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Smith’s Statement in Recognition of Earth Day

April 22, 2009

Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement in honor of Earth Day:
 
“Today we recognize not only the 39th annual celebration of Earth Day, but also a unique moment in our country’s history to make significant changes to the way we treat the environment. Over the last few years we have seen a ground swell of support around greening efforts and legislation to reverse and reduce the human effects on the environment. The evidence of climate change is real, the effects significant, and the impacts worsening. I am committed to conserving our natural resources and protecting our environment for future generations.  The time to act is now.

 We have come a long way in recognizing our responsibilities as stewards of the environment, but we have much more work to do. In Congress we are taking this issue seriously.  If we look at protecting our environment as an opportunity to build a clean energy economy, we can create millions of clean energy jobs, improve our national security by reducing our dependency on foreign oil, and develop renewable and safe energy sources like wind, solar and geothermal.

Protecting the environment is not just the responsibility of governments and private industries; it is the responsibility of individuals as well. By integrating energy efficient behaviors into our everyday lives, such as turning off lights or unplugging unused appliances, or simply recycling, we can collectively have a large scale impact on our environment and in conserving our resources. This Earth Day let us remember that the responsibility rests with no single entity or individual, but with all of us. As Congress works to do its part and private industries to do theirs, let us all remember that we all have a stake in protecting our environment for generations to come.”

 
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Rep. Adam Smith's Statement on President Obama's Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan

March 27, 2009

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) released the following statement concerning President Obama’s strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan:

“President Obama’s strategy puts America’s focus back where it should be: on the threat from al Qaeda.  For far too long, we had no strategy and failed to devote the resources and personnel needed to defeat al Qaeda and deny it safe haven in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  While nothing about this region is easy, the President’s first-ever strategy demonstrates a stronger, smarter, and more comprehensive approach to countering al Qaeda and its allies.

“In Afghanistan, our commanders have been calling for more troops for years, and the President’s plan will nearly double U.S. forces on the ground, with a particular emphasis on training Afghan forces to secure their own country. 

“The President’s strategy also acknowledges that military force alone is not sufficient to achieve our goals.  He calls for major increases in civilian personnel to help do the critical counterinsurgency work needed to empower Afghans to reject the Taliban and al Qaeda.

“The President’s plan also squarely addresses the daunting challenges in Pakistan, where al Qaeda enjoys a safe haven.  In order for the Pakistanis to work with us, they need to trust us as reliable ally.  The President’s pledge of an additional $1.5 billion per year in non-military, accountable assistance to Pakistan will help demonstrate our commitment and bolster that trust.  At the same time, the President commits to the kind of tough diplomacy and direct engagement needed to boost Pakistan’s effectiveness in fighting extremists.

“There are no quick fixes to this problem, and we will continue to face setbacks in this difficult region.  But the threat from al Qaeda still looms nearly eight years after 9/11, and I am reassured that President Obama’s strategy finally puts us on a path to eliminating that threat.”
 
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Statement on the Administration’s Announcement to Dispatch Two Senior Officials to Syria

March 3, 2009

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, made the following statement after the Obama Administration announced it will dispatch two senior officials to Syria. Congressman Smith recently returned from a trip to Syria where he met with President Bashar al-Assad and discussed a fresh start to relations with Syria.

“The Obama administration’s announcement to dispatch two senior officials to Syria to begin to initiate dialogue is a positive development and signals a new direction in U.S. relations not just with Syria, but the entire Middle East. After visiting with President Bashar al-Assad a few weeks ago, it was clear that the regime seeks to begin the process of thawing its relationship with the United States and the West. While we clearly have substantial differences, we also have a number of mutual interests in the region and we should begin to discuss all of these issues.

 “The Administration is mindful of the challenges we face and does not believe they will be easy to overcome, but the road to solving our problems starts with dialogue. Syria can help or hinder the prospects of peace and stability in the region and it’s our job to persuade them to be a positive partner.  Sending senior officials from the Administration to initiate dialogue is a step in the right direction.”

Smith's Statement on American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act

February 13, 2009

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) made the following statement after his vote in support of the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
 
“America faces the worst economic crisis since The Great Depression.  Since this recession began approximately 3.6 million American jobs have been lost – nearly 600,000 last month alone. Americans are losing their homes and businesses, their jobs, their health care and their savings. This is not a time for us to stand by and hope our economy recovers on its own. We must act decisively. The longer we wait, the more jobs will be lost and I am not willing to stand by and watch as Americans continue to lose their jobs.
 
“The Economic Recovery Plan passed by the House today is not perfect, but it is the right size and scope to help stimulate our economy in the short-term and lay the foundation for long-term broad based economic viability. The plan will create or save 3.5 million jobs and make unprecedented investments in our infrastructure to modernize our roads, bridges and mass transit. It will cut taxes for 95% of workers, invest in an energy independent future and build energy efficient buildings and clean water projects.
 
“Voting for a stimulus package of this size was not easy, but it was necessary and urgent. I am deeply concerned about our growing deficit and have been for a long time, but the threats to our economy are real and doing nothing is simply not an option. We must use this crisis as an opportunity to invest in our country and build a stronger and more prosperous future.”

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Smith Hails Inclusion of Trade Adjustment Assistance Bill in Economic Recovery Package

February 13, 2009

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) today applauded the inclusion of legislation to expand and improve the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program in the Economic Recovery Package. The measure will extend TAA to service industry workers, increase funding for and improve access to training, health care, and income support, and create a program to address community-wide needs.

Smith worked closely with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Senator Max Baucus during the last session of Congress in his efforts to expand TAA and other job training programs.  Congressman Smith introduced similar legislation to enhance TAA in the 108th, 109th and 110th Congresses.

“Improving the TAA program is more important now then ever before,” said Congressman Adam Smith. “The current economic crisis is accelerating the displacement of workers and we must help them adjust and refine their skill sets to advance their careers in this fluid and unpredictable job market.  While we cannot walk away from globalization, we must help provide a bridge between jobs - through training, support and healthcare - to help individuals transition to the jobs and career paths of the future.”

Congress created the TAA program in 1962 in response to the loss of jobs among hard-working Americans and to promote American competitiveness in the global economy.  TAA benefits have several components: training assistance, income support while in training, and interim health care support.  The program assists workers dislocated due to government policies that eliminated tariffs and other barriers to trade.  However, under current law, the program extends coverage only to workers in manufacturing and agricultural sectors, even though service-sector jobs also are increasingly moving overseas.

The Expansion of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program: 
Extends TAA to trade-affected service-sector workers and workers affected by offshoring or outsourcing to all countries, including China or India; 
Increases training funds available to states by 160 percent to $575 million per fiscal year;
Establishes a new TAA program for trade-affected communities;
Ensures automatic TAA eligibility for workers suffering from import surges and unfair trade;
Makes training, healthcare and reemployment TAA benefits more accessible and flexible, and improves the TAA for Firms and TAA for Farmers programs;  
Reauthorizes all TAA programs (which expired December 31, 2007) through December 31, 2010.

“Due to globalization our economy is rapidly transforming, and so must our policies to help displaced workers,” said Congressman Adam Smith. “Service-sector employees are also adversely affected by the changing economy and increasingly by the recent economic downturn. We must do everything we can to help them and all other displaced workers transition into the growing sectors of our economy.”

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