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Rep. Smith Announces FY 2024 Community Project Funding Requests for the Ninth District

April 17, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today announced the 15 Community Project Funding requests he submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill.

The requested funding would go towards 15 community projects across the Ninth District, which will make great strides for affordable housing, public transportation, criminal justice and public safety, mental and behavioral health care, workforce and education, small business, economic empowerment, and more. 

“The appropriations process is an important way to send federal dollars back to our districts and make investments that will strengthen our communities. The 15 community projects I am announcing today for consideration in the FY 2024 appropriations bill will serve individuals and families in our region who need our support – from survivors of sexual assault, to people reentering the community from incarceration, to immigrant and refugee communities – and will invest in some our region’s most pressing challenges including housing, transportation, economic opportunity, and public safety. I am thrilled to submit these projects for consideration, and I will push to get this funding across the finish line to advance the incredible work of these organizations and strengthen the Ninth District.” 

See below for the full list of Rep. Smith’s Community Project Funding requests. Submitting projects to the House Appropriations Committee is the first step in the process and does not guarantee they will be funded. 

Find more information about the FY 2024 Community Project Funding requests, including project descriptions, here. 

Abu Bakr Islamic Center – Wadajir Residences & Souq – $4 million
Tukwila
 
Africatown Community Land Trust – Walker Street Homes – $1 million
Central District
 
Arc of King County – Arc Legacy Center: Access to Affordable Housing and Services for Individuals with Disabilities – $2 million
SeaTac
 
Cham Refugees Community – Cham Community Center –$2.25 million
Rainier Valley
 
City of Bellevue – Digital Equity for Affordable Housing – $1.5 million
Bellevue
 
City of Federal Way – Downtown Civic & Community Space – $2.5 million
Federal Way
 
City of Renton – Monroe Avenue Northeast (NE) Stormwater Quality Treatment and Infiltration Facility – $2.5 million
Renton
 
City of SeaTac – Airport Station Area Pedestrian Improvement Project – $4.5 million
SeaTac
 
City of Seattle – Civilian Assisted Response & Engagement (CARE) Department – $3.5 million
Seattle-wide
 
Filipino Community of Seattle – Filipino Community Village 2 – $4 million
Rainier Valley
 
Indian American Community Services – IACS Community Center – $4 million
Kent
 
King County Sexual Assault Resource Center – Technology and Data Project to Benefit Survivors of Sexual Assault – $790,000
King County, district-wide
 
Sound Transit – South Renton Transit Center – $3 million
Renton
 
Weld Seattle – 1426 Jackson Reintegration Resource Center – $4 million
Seattle
 
YMCA of Greater Seattle – Severson House Renovations (transitional housing) –$750,000
Auburn 

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Rep. Smith and Senator Murray Introduce Legislation to Support Homeowners Impacted by Aviation Noise

April 6, 2023

Legislation Will Expand Use of Federal Dollars for Sound Insulation Repairs and Replacements 

SEATTLE, WA – Today, Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced the Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act, which would allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to waive the regulation that bars the use of federal funds on the same project twice for airports who choose to repair or replace sound insulation that are failing. 

“We must do everything we can to support communities impacted by aviated noise and emissions. The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) is an important fund used to mitigate homes from aviation noise, however, current regulations prohibit the use of AIP funds on the same home or structure twice. The legislation Senator Murray and I are introducing today would allow the FAA to bypass this regulation to ensure that residents have access to federal funds for necessary repairs or replacements and homes are properly insulated from the harmful impacts of aviation noise,” said Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.). “Thank you to Senator Murray and the Port of Seattle for their work on this legislation, which is crucially important to the Puget Sound region and aviation impacted communities across the country.” 

“We’ve got a very specific problem for the people who live near Sea-Tac Airport whose properties were soundproofed decades ago and are in need of updates and repairs, but the airport can’t use its federal dollars to make those fixes until we change the law,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why I am proud to join Representative Smith in introducing the Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act.  Our bill waives an antiquated FAA regulation that bans the use of federal dollars on the same project twice for certain noise mitigation replacement projects —passing this legislation will bring relief to homeowners living near the airport.” 

Statements of support for the Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program: 

“We are deeply grateful to U.S. Representative Adam Smith and U.S. Senator Patty Murray for their leadership on aircraft noise and emissions issues, and for introducing today’s legislation. The Port is committed to working with surrounding communities to utilize all available federal funding for sound insulation in homes and buildings near the airport, and this bill would allow us to identify and then receive grants to provide additional sound insulation to eligible homes. We look forward to working with our Congressional delegation toward passage of this legislation.” – Port of Seattle Commissioner Hamdi Mohamed 

“I applaud the effort by Congressman Smith to allow the Port of Seattle to access federal dollars to repair failed sound insulation for the thousands of airport community residents who granted a permanent aviation easement to the Port in exchange for insulation that in too many cases has failed to last.” – Washington State Senator Karen Keiser 

“SeaTac, one of the fastest growing airports in the country, has noise and air quality issues that impact our community. These impacts are even greater for residents who have failed Port packages that no longer reduce aircraft noise. Thankfully Senator Murray and Rep. Adam Smith are working at the federal level to allow these homes to receive much-needed fixes to provide noise relief to homeowners in our community.” – Washington State Representative Tina Orwall 

“As a new mom and a neighbor of the airport, I support the Sound Insulation Treatment and Replacement Program Act which protects SeaTac residents from the impacts of airport operations. This bill would allow the FAA to revisit decades-old sound insulation packages and bring them up-to-date to meet current codes and protect vulnerable residents from airport noise and its impacts which affects their quality of life.” – SeaTac Deputy Mayor Senayet Negusse 

A fact sheet of the Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act can be found here. The bill text can be found here. 

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Reps. Smith and Moulton Lead Colleagues in Effort to Guarantee House Interns Earn a Livable Wage

April 3, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)  are leading an effort to guarantee interns in the House of Representatives are paid a livable wage.

In a letter sent to the House Appropriations Committee, Smith and Moulton are advocating for funding levels in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill that would ensure all House offices will be able to compensate one full-time intern and one part time intern working 50% of the time year-round each at a wage of $15 per hour. 

“Paying our interns a living wage helps to ensure that those who want to gain the experience of public service have the opportunity to do so. Congressional internships should attract applicants from all backgrounds, and we know that unpaid and low-paying internships represent a disproportionate barrier for low-income people and people of color seeking job opportunities,” said Congressman Smith. “That’s why we’re requesting sufficient funds be included in the budget to enable House offices to pay interns a livable wage that allows them to cover living and working expenses. Our interns should reflect the diversity of our districts. Congress can and should make our internships an accessible and affordable opportunity for all.” 

The letter, which was signed by 118 House members, specifically requests that FY 2024 funding levels be maintained at FY 2023 levels of $46,800 per office. 

“Congressional internships are a great opportunity for young people to gain valuable experience working in government. But these positions are too often limited to a small group of candidates who are privileged enough to be able to afford the high cost of living in Washington,” said Congressman Moulton. “Continuing to properly fund the House intern allowance means that a diverse array of interns have the opportunity to try out public service. The more diverse perspectives we can have in Congress, the better.” 

“We commend the Legislative Branch subcommittee for voting to increase the intern fund annually, in a bipartisan manner. These actions have increased intern stipends, and made Congressional internships a more feasible option for those from working-class backgrounds. But as the letter states, there is more work to be done. We must eliminate infrastructure red tape, and continue expanding opportunities for our country’s youth,” said Carlos Mark Vera, Executive Director of Pay Our Interns. 

Read the full letter here. 

Rep. Smith led a similar effort last year that resulted in a raise in funding for intern compensation from the FY22 levels of $35,000 per office to the FY23 levels of $46,800 per office. 

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Reps. Smith, Bush, Cárdenas, Porter Lead Colleagues in Requesting $100 Million for Mental Health Crisis Response Teams

March 29, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) sent a letter with 54 of their colleagues to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies requesting $100 million be included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill for mental health crisis response teams. These emergency response programs divert mental health crisis calls from law enforcement to teams of specialized service providers.

“Encouraging the use of behavioral health professionals to respond to mental health crisis situations improves the quality of mental health crisis response and strengthens public safety by providing long term solutions to mental health and substance use issues,” the members wrote. 

“The overwhelming majority of 911 calls involve mental health and substance use incidents, neighbor disputes, nuisance complaints, and requests for wellness checks where trained, unarmed behavioral health professionals could effectively respond. Both the police and policing reform advocates often assert that specialized service providers—such as social workers, paramedics, and peer support counselors—are better equipped to handle such situations than armed officers.” 

The members continued, “For some local governments, however, establishing and growing mental health crisis response teams is cost prohibitive given the resources it takes to cover training, personnel, and equipment. Additional federal funding could go a long way in offsetting costs and spurring growth of these programs across the country.” 

The members concluded, “It is critical that we make investments in public safety programs that center mental health care and work to resolve the underlying conditions of so many emergency calls—homelessness, substance use, and other chronic health issues. Existing 911 response limited to police, fire, or EMT services have been overwhelmed and simply do not meet the needs of the communities they serve.”

Read the full letter here.

Rep. Smith led a similar effort last year that resulted in a $20 million set-aside for Mental Health Crisis Response grants in the FY 2023 government funding bill signed into law by President Biden.

Earlier in March, Rep. Smith introduced the bipartisan 911 Community Crisis Responders Act, which would create a grant program for states, tribes, and localities to create and expand mobile crisis response programs. Learn more about the 911 Community Crisis Responders Act here.

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Rep. Smith Leads Effort to Increase Funding for the Urban Indian Health Program and Tribal Epidemiology Centers

March 24, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) led 22 members in a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies requesting the highest possible funding be included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill for Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) and the Urban Indian Health Program (UIHP). Rep. Smith co-led the letter with Reps. Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.). These organizations play a crucial role in providing health care for American Indian and Native communities across the country. 

The members wrote, “UIHPs serve our communities by providing culturally attuned health care and human services, conducting data research, and collaborating with tribal, community, and federal partners. As this Subcommittee knows well, the UIHP has traditionally received less than one percent of IHS appropriations to provide a variety of health care and medical services to the 76% of the American Indian and Alaska Native population that live in urban areas. The highest possible funding level will allow the UIHP to adequately provide health care services to tribal citizens in our communities.” 

“TECs conduct research used to identify the root causes of health disparities and improve data-driven health care decision making in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. They play a critical role in providing disease surveillance and technical assistance to tribal and urban Indian organizations. TECs need continued investment in order to maintain their success and un-replicated services. We are grateful for the much-needed increase in FY 2023; however, we still have a long way to go to build up research capabilities in tribal communities. In the FY 2024 appropriations bill, we request highest possible funding for the Tribal Epidemiology Centers program. This funding level would ensure TECs can conduct epidemiology and public health functions critical to the delivery of health care services for tribal and urban Indian communities,” the members continued. 

The members concluded, “Increased funding for UIHPs and TECs is critical to strengthening our public health and primary care system.” 

Read the full letter here. 

Funding for the Urban Indian Health Program and Tribal Epidemiology Centers is vital for organizations like the Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) in Washington’s Ninth District. SIHB is a leader in providing health care and related services to disadvantaged communities across the region, especially urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Urban Indian Health Institute housed at SIHB is one of only 12 TECs across the country conducting research and collecting data to inform health services, programs, and policy. 

Rep. Smith and the late Congressman Don Young led a similar effort last year that resulted in a historic increase for the Urban Indian Health Program budget to $90.4 million and a $10 million increase for Tribal Epidemiology Centers, which was included in the Fiscal Year 2023 government funding bill signed into law by President Biden. 

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