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"The "Security Minibus" appropriations bill the House is currently debating is completely disconnected from the realities that our country faces and the spending choices we must make. This spending package includes funding for the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Legislative Branch, Department of Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers, agencies of the Department of Interior, and several independent agencies.

"The Defense Department should not be providing military equipment to civilian law enforcement agencies until we can be sure the program is capable of preventing dangerous items from falling into the wrong hands. The transfer of ‘controlled property' under the 1033 program should be suspended until DLA fully implements the control measures that GAO has recommended, and makes its own planned changes to improve the oversight, management, and control of the program," said Congressman Smith.

"This announcement is an unwarranted and disgraceful attack on men and women who have been bravely serving their country. These service members are defending the United States around the world as we speak, and they have long done so with distinction. To prevent transgender people from joining the military and to push out those who have devoted their lives to this country would be ugly and discriminatory in the extreme.

"Russian attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election in the United States were flagrant and unacceptable. Their meddling has not been confined simply to our borders - as they carried out aggressive campaigns to disrupt the elections of our European partners. These actions must stop.

Congressman Adam Smith will be a special guest at an event for small and diverse businesses this Friday, July 21^st. Here in the Puget Sound region, small and diverse businesses are pillars of our local economy, and play critical roles in our continued economic growth and vitality.

Small Business Industry Day Information:

When: Friday, July 21, 2017, 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. Congressman Smith will speak from 9:00 - 9:30 am.

Where: Renton Pavilion, 233 Burnett Ave S. Renton, WA98057

"An enormous amount of good bipartisan work has gone into the writing of this bill, and I am supporting it. Make no mistake about it: We face a complex threat environment. North Korea is testing intercontinental ballistic missiles, Russia continues to undermine not just our elections, but democracy itself across the globe, and we face a terrorist threat. These are dangers that we must be prepared to confront.

"This decision to delay transgender accession to the military is unjustified and morally wrong. The Defense Department has already studied the issue extensively and found that there are no substantial practical obstacles to allowing trans people to join the military and defend their country. To the contrary, many are already serving in the military and doing so with distinction. The only remaining obstacle is prejudice."