the Pacific Northwest is necessary for their continued success.”

 

Ranking Member Smith Statement on Terror Attacks in Brussels

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith released the following statement in response to today’s terror attacks:

March 22, 2016

I extend my deepest sympathies to the victims, their families, and the Belgian people in light of today’s terrorist attacks.  The cowardly violence in Brussels illustrates the danger that extreme ideologies continue to pose to the international community and our common humanity. I condemn in the strongest possible terms today’s inhuman attacks which deliberately targeted innocent people, and call for unity in our common efforts against terrorism and extremism.

Smith Statement on Release of Nestora Salgado

Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith issued the following statement in response to charges against Renton resident Nestora Salgado being dropped by Mexican authorities:

March 18, 2016

“The family and friends of Nestora Salgado have been unrelenting in their pursuit of justice for Nestora. Today, after over two years of wrongful imprisonment, and a recent UN decision calling Nestora’s detention illegal and arbitrary, the false charges against Nestora have been dropped by Mexican authorities. Nestora has been released from prison and is now able to return home to the United States.

“I join Nestora’s family in celebrating her freedom, and extend my sincere thanks to all those throughout the Seattle region, the international community and to the various human rights advocates who have joined together in calling for Nestora’s freedom from this unlawful detention. I am thrilled to know that Nestora can now return home to her family who have been relentless in their difficult fight to free her.” 

Smith Statement on Republican Budget Proposal

Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith made the following statement regarding the House Republican’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2017:

March 17, 2016

“Congress has a duty to enact a budget that responsibly invests in our nation’s future and grows our economy for all Americans. Unfortunately, the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget proposal released by House Republicans earlier this week would take our country in the wrong direction by demanding the most devastating cuts ever proposed by Republicans on the Budget Committee. The Republican budget pushed through the House Budget Committee yesterday despite opposition from every Democrat on the committee, calls for $6.5 trillion in spending cuts that cripple important investments in education and infrastructure and breaks our promise to our seniors by ending the Medicare guarantee. The proposal slashes funding for our nation’s core priorities, stifles future economic growth, and comes at the expense of our middle class.

“I support the approach laid out by President Obama earlier this year. The President’s vision for a strong future creates broad-based economic opportunities for all Americans while keeping our nation safe.  The President’s budget follows the funding levels agreed to in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA). Although enactment of the BBA began to address our budget challenges in a more balanced way by providing necessary relief from sequestration in FY 2016 and FY 2017, it does not completely address our long term budget challenges.  The BBA does not compensate for the damage already inflicted by arbitrary cuts imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), and it only provides for short-term relief.  Sequestration levels remain in effect for discretionary funding for Fiscal Years 2018 through 2021.  To truly address our budget challenges, Congress must eliminate sequestration and repeal the BCA caps.

“As Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I know that national security involves much more than defense.  We must also properly resource diplomacy and development so that our budgets reflect a holistic approach to national security itself.  I recognize that while we must invest in a budget that responsibly addresses our national security challenges, focusing on defense priorities alone would be insufficient. We need to repair and improve our infrastructure, incentivize research and innovation, increase access to education and health care, invest in housing and training our workforce, all while supporting small businesses and working families. These important aspects of our nation’s economy contribute to our enduring national strength.  

“We must empower the American people and those charged with protecting our nation’s security by giving them the means to plan.  Moving forward, the House, Senate, and the President must work together to eliminate sequestration altogether and implement a long-term spending plan that provides certainty to the Department of Defense and our Armed Forces, as well as to the entire federal government.  It is critical that we provide hard-working American families the tools they need to succeed.”