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U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today issued the following statement regarding the Democratic budget plan for fiscal year 2009 passed by the House of Representatives this afternoon:
Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Jon Lester, a resident of Puyallup, Washington, for his bravery in surviving cancer and his achievements as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball.
Jon graduated from Bellarmine Prep School in 2002. That same year, the Red Sox drafted him. He played for the Red Sox's minor league team, the Portland Sea Dogs.
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today won approval for his amendment to the fiscal year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act to enhance U.S. efforts to combat the spread of violent terrorist ideology. The Smith Amendment would address major gaps in our counter-terrorism strategy by requiring the President to develop a comprehensive interagency strategy for strategic communication and public diplomacy. The House of Representatives approved the amendment during consideration of H.R. 5658, which passed by a vote of 384 to 23.
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today voted to improve our nation's military readiness, support military families, recommit to our efforts in Afghanistan and protect our nation from terrorism and unconventional threats. He supported H.R. 5658, the fiscal year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes $601.4 billion to support our national defense, including $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I want to start by thanking Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for the work they have done, not just on this bill but during the 12 years that I've been in Congress and even before then.
For all of the challenges in Iraq right now, we cannot lose track of the fact that it is but one piece of a much larger, more complicated struggle. We must also understand both our limited ability to force a given outcome in Iraqi efforts to forge a post-Saddam government, and the reality that many parts of that power struggle do not relate directly to our own larger struggle against al-Qaida and groups that support their violent totalitarian ideology.
For all of the challenges in Iraq right now, we cannot lose track of the fact that it is but one piece of a much larger, more complicated struggle. We must also understand both our limited ability to force a given outcome in Iraqi efforts to forge a post-Saddam government, and the reality that many parts of that power struggle do not relate directly to our own larger struggle against al-Qaida and groups that support their violent totalitarian ideology.
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today issued the following statement regarding his votes today on the Iraq and Afghanistan war supplemental funding bill.
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today released the following statement regarding his vote against H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, commonly referred to as the Farm Bill:
"The bill passed today by the House of Representatives contained many positive provisions, including several that would benefit Washington state. Unfortunately, the core of the bill retained its wasteful, trade-distorting subsidies and represents a missed opportunity for real agricultural and trade policy reform.
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today introduced legislation to address national Medicare reimbursement disparities that hurt Washington state. The legislation, which Murray and Smith first introduced in 2002, raises Washington state's Medicare reimbursement rates to the national average and ensures that all states receive at least the national average of per-patient spending.