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House Passes Historic Legislative Package to Reduce Gun Violence in Communities Across America

June 8, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, by a vote of 223 to 204. The package includes several commonsense proposals to effectively reduce gun violence, including raising the age to buy and own certain semiautomatic guns, banning bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, and cracking down on gun trafficking, among others.
 
“On May 24, a gunman walked into an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and killed 19 fourth graders and two teachers. Days before, 10 people in Buffalo, New York were shot and killed while shopping in a supermarket. In the days following these tragedies, many more mass shootings took place that killed several people and injured many more. It could not be clearer: America has a gun violence problem, and we are in desperate need of legislation that will keep our children, families, and neighborhoods safe," said Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash). “The scourge of gun violence has devastated communities across the country, and we must do more to prevent this senseless suffering. I am proud of the House vote today to turn this tragedy into action, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to work together to come to an agreement that will deliver real results for the American people. It is past time for gun safety legislation. Lives are on the line.”
 
Background
 
The Protecting Our Kids Act would:
  • Raise the lawful age to purchase a semiautomatic centerfire rifle from 18 to 21 years old.
  • Establish a new federal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a large capacity magazines, with exceptions for certain law enforcement uses and the possession (but not sale) of grandfathered magazines; allow state and local governments to use the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to compensate individuals who surrender large capacity magazines through a buyback program.
  • Establish new federal offenses for gun trafficking and straw purchasers and authorize seizure of the property and proceeds of the offense.
  • Establish voluntary best practices for safe firearm storage; award grants for Safe Firearm Storage Assistance Programs; provide a tax incentive to dealers for 10% of amounts received from the sale of safe storage devices.
  • Establish requirements to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises; create criminal penalties for violation of the requirements.
  • Build on ATF’s regulatory bump stock ban by listing bump stocks under the National Firearms Act (like machineguns) and statutorily banning the manufacture, sale, or possession of bump stocks for civilian use.
  • Build on ATF’s regulatory ban of ghost guns by ensuring that ghost guns are subject to existing federal firearm regulation by amending the definition of “firearm” to include gun kits and partial receivers and changing the definition of “manufacturing firearms” to include assembling firearms using 3D printing.

A fact sheet of the bill can be found here.

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Rep. Smith Statement on Memorial Day

May 30, 2022

SEATTLE, WA – Today Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on Memorial Day.
 
“Today, we recognize the men and women of our armed forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. All Americans have been touched by their service and sacrifice, either directly or indirectly, and on Memorial Day we solemnly honor that service.
 
“While today represents a special day of remembrance, our appreciation for these service members and their families should not be bound to a single day. As a country, we should never take for granted all that our service members and their families do for us. To all those who have served our country in uniform, and to the loved ones of those who have served: thank you.”

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Rep. Smith Joins Washington Delegation on Letter to Bonneville Power Administration in Support of Intalco Reopening

May 26, 2022

SEATTLE, WA – Today, Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and the entire Washington Congressional Delegation sent Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Administrator John Hairston a letter regarding the reopening of the Intalco aluminum smelter in Ferndale, Washington. The Members urged BPA to negotiate in good faith with Blue Wolf Capital Partners to secure a competitive power deal to reopen Intalco and restore the hundreds of good-paying, union jobs that were lost by its closure in 2020.

“When the Intalco aluminum smelter shut down, Washington state lost an important economic driver and source of jobs. Employing 700 union members, the facility was the only source of domestically produced aluminum west of the Mississippi River – a huge boon to our local economy and our nation’s aerospace and transportation sectors,” said Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash). “The reopening of Intalco would mean an influx of economic activity for the region. I urge BPA to work in partnership with Blue Wolf to bring these negotiations across the finish line and secure this win for our region and our country.”

In 2020, Alcoa shut down operations at the Intalco plant, one of the largest employers in Whatcom County, resulting in the loss of over 700 good-paying union jobs in the rural community along with significant economic activity in the area. Many of these workers were forced to take jobs with lower wages and benefits and commute longer distances to make ends meet.

“As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and work to forge more resilient supply chains, reopening Intalco is an incredible opportunity to bring back over 700 family-wage union jobs and restore the only source of domestically produced aluminum west of the Mississippi River,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to BPA. “Restarting Intalco would allow Washingtonians to return to these high-paying jobs, reinvigorate our economy, and secure our domestic production capacity to make aluminum in America for years to come.”

The Intalco facility also serves a vital role by helping ensure we can produce enough domestic aluminum to meet our country’s national security and critical infrastructure needs and push back against the Chinese government’s unfair trade practices in this sector. 

“Additionally, ensuring that the United States maintains sufficient domestic aluminum production is in our national security interests, as aluminum is used in defense, aerospace, and many other critical infrastructure sectors,” the lawmakers continued.

The letter was led by Washington Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01). Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Adam Smith (WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) also joined the letter.

A full copy of the letter can be found here.

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Rep. Smith Visits Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation to Discuss Affordable Housing and Home Ownership

May 26, 2022

SEATTLE, WA – Today Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) visited the Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation – also known as Brighton Development Group – to see their affordable housing projects and discuss displacement and affordable housing in Rainier Valley. The visit comes after Representative Smith submitted a Community Project Funding request for $750,000 to the House Committee on Appropriations for consideration in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 appropriations bill to support Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation’s affordable housing and homeownership work in Rainier Valley. Rep. Smith issued the following statement after the visit.

“Rainier Valley and other neighborhoods in Southeast Seattle – an area home to many low-income communities and communities of color – are experiencing severe displacement and gentrification. I was proud to submit a Community Project Funding request for a project led by the Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation, which will build affordable housing and create homeownership opportunities in the area for BIPOC and middle-income individuals and families. This project will take meaningful action to combat and reverse displacement,” said Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash). “Today, I had the chance to meet with the Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation and visit The Arches Apartments, a complex that the foundation recently fought to keep in the hands of the community, which helped to prevent the potential displacement of residents. I am grateful for the Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation’s leadership and dedication to promote affordable housing in the Ninth District, and I look forward to continuing to support their work.”

Upon completion of the visit, Curtis Brown, Executive Director of Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation, issued the following statement.

“We greatly appreciate Representative Adam Smith's inclusion of our project to build more affordable rental and ownership opportunities for our local families. This investment demonstrates a significant commitment to addressing the displacement of communities of color in a real and tangible way by making sure every family can live in the neighborhood they desire. This funding is already helping us leverage another $400,000 from the community to buy more property and stave off further displacement. We will leverage this seed capital 10 times over and can’t thank you enough for this investment,” said Curtis Brown, Executive Director, Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation.

Find more information about the FY23 Community Project Funding Requests, including project descriptions, here.

Rep. Smith Tours Mapu Maia Clinic After Submitting Community Project Funding Request for UTOPIA Washington

May 25, 2022

SEATTLE, WA – Today Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) toured UTOPIA Washington’s Mapu Maia Clinic in Kent, Washington after he submitted a Community Project Funding request on their behalf. The $500,000 request was submitted to the House Committee on Appropriations for consideration in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 appropriations bill to help UTOPIA expand the Mapu Maia Clinic.

“Today, I had the opportunity to see firsthand the critically important work being done at the Mapu Maia Clinic to expand access to health care services in Kent, especially for LBGTQIA+ community members. UTOPIA’s culturally relevant prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery support, and transgender and gender-diverse health care services are making a real difference in addressing the lack of health care services available to many people Washington’s Ninth District,” said Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.). “UTOPIA is dedicated to serving members of the Pacific Islander and broader LGBTQIA+ community who face significant health disparities and cultural barriers to accessing quality health care. The funding I requested will build on this crucial work and expand the reach of the clinic’s services. I am proud to support UTOPIA through the FY23 appropriations process and I look forward to our work together as their impact continues to grow in Washington State.”

“We are thankful to Congressman Adam Smith and his hard-working team for recognizing and uplifting the work that UTOPIA Washington is doing with our Mapu Maia Clinic,” said Taffy Johnson, UTOPIA WA Executive Director. “With this support and allyship, our clinic can and will help to address the lack of awareness and education around transgender and gender-diverse health care needs and provide healthcare resources and services to our broader LGBTQIA+ community members.”

Find more information about the FY23 Community Project Funding requests, including project descriptions, here.

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