Congressman Adam Smith (D-Tacoma) is pleased to announce today two recent law enforcement grants for Pierce County.  The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) announced a grant to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department of $375,000 to cover the salary and benefits of new school resource officers assigned to protect schools.  COPS also provides school safety training for the officers and an administrator from the school where the officers will be assigned. 

“This grant is good news for the citizens of Pierce County,” Smith said. “By incorporating instruction on terrorism prevention and emergency response, this grant underscores the critical role of schools in community preparedness and disaster response.”

 In addition to the COPS In Schools funding, $300,000 was granted to the City of Fife by the COPS Universal Hiring Program which will help law enforcement agencies pay the salary and benefits of additional officers who will perform community policing and homeland security activities.  The program provides up to 75 percent of the total cost of salary and benefits of each new officer for three years, up to a maximum of $75,000 per officer. 

“This funding helps make Pierce County a safer place for our citizens,” Smith said. “This grant will aid local law enforcement agencies in expanding their ranks and will act as a catalyst for further innovations in community policing.”

Congressman Adam Smith (D-Tacoma) will spend the day with seniors and members of the medical community to discuss his bill to restore equity to the nation’s Medicare reimbursement rates and current issues in Medicare policy on Tuesday, August 19th. 

Smith has introduced legislation this year to address the inequities of our nation’s Medicare reimbursement rates with H.R. 2904 the “MediFAIR Act of 2003” and to deliver affordable, universal prescription drug coverage for all seniors in H.R.1568, “the Medicare Rx Now Act of 2003.”  Smith will discuss these bills, as well as competing prescription drug bills recently passed by the House and Senate at the forum.

Smith has said recently that he “strongly believe(s) that we need a long-term solution to our Medicare problem.  We have to face the reality of our two big health care problems: health care inflation is rising quickly, and, as the baby boomers retire, we’ll have an enormous influx of seniors into the program.  We need fundamental reform that focuses on healthy outcomes, gives seniors health care options, provides coverage for prescription drugs, and ensures the program is viable for future generations.”

Members of the media are invited and encouraged to attend these meetings.  For further information or to speak with Smith during the day, please contact Katharine Lister at (202) 226-8454.

8:00am - 8:30am Congressman Adam Smith visits with staff from the Renal Care Group NW/Lacey Kidney Center to discuss current issues in the health profession and concerns about Medicare reimbursement rates.

Where: Renal Care Group NW/Lacey Kidney Center
719 Sleater Kinney Road, Lacey

9:30am - 10:30am Congressman Adam Smith will tour St. Francis Hospital and hold a conversation over breakfast with managers of the facility.

Where: St. Francis Hospital
34515 9th Ave. S., Federal Way

12:00pm - 1:00pm Address to the Tacoma chapter of National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE).

Where: Tacoma AMVETS Hall
5717 South Tyler Street, Tacoma

1:30pm - 2:30pm Congressman Adam Smith will convene the quarterly meeting of his Senior Advisory Board to discuss their concerns about current legislation in Congress, the state of health care in Washington and what steps should be taken to ensure that seniors are treated fairly and with respect.

Where: Auburn Senior Center
808 9th Street Southeast, Auburn