Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), made the following statement about Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s recorded views on U.S. defense policy and Islam:
“I am deeply disturbed by Steve Bannon’s long record of commentary on Islam and national security. In public interviews, Bannon has persistently argued that the United States and Western civilization are faced with a ‘global existential war’ against not just violent Islamist radicals such as Daesh, Al Qaeda, or Al Shabaab, but the religion of Islam itself, which he calls ‘the most radical religion.’ As part of this civilizational conflict, we will have ‘a major shooting war in the Middle East.’”
“That thinking is extremely dangerous. We are not at war with Islam. Both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama made this clear. An approach of this type would make it incredibly difficult for us to defeat the violent Islamic radicals who want to kill Americans, because we simply cannot win without allies and partners in places like Iraq and the Horn of Africa.
“As General David Petraeus told the Armed Services Committee yesterday, ‘Our most important ally in this war is the overwhelming majority of Muslims who reject Al Qaeda, Daesh, and their fanatical barbaric worldview. … We must also remember that Islamic extremists want to portray this as a clash of civilizations with America at war against Islam. We must not let them do that. We must be very sensitive to actions that might give them ammunition in this effort.’
“It is inaccurate and immoral to condemn all Muslims as radicals and enemies of Western civilization. Other religions, including Christianity, have had checkered histories with examples of violent extremism. Great faiths have sometimes been twisted and put to evil ends. If we make it the policy of the United States to stoke a civilizational conflict against Islam itself, we will only feed our enemies’ narrative, generating far more enemies and jeopardizing our ability to effectively fight terrorism and protect the United States.”
“President Trump continues to sign vague and ill-conceived executive orders that have clearly not been properly considered in a rush to fulfill campaign promises. The executive order related to regulation signed this week is just another gimmick under the guise of reducing regulations. It arbitrarily requires that for every regulation passed, two have to be eliminated. This would wreak havoc on our regulatory system and hurt American businesses that are faced with an unpredictable and unsound regulatory environment. The very first indication that this order was alarmingly unclear and confusing is that the White House itself had to quickly issue a subsequent clarification to explain that independent agencies were exempt from it.
“I support a regulatory environment that focuses on the long term needs of our country, protects the American people from harmful environmental impacts, financial fraud, and unethical labor practices, while allowing us to transform our economy and create the jobs needed to compete globally in the future. A well-functioning agency rulemaking process is critical to that goal. President Trump’s regulatory executive order does not move us closer to that goal, it does just the opposite.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement about the Trump administration’s presidential memorandum on organization of the National Security Council (NSC) and the Homeland Security Council (HSC):
“This arrangement could hardly be more ominous for the U.S. national security decision-making process and the security of our friends and allies. The moves laid out in the National Security Presidential Memorandum take an unprecedented step to politicize the NSC. By placing a political operative at the table for all meetings, it concentrates power in the hands of Steve Bannon, an ultra-right-wing political strategist who wants to takenational security policy in a direction that will undermine global security, strengthen our enemies, and shred American values. This goes beyond the long-standing practice of including the President’s Chief of Staff. At the same time, the memorandum downgrades the role that objective intelligence and military advice will play in the president’s decision-making process. We should not be going down this road. Congress will have no choice but to question the integrity of the NSC’s recommendations going forward.”
Washington D.C. –Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to the extensive damage President Trump’s most recent Executive Order banning refugees is already causing:
“President Trump’s Friday afternoon executive order banning refugees is already wreaking havoc on countless individuals here in the United States and creating lasting repercussions for our country’s international stature. Aside from the fact that the United States already has a very extensive vetting process for refugees, the White House’s failure to issue guidance for the Department of Homeland Security, airport employees and airlines across the world is causing chaos, fear, and potentially irreparable harm to our international alliances. Legal scholars are already raising serious legal questions about whether the President’s ban is even constitutional.
“In directing the Department of Homeland Security to indefinitely deny Syrian refugees from entering the United States, as well as callously barring all refugees from the rest of the world for a minimum of 120 days, the President has chosen to act in direct contrast to our nation’s proud history of helping those in need. The fact remains that there have been no fatal terror attacks in the United States by immigrants from the seven nations identified in the President’s executive order.
“Mr. Trump’s disturbing lack of knowledge of the current vetting processes and his complete disregard for American values is both disturbing and dangerous. If we are to succeed in the fight against Islamic extremists, we must make it clear that our fight is not against the Muslim religion. We need our Muslim allies now, perhaps more than ever. The President’s executive action will only lead to a clash of civilizations and write a chapter of history America will be ashamed of.”
Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to President Trump’s irresponsible executive order regarding refugees and visas:
“President Trump’s reckless executive order on refugees and visa restrictions is contrary to America’s founding principles and threatens our nation’s security. The President has chosen to act in direct contrast to our nation’s proud history of helping those in need. President Trump’s actions will only create divisions within America, stoke fear and hate, and help recruit more terrorists and extremists to attack America, as well as our partners and friends.
“Refugees–many of them women and children–already undergo an extremely comprehensive and thorough U.S. Government vetting process before being admitted, including scrutiny by the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Department, intelligence agencies, and others. Applicants for this status are held to the highest level of security screening through which we evaluate travelers or immigrants to the United States, and the process typically takes between 18-24 months. If U.S. security agencies cannot verify details of a potential refugee’s story, that individual is not allowed to enter the United States.
“The fact that refugees want to make the United States their new home should be a source of pride for us. Even as President Trump threatens our principles in the short term, American values will prevail in the end.”
Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s announcement of immigration focused executive actions today:
“The immigration system in the United States is broken and needs to be reformed. Building unnecessary walls, attacking local law enforcement by threatening grant funding, demanding costly mass deportation, and damaging relationships with international partners is misguided and reprehensible. Instead, we must have a clear, humane and legal way for those who seek to come to our country to flee violence and instability, or seek new opportunities, to build a better life in the United States.
“I agree that a secure border is important for our national security. Contrary to the inflammatory rhetoric that President Trump chose to espouse during his campaign, our southern border is more secure today than it has been in decades. From 2006 to 2016, the United States drastically increased our border security budget, which has contributed to the fact that we have had zero net immigration from Mexico for the last three years. The United States has taken responsibility for our border security, and any claims that Mexico should or will pay for a wall is not only foolish but illustrates the President’s disturbing ignorance when it comes to foreign affairs.
“I am dedicated to fixing our immigration system. A comprehensive solution must include immediate changes to our inhumane and costly private immigration detention facilities that lack proper safety oversight. Allowing immigrants to become productive members of our society will only strengthen our communities, our economy, and our country’s future. I applaud our region’s local mayors and Governor Inslee for stating clearly that Washington state will remain a safe haven for those in search of safety. Our local leaders understand that maintaining safe communities and protecting the rights of recent immigrants are do not conflict with one another.
“In Congress, I have strongly advocated for deportation relief, reforms to our immigration detention policies, and for comprehensive immigration reform that provides justice and equity for all people, regardless of where they were born. I join my colleagues in saying unequivocally that Washington state should stand by our values and fight to keep families together.”
Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to President Trump’s decision to reinstate the Global Gag Rule. Also known as the Mexico City Policy, this rule was first introduced in 1984 at the U.N. International Conference on Population held in Mexico City, and is a global barrier to comprehensive women’s health care.
“In reinstating the Global Gag Rule as one of his first executive orders, President Donald Trump has undone years of progress. International family planning programs are very important for fostering manageable and healthy families around the world. By supporting international family planning efforts, we can help families around the world avoid extreme poverty, lack of access to health care, educational, and economic opportunities. Even without this step backwards, U.S. funds are already prohibited from being used to perform or promote abortion services abroad by the Helms Amendment to the 1973 U.S. Foreign Assistance Act.
“I am deeply disappointed that only a day after the 44th Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that upheld a woman’s right to choose, President Trump has shown a flagrant disregard for women’s health across the world by limiting free speech and access to family planning services.”
Congressman Smith released the following statement in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:
“On January 16th, I joined in celebrating the life and the achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr. and honoring Dr. King’s dream of a nation where individuals are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
“While we have not yet achieved Dr. King’s full vision of equal rights and opportunities for every American, we have come a long way from when Dr. King spoke to our country from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. As we continue our work to build a better future for all Americans, we must remember Dr. King’s message of transformative racial and economic justice. Dr. King’s legacy inspires us each to do our individual part to create broad-based opportunities for all and battle inequality throughout our society.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement about the administration’s declaration of 500 additional nuclear weapons as excess to our defense needs:
“I am pleased that there is consensus from the administration and military commanders to declare 500 nuclear weapons as excess, reducing the number of active nuclear weapons to about 4,000. Unfortunately, however, I expect the House Republican majority to block our military commanders’ decision, as they did this past year. We still have many more nuclear weapons than would be needed to reliably destroy the world several times over and we should consider whether the threat of using nuclear weapons first remains appropriate and necessary. I remain very concerned about the President-elect’s recent incendiary and cavalier comments that we should expand our nuclear weapons capabilities, and his daring our adversaries to confront us in a nuclear arms race. Such a policy is dangerous and would unnecessarily increase the risks of nuclear war.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement about the intelligence community’s declassified report confirming a Russian plot to intervene in the 2016 election:
“This intelligence report lays out carefully, in stark detail, how President Putin directed his military intelligence, hackers, and propagandists to intervene in the election to help Donald Trump. Putin did this as part of an unprecedentedly bold campaign to discredit American values, weaken our support for our allies, dismantle the liberal world order, and, by all appearances, attempt to render the world safe for autocracy. The report also warns that Putin will keep trying to intervene in our elections and those of our allies. We must push back persistently and effectively to make clear, going forward, that there will be further consequences if this belligerent behavior continues.
“It is highly irresponsible to dismiss these findings and call for a closer relationship with Russia in the same breath. Doing so suggests a disregard for the very real threat they pose to ourselves and the future of democracy worldwide.
“What’s more, in light of this information, nominating a national security adviser who has been paid to appear on Russia’s state-supported propaganda network, as well as a secretary of state who has received the Russian Order of Friendship and wants to lift sanctions on Russia, looks like a reward to Putin for his efforts. That is precisely the wrong message for us to be sending.”