Washington D.C. –Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement on Equal Pay Day:
“We must close the gender pay gap. Despite the many positive transformative changes in our nation’s workforce, women still get paid less for equal work and make 79 cents for every dollar earned compared to their male counterparts. This disparity particularly impacts women of color and cannot continue.
“Equal Pay Day symbolizes how much more the average woman in the United States must work to earn what a man earned in the previous year. April 12th marks these extra 103 days, a day where we recognize how much work remains to achieve pay equality. In addition to wage disparities, women are shut out of leadership and management roles far too often. As women continue to make up a growing percentage of our workforce, the gender wage gap is an increasing burden to working families and will limit our nation’s future economic success.
“As we recognize Equal Pay Day, we must continue fighting for policies that move us towards a fairer and more equal society. Congress must implement policies that address the wage gap, such as the Paycheck Fairness Act. I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation that would help ensure women are paid equally for equal work. We also must expand access to affordable child care and paid family leave that can further help women enter and remain in the workforce. When women succeed, America succeeds.”
I was pleased to see that on February 21, 2016, Somali President Hassan Mohamud signed the Anti-Money laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism bill that the Somali Parliament passed in December 2015. This legislation was crafted with the helpful guidance and technical assistance from the Treasury Department, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. On February 23, 2016, I signed a letter, alongside Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and other Members of Congress, to President Mohamud applauding Somalia for their constructive efforts.
I am grateful for the continued input from the constituents of the 9th District. I know that that remittances are a vital component of the Somali economy and they help many families pay for every day necessities such as food, medicine, education, as well as help expand economic and business opportunities in Somalia. We need to make it easier for residents of the 9th District and Somali-Americans everywhere to send money back to their families in Somalia.
In recognition of this important issue, I have cosponsored legislation and met with numerous government officials in attempts to find ways to continue U.S. remittances to Somalia. Additionally, on January 4, 2016, I wrote a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office(GAO) expressing concerns regarding reduced access to banking services, especially remittances providers. Noting the challenges this presents to Somalis and Somali-Americans, I asked the GAO to analyze the effects that de-risking has had on money service providers, the State Department, USAID, and NGOs. Among other requests, I also asked that the GAO report on other options for sending remittances to Somalia.
I am encouraged by the Somali government’s recent actions and will continue to look for ways for the U.S. government to take steps to cooperate and support Somalia and its people whenever possible. I remain ready to help in any way I can.
Washington D.C. – Ranking Member Smith released the following statement on the President’s plan to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility:
“Today, the President announced his plan to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I have long called for an exit strategy from our use of Guantanamo for detention purposes, and I am encouraged by the President’s plan to responsibly close the facility. I look forward to reviewing the full details of the plan as they become available.
“The President has provided a practicable plan for closing the facility. Congress must now work with the Administration in good faith to effectuate closure. We must start by lifting the current bans on transferring detainees into the United States and on constructing or modifying facilities within the United States to house Guantanamo detainees, bans that have too long served as barriers to closing the detention center.
“The establishment of a detention facility at Guantanamo was misguided from the beginning, and its operation stands in stark contrast to our nation’s values. Today, Guantanamo continues to be an international eyesore that undercuts our national security, damages our credibility with our international partners, and is a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars. The President’s plan offers a responsible way forward that would address security concerns, pursue criminal prosecutions, and produce net savings on the order of $335 million over ten years and $1.7 billion over twenty years. It is far past time to end this chapter in our country’s history and to close this facility.”
Posted from CSPAN
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) talked about issues including the fiscal year 2017 defense budget and whether the U.S. military was being weakened by budget cuts. Other topics included challenges in combating ISIL,* U.S. strike against ISIL in Libya, and China’s actions in the South China Sea. After the interview the reporters in the studio discussed his responses with the host.
*The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or DAISH/DAESH in Arabic), is a militant group that has called itself the Islamic State.
Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, has introduced legislation to end sequestration and its damage to our economy:
“Over the past three years, sequestration and its drastic and across-the-board cuts have negatively impacted our economy, disrupted our government, and harmed our nation. As Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have long called for ending the sequester. This week, I introduced the Relief from Sequestration Act of 2016 (H.R. 4512) to repeal the sequestration mechanism in its entirety. My bill would end the threat of future government shutdowns and looming draconian cuts to important national priorities.
“H.R. 4512 would end years of harmful and indiscriminate cuts to discretionary programs by eliminating the $1.2 trillion of discretionary reductions that are required by the Budget Control Act of 2011 and that will again take effect in 2018. My bill does not deny the fact that we need a comprehensive, long-term deficit reduction deal. We absolutely do. This legislation recognizes that discretionary spending accounts, and the economy, should no longer be held hostage by the threat of sequestration while Congress debates and acts on the larger budget changes that are fundamentally necessary. We have a deficit problem that must be addressed, but we should not continue to damage our economy and undermine national security in the process.
“The President’s Fiscal Year 2017 Budget, released earlier this week, eliminates the sequester after 2018 and recognizes that sequestration was never intended to be implemented, but was instead meant to force Congress to have an honest conversation about the budget. The sequestration mechanism is not necessary to reduce our deficits. The Bipartisan Budget Agreement signed into law last October began to address our budget challenges in a more balanced way, but the looming threat of sequestration continues to limit the ability of government to plan in the long term. With the threat of sequestration eliminated, Democrats and Republicans in Congress can finally come together and focus on crafting and implementing a stable and responsible budget that reflects our nation’s priorities without a looming budget threat.”
Background
Sequestration was originally manufactured to force Congress to make difficult decisions about deficit reduction. Unfortunately, Congress failed to find a solution to reduce our deficit and the devastating mechanism of sequestration took effect. Under sequestration, automatic and arbitrary cuts were applied through fiscal year 2021, decimating discretionary spending. The sequester forestalled the sound planning needed for meaningful investments in national security, the workforce, transportation infrastructure, education, health care, public safety, housing, innovation, small business development, and many other facets of enduring national strength. These cuts have also had unacceptable and serious economic implications, slowing the recovery, and disrupting regular order in Congress. While Congress has succeeded in negotiating proposals to minimize the immediate impact of sequestration, these are set to expire within a few years. The solution must be to permanently end sequestration.
Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith issued the following statement on the recent United Nations Working Group Ruling in Nestora Salgado’s case and his continued efforts to advocate for her release:
“On February 1, 2016, the case of Renton resident Nestora Salgado received long overdue legitimacy from the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. In their legal decision dated December 17, 2015 made public this week, the international panel of independent human rights experts announced their conclusion that Nestora’s continued detention by the Mexican government is illegal and arbitrary. The formal UN Working Group Report calls for Nestora’s immediate release. Nestora has been imprisoned for over two years, following an August 2013 arrest for her leadership in a community police group in her hometown of Olinalá in the state of Guerrero.
“Throughout Nestora’s imprisonment, I have urged for her release. In August of 2014, I wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry to call attention to Nestora’s case and to alert the Department of State to the concerning abuses of human rights and due process Nestora has experienced throughout her detention. Since that time, I have engaged with U.S. and Mexican government officials in hopes of securing Nestora’s release and advocating for her safety and well-being.
“As part of my continued calls for her freedom, in October 2015 I again wrote to Secretary Kerry advocating for Department of State assistance for the Salgado family and Nestora’s legal advocate Seattle University School of Law Professor Thomas Antkowiak in advance of hearings at the Inter-American Human Rights Commission. The Department of State responded by attending the October 2015 hearings, meeting with the family, and continued engagement on Nestora’s case.
“My office has remained involved and in touch with the State Department and Professor Antkowiak in the wake of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission hearings. After being notified of the UN decision, my office immediately contacted Professor Antkowiak and the Department of State to advocate for leveraging the recent decision for Nestora’s immediate release.
“I am committed to working toward the safe return of Nestora to her family. The UN Working Group Report is further evidence that the Mexican government’s detention of Nestora is illegal and that she should be released immediately. It is unacceptable for the Mexican government to continue to imprison Nestora, and I will remain involved and engaged on this critical issue until she is released.”
Washington D.C. – Congressman Smith released the following statement in support of the President’s recent decision to ban solitary confinement for juveniles and non-violent offenders:
“A functioning justice system must work to protect the innocent and simultaneously hold accountable and rehabilitate those who commit crimes. The President’s recently announced executive action reforms the federal prison system, following an extensive review by the Justice Department.
“We can no longer perpetuate the problems of a broken criminal justice system that harshly condemns those who have offended and served their sentences to continued failure. The President’s announcement recognizes long-standing structural failures in our corrections system. Incarcerated individuals who are placed in solitary confinement—for months, even years at a time— can experience lasting psychological damage. The consequences of extended isolation are profound on the human psyche, especially when experienced at a young age, and greatly limit prospects for successful reintegration into society. The President’s action came on the same day that the United States Supreme Court recognized the danger and consequences of harsh sentences imposed on our youth. In their January 25, 2016 ruling in Montgomery v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles previously sentenced to life without parole must be allowed to appeal for a lesser sentence.
“Comprehensive reforms to our system are long-overdue. While there is no single solution, I have outlined a roadmap of criminal justice reform initiatives at the federal level that begin to address the systemic inequities of our current system. I was an early cosponsor of legislation to study the use of solitary confinement, and determine best practices for federal prisons to follow. I support measures to provide sentencing reform and safety-valve programs, and better assist former inmates as they reenter society. It is critical that we reinforce initiatives such as “banning the box” on job applications to expand employment opportunities, as well as increased funding for low-income individuals to access legal services and help them navigate an incredibly complex judicial system. Washington State was an early advocate for reform, and the data from their reforms at the state level show that those who were placed in solitarily confinement had a 20-25% higher rate of recidivism. Leadership at the federal level is critical to ensure wider enactment of restorative justice programs like those spearheaded by Washington State.
“The President has challenged our nation to seriously reflect on a system that has failed too many Americans. The Justice Department’s recommendations provide a framework for the use of solitary confinement, with the goal of working to provide opportunities for redemption rather than inflict harm. Congress must now join the President by supporting reforms that care for offenders humanely and provide dignity and a second chance to those who are rejoining and contributing to their communities.”
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act became law seven years ago today, yet women today still face wage discrimination making 79 cents for every dollar a man earns. In order to close this wage gap, I support legislation like the Paycheck Fairness Act that updates and expands upon the Equal Pay Act of 1963 but I know that our work to truly achieve equal pay must be an across the board commitment by ensuring equal pay for equal work and increasing access to education and quality child care. A better future for women is a better future for all.
Washington D.C. – Ranking Member Adam Smith released the following statement on the recent terrorist attack in Burkina Faso and Somalia:
“I strongly condemn the recent terror attacks in both Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Mogadishu, Somalia. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those injured and killed in the all-too-frequent acts of terror that threaten nations around the world.
“Together with our international partners, the United States must continue to combat extremism and radical terror groups like Al Qaeda in Maghreb and Al Shabaab. The international community has a responsibility to strengthen the coordination of our security and development efforts within Africa in order to effectively combat extremist organizations and foster development to help promote stability throughout the world. The critical work of AMISOM and Kenya’s contributions to that mission illustrate progress that can be built upon in the region.
“I supported the establishment of a U.S. Mission to Somalia in Kenya in September 2015 and encourage the Administration to carefully asses the evolving situation on the ground in Somalia to gauge a time for the Mission to move to Somalia when security conditions allow. I was encouraged to see President Obama nominate Stephen Michael Schwartz as the U.S. Ambassador to Somalia last week, and urge the U.S Senate to swiftly confirm Mr. Schwartz. As Ambassador, Mr. Schwartz can begin the critical work of coordinating with the Somalia government to strengthen our commitment to addressing the causes of extremism.”
Washington D.C. (Link) – Congressman Adam Smith issued the following statement on the recent raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeting families from South and Central America:
“I am extremely disturbed by recent accounts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in several states that are specifically targeting undocumented women and children from South and Central America. It has been reported that these raids have already resulted in the detention of 121 individuals, including in many cases, individuals who were not originally the focus of targeted enforcement actions. Today, I sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson to raise my serious concerns about these activities and to call for additional information to be made public about the agency’s actions.
“I am particularly troubled that in carrying out sweeping new enforcement activity, individuals may not be fully afforded their rights to due process. Many of the families who are the reported targets of ongoing ICE enforcement came to the United States after fleeing extreme violence in their home countries. Many may now be returned to extraordinarily dangerous situations without being afforded all opportunities to seek asylum in the United States. These families, particularly children, are a vulnerable population and must be afforded the guarantee of access to all avenues in our judicial and immigration systems.
“Additionally, I am extremely alarmed and frustrated by the lack of transparency about ICE’s actions and the poor communication between ICE, DHS, and Congress. ICE and DHS have fallen far short of being forthcoming with the public, affected communities, and Congress about the policy objectives and impacts of these enforcement activities, or whether those targeted by the raids have had full access to legal options. American values demand that we afford due process and legal protections in all circumstances.
“These DHS and ICE actions, and the resulting deportations are just the latest example of the very serious need to reform our nation’s immigration system. We cannot afford to wait any longer and I remain committed to and focused on enacting comprehensive immigration reform so that families can remain together and our nation is kept safe.”