Adam Smith

Adam Smith is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 9th district of Washington. He originally ran for the seat in 1996.

Smith was born on June 15, 1965, in Washington, D.C. Smith was adopted as an infant by Ben and Leila Smith and raised in SeaTac, Washington.

Smith graduated from Fordham University in 1987 with a degree in Political Science and from the University Of Washington School Of Law in 1990.

In 1993, Adam married Sara Bickle-Eldridge, a graduate of the University of Washington and Seattle University School of Law. Their daughter, Kendall Charlotte, was born in July 2000, and their son, Jack Evers, was born in June 2003.

JStreet PAC endorsement

In 2024 JStreet PAC endorsed Adam Smith.

CPC

In December 2017 Adam Smith was a new member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Resolution condemning socialism

Fedrary 2, 2023 House Republicans moved a Resolution condemning socialism and certain dictators.

The Resolution began:

Whereas socialist ideology necessitates a concentration of power that has time and time again collapsed into Communist regimes, totalitarian rule, and brutal dictatorships;

Whereas socialism has repeatedly led to famine and mass murders, and the killing of over 100,000,000 people worldwide;

Whereas many of the greatest crimes in history were committed by socialist ideologues, including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, Daniel Ortega, Hugo Chavez, and Nicolás Maduro;

Eighty six Democrats voted no. Forteen voted "present" and six didn't vote.

Representative Adam Smith voted "Nay".

Effort to Stop Development Projects

Rep. Ro Khanna, Tefere Gebre of Greenpeace, Grace Tuttle of Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights and Naadiya Hutchinson, Government Affairs Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice were listed as speakers for a "Special Town Hall" dated September 15, 2022 sponsored by Our Revolution. The meeting is to discuss strategies to stop the public from using strategic litigation to shut down development prjects. Our Revolution, Greenpeace, Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR) and WE ACT for Environmental Justice participated. In a mass email, Our Revolution linked to a letter signed by democrats to thwart development projects.

From the event invitation:

"Our Revolution, America’s largest grassroots progressive organization, is partnering with Greenpeace USA to stop a looming threat to our communities and our planet. together, we are hosting a Town Hall to mobilize our networks of millions of members and hundreds of local chapters to stop a deal negotiated between Senator Joe Manchin, The American Petroleum Institute (API), and Democratic leadership to fast track permitting of fossil fuel extraction projects, leading to potential catastrophic climate impacts.

Join frontline communities and our allies in Congress to learn what you can do to help us stop Manchin's Dirty Deal!

From a mass email sent by Our Revolution dated September 12, 2022:

"Our Revolution is leading the charge alongside frontline communities and environmental justice groups like Greenpeace to kill Joe Manchin’s side deal for more dirty oil favors.

"Manchin is willing to shut down the government for more fossil fuel projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline in WV and strip safeguards from impacted communities.

"Dems can’t celebrate “the biggest climate steps in history” while reversing them by caving to a literal coal baron.

"Our coalition of 650 organizations is urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to detach the deal from the must-pass bill to fund the government — we cannot let Manchin hold us hostage!

"Bernie railed against it on the Senate floor this week and says he’ll vote it down, and Our Revolution is calling for a progressive mutiny in Congress.

"A coalition of 72 US House Reps have signed onto a letter led by US Rep. Raul Grijalva - but we need more of our representatives in Congress to stand in opposition.

Adam Smith signed the letter.

Humanitarian Needs in Cuba letter

December 16 2021 , House Rules Committee Chair James McGovern (D-MA), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks (D-NY), House Appropriations subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Chair Barbara Lee (D-CA), and House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Energy Chair Bobby Rush (D-IL) led 114 Members of Congress in a letter to President Biden asking him to prioritize the well-being of the Cuban people as they experience the worst economic and humanitarian crisis in recent history...

In the wake of this year’s protests, the members urged the administration to support the Cuban people by suspending U.S. regulations that prevent food, medicine, remittances, and other humanitarian assistance from reaching the Cuban people...

Signatories included Adam Smith.

Progressive Turnout Project

In 2022 Adam Smith was supported by Progressive Turnout Project.

Labor Caucus

The Labor Caucus is an official caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2021 members included Adam Smith .

Support for the Council on American Islamic Relations

Adam Smith wrote a letter of support to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on the occasion of their 24th anniversary in September 2018.

Supported by Council for a Livable World

The Council for a Livable World, founded in 1962 by long-time socialist activist and alleged Soviet agent, Leo Szilard, is a non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to "reduce the danger of nuclear weapons and increase national security", primarily through supporting progressive, congressional candidates who support their policies. The Council supported Brian Baird in his successful House of Representatives run as candidate for Washington.

Calling on Israeli Govt. to lift Gaza Travel Ban

On Dec. 22, 2009, thirty-three U.S. Representatives wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, calling on her to request that the Israeli Government end the ban on student travel from Gaza to the West Bank. Adam Smith was one of the signatories of the letter. The entire letter together with a complete list of signatories can be read by clicking here.

Supported Lifting the Gaza Blockade

On Jan. 27, 2010, U.S. Representatives Keith Ellison and Jim McDermott led 52 other members of Congress in signing a letter addressed to President Barack Obama, calling for him to use diplomatic pressure to resolve the blockade affecting Gaza. Adam Smith was one of the signatories of the letter. The entire letter together with a complete list of signatories can be read by clicking here.

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

In May 2013, Adam Smith was listed as an associate member the of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Anti-Fracking legislation endorser

On March 14, 2013, Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) have introduced the Bringing Reductions to Energy’s Airborne Toxic Health Effect (BREATHE) Act, and the Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydraulic Environmental Regulation (FRESHER) Act, in order to ensure that the hydraulic fracking industry follows the same rules that other industries do in preserving our natural resources. This legislation is focused on ensuring the safety and the health of the communities where the hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, process is already taking place.

The BREATHE Act would ensure that we close the oil and gas industry’s loophole to the Clean Air Act’s aggregation provision, in addition to adding hydrogen sulfide—a chemical associated with nausea, vomiting, headaches, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat—to the Clean Air Act’s federal list of hazardous air pollutants.

The BREATHE Act has the following original co-sponsors including: Reps. Rush Holt, Jr., Raul Grijalva, John Sarbanes, James Moran, Michael Quigley, Earl Blumenauer, Gerry Connolly,Zoe Lofgren, Michael Honda, Paul Tonko, Barbara Lee, David Price, Carolyn Maloney, Michael Capuano, Mark Pocan, Jim McDermott, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alcee Hastings, Keith Ellison, Niki Tsongas, William Keating, Adam Smith, Jim Langevin, Chellie Pingree, Judy Chu, Louise Slaughter, Jerrold Nadler, Grace Meng, Jan Schakowsky, Nita Lowey, Jared Huffman, Gary Peters and Alan Lowenthal.

The following organizations have endorsed this legislation and are actively working to garner support within Congress and throughout the country: Physicians for Social Responsibility, Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Sierra Club, Earthworks, Breast Cancer Action, Clean Water Action, Environment America, Greenpeace, Nature Abounds, Oil Change International, Citizens for a Healthy Community, Citizens for Huerfano County, Clean Water Action Colorado, Erie Rising, Grassroots Energy Activist Network, Holy Terror Farm, San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, SOS Foundation, Western Colorado Congress of Mesa County, Western Slope Conservation Center and Wilderness Workshop.

Congressional Letter for Neutrality, 2014 Salvadoran Elections

On Monday December 16, 2014 Reps. Juan Vargas (D-CA), Mike Honda (D-CA) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) sent a letter to Sec. of State John Kerry – signed by 51 Members of Congress – calling for a public statement of neutrality by the State Department before the first round of El Salvador’s presidential elections on February 2, 2014.

The letter, , highlighted several “important steps” that the current government has taken to “strengthen its democratic system and expand the right to vote to all citizens,” including those living outside of the country, who will be voting by absentee ballot for the first time in February. Since the election of Mauricio Funes, the first President from the Marxist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) party, the government has increased the number of polling places four-fold to increase accessibility, especially in rural areas.

“We’re glad to see so many Members of Congress expressing respect for the right of the Salvadoran people to determine their own future. That’s an attitude that’s sorely lacking in much of the US’ policy in Central America, especially with regard to economic policy,” said Alexis Stoumbelis, Executive Director for the pro-communist Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), in Washington, DC, which has observed every post-war election in El Salvador, starting in 1994.

Signatories included Rep. Adam Smith ..

JStreet 2014 endorsement

The socialist infiltrated, anti-Israel "two state solution" JStreet PAC endorsed Adam Smith in his 2014 Congressional race.

JStreet endorsed her again in 2016.

Smith has been an outspoken opponent of settlement construction and a strong supporter of Israel and a two-state solution.

ARA endorsement, 2012

The Alliance for Retired Americans endorsed Adam Smith in 2012.

ARA PAF endorsement, 2014

The Alliance for Retired Americans Political Action Fund endorsed Denny Heck in 2014.

New Democrat Coalition, 113th Congress

In the 113th Congress, 50 members of the House of Representatives belonged to the New Democrat Coalition, including:

• Adam Smith

80th anniversary of Social Security

80th anniversary of Social Security celebration in Seattle on Saturday, Aug. 8 2015 at Westlake Plaza, Seattle.

• Sen. Bernie Sanders, US Senate
• Rep. Adam Smith, US House of Representatives
• Sen. Pramila Jayapal, Washington Legislature
• Hon. Kshama Sawant, [Seattle City Council] Member
• Lynne Dodson - Secretary Treasurer, Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO
• Heather Villanueva - Senior Community Strength Organizer, SEIU 775, Board member, Ingersoll Gender Center
• Rebecca Saldana - Executive Director, Puget Sound Sage
• Gerald Hankerson - President of Alaska, Oregon, Washington State Area Conference NAACP
• Marcelas Owens - Youth leader, Washington CAN!
• Hugh Foy, MD. Physicians for a National Health Plan Western Washington, Professor of Surgery, UW School of Medicine, Director of the Surgical Specialties Clinic, Harborview
• Jackie Boschak - President of Washington Alliance for Retired Americans

Organised by Robby Stern of Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action, and Chuck Haunreiter, Washington Community Action Network.

Letter on US-Mexico security Co-operation

From Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice;

Urgent alert from our friends at CISPES- Los Angeles Chapter : "The US plans to expand cooperation between Mexico and the United States to unfairly and inhumanely target Central American migrants and asylum seekers at the upcoming "Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America".

We asked Representative Alan Lowenthal of Long Beach to author a letter to Secretary Tillerson calling for to put the human rights of Central Americans and all migrants and refugees front and center, and he's circulating a letter now. To have the biggest impact possible we need as many Members of Congress as possible to sign this letter!

Call or email your representative today and ask them to join Mr. Lowenthal as a co-signer.

Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) led 37 Members of Congress, including top Democrats from the Armed Forces, Judiciary and Appropriations committees, in sending a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to raise red flags about “suggestions that the United States deepen security collaboration with Mexico along its southern border [with Guatemala] due to evidence that Mexico’s Southern Border Program has led to wide-spread human rights violations and abuses against migrants and asylum-seekers.”

Signers: Don Beyer (D-VA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mike Capuano (D-MA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), John Conyers (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-Washington, DC), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA) , Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James McGovern (D-MA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Adam Smith (D-WA), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), John Yarmuth (D-KY).

Praising CAIR

“I look forward to seeing the crucial work that CAIR continues to do towards preserving the rights and well-being of all Muslim Americans and advocating for others who fall victim to social injustice in the United States.” - Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) (2014).

“In order for our democracy to function effectively, informed citizens must seek to engage civically, and CAIR’s efforts to ensure that American Muslims are able to fully participate in this process are truly remarkable.”

-Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) (October 2017).

Bipartisan War Powers resolution in the House

September 2018 , Representatives Ro Khanna,Thomas Massie, Walter B. Jones, Jim McGovern, and Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee Representative Adam Smith introduced a new bipartisan War Powers resolution in the House.

Medicare For All Congressional Caucus founders

In August 2018 Medicare For All Congressional Caucus founding members included Representative Adam Smith.

Medicare for All Act

In February 2019 Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduced H.R.1384 - Medicare for All Act of 2019. By May 29 she had 110 co-sponsors including Rep. Adam Smith.

HR 109 endorser

By February 20 2019 endorsers of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's HR 109 (Green New Deal) included Adam Smith.

NNU pressure

October 2019 National Nurses United’s long-running campaign to garner congressional support for Medicare For All has won several key lawmakers – Reps. Adam Smith, D-Wash., Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, and Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. – to the cause.

Signing up Doggett is important. He chairs the House Ways and Means Health subcommittee, which co-writes medical care legislation on that side of Capitol Hill. NNU will now concentrate on members of his panel and on a recalcitrant Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who chairs the other key panel for health care bills, the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Both Jeffries and Smith came on board after NNU affiliates in their home districts and states intensively raised the issue, meeting with the two or their staffs and jamming town hall meetings during the August congressional recess.

DSA pressure on Yemen Bill

IE DSA - Inland Empire Democratic Socialists of America July 8 2019.

URGENT: Tomorrow, Tuesday 7/9, the House Rules Committee will consider whether to allow a floor vote on Rep. Ro Khanna's legislation to end US participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen (Amendment 339 to the National Defense Authorization Act.) The DSA International Committee urges members to call their reps in support.

The Congressional switchboard is 202-225-3121. You can say something like:

“I urge you to co-sponsor, speak out for and vote for the Khanna-Schiff amendment to end all U.S. participation in the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen. Yemeni kids' lives are hanging on your vote.”

Key Congress members — If your Rep is on this list, please contact them immediately and urge them to cosponsor Amendment 339:

Pelosi, Hoyer, Engel, Smith, Lieu, Nadler, Lowey, Jim Himes, Ted Deutch, Brad Sherman, Meeks, Bass, Connolly, Susan Davis, Jim McGovern, Langevin, Moulton, Gallego, Houlahan, Cicilline, Slotkin, Mikie Sherrill, Luria, Spanberger, Wild, Malinowski.

NIAC Virtual Gala

May 6 2021 with reps Adam Smith, Barbara Lee, Jan Schakowsky, Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar.

Plus Anna Eskamani, Azadeh Shahshahani, Hoda Katebi, Jeremy Ben-Ami, Juan Cole, Neda Maghbouleh, Persis Karim, Rahna Epting, Sepi Shyne, Shireen Ghorbani, Yassamin Ansari, Yasmine Taeb.

NIAC Applauds Khanna-Gaetz Amendment

Press release Friday July 12, 2019: CONTACT: Mana Mostatabi.

WASHINGTON DC – Moments ago, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a bipartisan amendment from Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to bar funding for an unauthorized war with Iran. The amendment passed with a final vote count of 251-170. The Khanna-Gaetz amendment was offered as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and builds on the momentum from last month’s Senate vote on the Kaine-Udall amendment, which also would have also blocked the Trump administration from launching an unauthorized war with Iran.

In response to the passage of the Khanna-Gaetz amendment, NIAC Action President Jamal Abdi issued the following statement:

“The House of Representatives should be applauded for its vote today to stop an unauthorized war with Iran before it starts, and we call on the Senate to follow suit. With the passage of the amendment from Representatives Ro Khanna and Matt Gaetz, legislators moved one step closer to pulling the U.S. back from the edge of a war that the American people do not want and that Congress has never authorized. With nearly all of the 2020 presidential candidates calling for the U.S. to return to the Iran nuclear deal, and now with the House passing the Khanna-Gaetz amendment, a bipartisan consensus against the Bolton-Pompeo approach to Iran has clearly emerged.

“The Iranian-American community and the broader American public know that war with Iran would be a disaster. That’s why a majority in the House and Senate now are on the record voting for provisions to rule out an unauthorized war with Iran. It is imperative that legislators ensure that the final defense authorization bill includes the Khanna-Gaetz amendment.

“We applaud Reps. Khanna and Gaetz for their leadership. Without the help of Chairmen Eliot Engel, Adam Smith and Jim McGovern as well as Reps. Anna Eshoo, Seth Moulton, Anthony Brown, Barbara Lee and countless Americans who spoke out against war with Iran, this vote would not have been possible.”

NIAC lobbying

NIAC· July 12 2019·

BREAKING: Moments ago, the House voted to pass a bipartisan amendment from Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to bar funding for an unauthorized war with Iran, 251-170.

This couldn’t have happened without your help. Thousands of you wrote to, called, and met with your legislators to tell them to support this amendment over the past weeks (like the NIAC members who met with House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith, seen in the picture below!).

Committees

• Armed Services Committee

• Smith chairs the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities

• Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

External links

• Smith's website with the House of Representatives

References

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