News

Press Releases

Congressman Smith Supports Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank

Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement supporting reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank:

October 27, 2015

“The reasons to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank’s charter grow each day. In 2014, the Ex-Im Bank supported 2,400 jobs and $28,586,427 in exports to minority and women owned businesses in the 9th Congressional District of Washington state.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have been a strong supporter of the Ex-Im Bank. I am a cosponsor of the bill introduced by Congresswoman Waters, the Promoting U.S. Jobs through Exports Act of 2015, which would extend the bank’s authorization through 2022 and would ensure that American businesses can continue to compete globally.  The bill also increases Ex-Im Bank’s financing limit to $160 billion and expands opportunities for small-and medium-sized businesses.

On October 9, 2015, I joined a bipartisan majority of Representatives in the House to sign a discharge petition to bring to the Floor a measure that would reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank. The most recent extension expired on June 30, 2015. Without the necessary re-authorization, many of Washington’s exporters will be unable to match increasing international competition from foreign companies that receive robust support from their own export credit agencies.

Today, I was proud to join my colleagues in the House in supporting the passage of H.R. 597 that reauthorizes the Ex-Im Bank. Extending support to the Ex-Im Bank is critical to maintaining and creating jobs in Washington state and around the country.”

Congressman Smith Statement on GEO Group Contract

Congressman Adam Smith made the following statement regarding the GEO Group’s Contract for the Continued Management of Northwest Detention Center.

October 6, 2015

“Last week, despite multiple hunger strikes, public protests over conditions, and lack of transparency in contract negotiations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) signed a new contract with the GEO Group to operate the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) for the next nine years and six months.”

“This contract is a symbol of systemic problems in our immigration detention system that we must fix. We need to get private, for profit companies out of the business of running immigration detention facilities and get those with pending immigration cases who pose no risk to society out on community-based Alternatives to Detention (ATDs). We also must ensure that there are clearly established, transparent and humane standards within immigration detention facilities.”

“One of the keys to achieving these goals is repealing the detention bed mandate. Due in large part to this misguided policy which directs ICE to have at least 34,000 detention beds for immigrants at any given time, private, for-profit prison companies run detention facilities. Under this policy, ICE is incentivized to detain largely nonviolent people whose immigration cases should be monitored through community-based ATDs. Last week, I offered an amendment to remove the detention bed quota from the short-term Continuing Resolution for Fiscal Year 2016. The amendment was rejected by the House Rules Committee, but I will continue to work with my colleagues to end the detention bed mandate.”

“We also need to make sure that local contracts, like the one just signed by ICE and GEO Group for the NWDC, have no minimum bed guarantees within them. Minimum bed guarantees are essentially detention bed mandates in individual contracts. I am a cosponsor of federal legislation that prohibits ICE from negotiating contracts that contain a minimum bed quota.”

“For those we must detain, we should have clearly established baseline standards for immigration detention facilities. My bill, the Accountability in Immigration Detention Act, outlines such standards as well as stresses the need for increased use of ATDs and elimination of the detention bed mandate.”

“In March, I wrote a letter to ICE Director Saldaña to relay the need for these changes with respect to the then-pending NWDC contract negotiation.  I am very concerned that this contract will continue the status quo by allowing NWDC to be managed by the same private prison company that has run it for years. Until Congress takes action to address these issues, we are left with a flawed detention policy that benefits private corporations at high cost to taxpayers, detainees and families of those affected.”

Congressman Smith Statement on Amendment to End Detention Bed Mandate

Rules Committee Rejects Amendment to End Detention Bed Mandate

October 2, 2015

Congressman Adam Smith joined Representatives Deutch, Foster, Watson Coleman, Castro and Polis in offering an amendment to remove the detention bed quota from the short-term Continuing Resolution for Fiscal Year 2016.  

“The detention bed mandate, first passed by Congress in 2009 and included in annual appropriations legislation, requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to fill 34,000 detention beds for immigrants at any given time. Rather than targeting enforcement toward individuals who pose legitimate risks to our community, this indiscriminate quota incentivizes the inhumane and arbitrary detention of thousands for whom we have no justifiable reason to detain in these facilities.”

“Due in large part to the misguided detention bed mandate, large, for-profit prison corporations that have the resources to build and maintain detention centers are left in charge of operating these facilities at a high cost to taxpayers, detainees and families of those affected,” said Congressman Smith, who has introduced the Accountability in Immigration Detention Act to address our broken immigration policy. 

On September 30, 2015, the amendment was rejected by the House Rules Committee. Congressman Smith will continue to work with his colleagues to rectify this issue at the next available opportunity.

“Until Congress acts, we are left with a detention policy that benefits private, for-profit corporations at the expense of immigrant rights and the American taxpayer.”

 

###

Congressman Smith Remembers September 11th Attacks

September 11, 2015

Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in remembrance of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001:

“Our country was forever changed 14 years ago when terrorists attacked innocent Americans on September 11th, 2001.  The anniversary of the horrific attacks provides us with an opportunity to morn those who we lost and to reaffirm our resolve to stay on the offensive against those who wish to harm Americans. 
 
“Today, my thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the 2,977 Americans we lost that day.  We also must remember the heroic efforts of our police, firefighters, and medical teams that responded to this attack and risked their lives to save others. We will never forget September 11th and how in the face of evil our country united, grew stronger, and protected freedom and liberty.  As the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will remain focused on ensuring an attack like this never happens again.”

Ranking Member Adam Smith Supports Iran Deal

September 1, 2015

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith made the following statement in support of the Administration’s deal on Iran’s nuclear program: 

The Administration, our closest allies, and the other members of the U.N. Security council worked tirelessly for two years to successfully negotiate a historic deal that will prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon for at least the next 15 years.

Over the course of the last two months, I have reviewed the final agreement thoroughly and have had extensive conversations with the Administration, nonproliferation experts, our European allies, and those who are concerned with aspects of the deal. After careful and thoughtful consideration, I have decided to support this agreement because I believe it ends the otherwise unmonitored and unrestricted continuation of the Iranian nuclear program and it halts the surely destructive effects of a nuclear Iran in the Middle East. 

This deal gives the world unprecedented access to Iran’s nuclear sites and intrusive monitoring of its uranium supply and centrifuge production chains to ensure its enrichment activities are extremely limited. This is access that we would not have without a deal. These verification measures are key to making sure that Iran sticks to its part of the bargain to not enrich uranium above 3.67% and to keep no more than 300 kilograms of low-enriched uranium for the next 15 years.  These levels are far below those necessary to build a nuclear weapon.  This deal substantially lengthens the time Iran would need to develop a nuclear weapon should it decide to violate the agreement.

This agreement took high-level diplomatic engagement and represents a broad international agreement. Congress' rejection of this deal would hurt the U.S.' credibility and likely fracture the international cooperation that was essential in enforcing a sanctions regime on Iran.  This would make potential negotiations with Iran in the future incredibly difficult, and increase the likelihood that Iran would be able to develop a nuclear weapon without constraints. It is hard to see how turning this deal down strengthens our position or furthers our national security interests in the region.

Iran's support to terrorist groups in the region is destabilizing and a threat to the U.S. and our allies. I too share concerns over lifting the arms embargo on Iran in 5 years should it comply with all of its obligations in the nuclear agreement, and I do not believe that Iran will suddenly become a force for good in the region. However, it is important to bear in mind that this does not affect U.S. or EU bans on weapons sales, and that the goal of these negotiations was to reach a deal that prevents Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Iran is a malign actor, but an Iran with a nuclear deterrent would be free to pursue its bad actions without fear of military response.  We cannot allow U.S. domestic politics to make such a future more likely.

The 60-day period for Congress to review the deal is almost over. During the remaining time, I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Administration to ensure that we have the correct mechanisms in place to monitor Iran’s compliance with the deal and to respond should Iran forfeit its compliance with this agreement.  As the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will also work with the Administration and my colleagues to address Iran’s other malign activities and enhance the security of our Israeli and Arab partners in the region.  I remain concerned about Iran’s destabilizing actions in the region and threats to the security of our allies and our servicemen and women.  But I firmly believe that those threats would be made much worse if Iran possessed nuclear weapons.  At this time, the deal negotiated between Iran and the international community is the best way to prevent Iran from getting those weapons.

« First < Prev Next > Last »