I believe Joe Biden made the right choice. I applaud President Joe Biden for making this difficult decision, I think it is the best path forward for our country. I thank him for the great job he has done as President and for his 50+ years as a dedicated public servant.
I strongly support Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee for President. She has the experience as a District Attorney, Attorney General, U.S Senator, and Vice President to lead our country. I have witnessed firsthand her leadership at the Munich Security Conference, and on so many other issues important to our country. I am confident in her ability to lead.
WASHINGTON — President Biden should end his candidacy for a second term as President and release his delegates to the Democratic National Convention to enable the party to nominate a new candidate for President. This must happen as soon as possible to give the new ticket the maximum amount of time to make its case to the American people.
Any candidate for the highest office in our nation has a strong burden to bear. That candidate must be able to clearly, articulately, and strongly make his or her case to the American people. It is clear that President Biden is no longer able to meet this burden.
Donald Trump and MAGA extremism pose an existential threat to our nation, and we need to be in the strongest possible position to win in this election.
If President Biden runs, I will back him one hundred percent and without reservation. Elections are, after all, a choice. The President would still be, by a wide margin, the best candidate in the current field. He has done an outstanding job as President and our country will always owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for the job he has done. But no candidate is owed another term in office based solely on past performance. Every new term must be earned with the clear understanding of what that candidate will be capable of doing in the term to come.
If the President continues his campaign, it would be a mistake. He should step aside now so that we can find a new candidate that will put us in the strongest possible position to beat Donald Trump in November.
We are excited to share that our application for our PAID Summer Internship is now open! Please forward this message (flyer attached) to any high school and college aged young people that may be interested!
As you all know, 2024 will be the most consequential election of our lifetime, and the Democracy Summer Internship is poised to play a decisive role in determining who will control Congress and the White House.
About the Internship:
The Democracy Summer Fellowship seeks to bring about political change in America by training and deploying the next generation of Democratic organizers and leaders to win elections at every level. Founded by Congressman Jamie Raskin, backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and buoyed by thousands of supportive alumni across the country, Democracy Summer engages high school and college-aged young people in state-of-the-art tactics in voter registration, canvassing and digital political organizing. Moreover, through on-line seminars with leading historians, law professors, political organizers and union and elected leaders, it provides an intensive education in the historical struggle for democratic freedom and essential lessons for effective political leadership today.
2024 Program Details:
6 Weeks – June 24 – August 9
15-20 Hours/week
4-5 Hours/week – virtual seminars, discussions and workshops
10-15 Hours/week – in-person organizing with your campaign
Eligibility
All high school, college students, and others in that age group
Application Dates
Applications will open March 18th and the priority deadline will be April 12.
Application Link: https://democracy-summer.breezy.hr/p/5502f250b488-rep-adam-smith-wa-09-democracy-summer-fellow
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) announced the successful inclusion of $8,148,000 million in the FY 2022 House appropriations bills for ten community projects in the 9th District.
“I am thrilled the House appropriations bills includes funding for the ten projects I submitted that will help address growing inequities and underinvestment in our communities,” said Rep. Adam Smith. “From affordable housing and economic development to mental health and youth services, investment in these projects will help address some of the most pressing challenges facing individuals and families. The projects and the benefits they will bring are only possible because of the community organizations and leaders working at the forefront of these issues every day. I will continue to work in Congress to support these community-driven efforts and direct more federal dollars to underserved and marginalized populations.”
You can learn more about the projects listed in alphabetical order by project name here:
Click here for additional information about Community Project Funding requests submitted by Congressman Smith.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) announced the successful inclusion of $20 million in funding for eleven transportation-related projects in the Ninth District as part of the INVEST in America Act that passed the House today.
“I am proud to have secured funding for eleven transportation projects in the Ninth District in the INVEST in America Act,” said Rep. Adam Smith. “These projects support efforts to electrify King County’s bus system, expand public transit access, improve safety and accessibility, increase connectivity through new pedestrian and bike infrastructure, and repair transportation corridors that are vital for the region’s economic growth. I look forward to working with my colleagues to further advance these projects and the broader legislation that invests in all of our communities.”
The eleven projects are listed alphabetically below.
You can read more about the projects here.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) submitted Community Project Funding requests to the House Committee on Appropriations for consideration in the FY 2022 appropriations bill. Each Representative may request funding for up to ten projects in their community for fiscal year 2022.
“I am proud to submit requests for these ten critical projects in Washington’s Ninth District that will help address growing inequities in our communities,” said Rep. Smith. “As Congress works to pass appropriations bills, it is vital that we direct more federal dollars to underserved communities and marginalized populations. The proposed projects will help address challenges facing communities across the region in affordable housing, health care, education, youth development and services, small businesses and economic opportunity, senior services, and mental health. I am deeply appreciative of all of the organizations, local governments, and community leaders who submitted excellent projects for consideration that would make our communities more equitable and prosperous.”
You can learn more about the projects listed in alphabetical order by project name here:
Click here for information about other Community Project Funding requests submitted by Congressman Smith.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced the Empowering Individuals to Succeed Through Education and Workforce Training Act. This legislation would establish a new competitive grant program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), dedicated exclusively to providing support services for individuals receiving workforce training and education.
Barriers to receiving an education or obtaining the skills needed to succeed are insurmountable for far too many individuals in this economy. Career and technical education and workforce training services provide opportunities for individuals to enter the workforce and are critical to addressing our nation’s skills gap. The financial burden often goes beyond just the costs of tuition. Reducing the barriers that individuals face to obtain training and education will help ready our workforce for in-demand, well-paid jobs.
“With persistent inequities in our society and an evolving economy, we must do more to help people obtain the education and skills they need to succeed. The Empowering Individuals to Succeed Through Education and Workforce Training Act will provide wraparound services that are needed to help individuals complete education and training programs for in-demand jobs in our economy,” said Congressman Adam Smith. “Equal opportunity for all is only possible when every person in our country can access programs leading to high-quality and good-paying jobs.”
“This is crucial legislation to serve our workforce and support the economic and civic drivers in our communities. Not only will these funds assist in defraying challenges of housing, transportation and childcare, but will also connect students to health care, legal aid, and other community services,” said Renton Technical College President Kevin McCarthy. “Students benefiting from these services are much more likely to complete the training for which they are well qualified and passionate.”
“Education and training outcomes increase exponentially when students also have access to wrap around supports that help provide a stable foundation to focus on learning. These support services are exactly the critical needs for many of our students along their career pathway to living-wage jobs,” said Veronica Wade, Executive Dean of Professional Technical and Workforce Education, South Seattle College.
“Every day, working people, students, and families are looking for opportunities to get ahead but too few workers can access the skills, training and education necessary to access good jobs,” said Katie Spiker, Director of Government Affairs of National Skills Coalition. “Support services like childcare, transportation and career counseling are critical to workers’ ability to access and succeed in skills training programs that lead to jobs at the backbone of America’s economy.”
“As a service provider, it is crushing to see these same young people be pushed out of the programs that are set up to help them, said Kathryn Peterson, Program Manager at YouthCare. “Fortunately, these barriers, so often, can be easily remedied with just a little support from a service provider that actually has the funds allocated to specifically identify, and address, critical barriers to engagement that are outside of the typically funded services of transportation and identification support.”
“WIOA provides many opportunities to help job seekers advance their careers and achieve economic stability. This bill builds on the success of WIOA by establishing a new supportive services fund that will enable more participants to get the resources they need to complete their education and training. We applaud Representative Smith for introducing this important legislation,” said Olivia Golden, Executive Director of CLASP.
Through the Empowering Individuals to Succeed Through Education and Workforce Training Act, local and state workforce development boards would use grants to build partnerships with WIOA-supported programs and expand the capacity to help individuals receive support services including assistance with transportation, childcare or dependent care, and housing; referrals to health care services; legal aid services; and others. Individuals participating in a wide range of WIOA training and education programs would be eligible to receive support under the grant, such as skills upgrading and retraining, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, adult education and literacy activities, and occupational skills training.
Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions:
“As Attorney General, Jeff Sessions actively undermined voting rights and civil rights. Sessions has a horrific record when it comes to protecting the individual rights of American citizens, and I expressed my serious concerns with him at the time that he was nominated. I am however, worried that Sessions’ firing today could possibly signal an effort by President Trump to undermine the ongoing Mueller investigation into the foreign interference that took place during the 2016 election. We in Congress will do everything we can to push back against that eventuality. We must affirm our commitment to protecting the integrity of the Mueller investigation and making sure the President does not interfere with its conclusions.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), House Oversight & Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), and 104 other House Democrats sent a letter calling on Secretary Mattis to provide answers about his deployment of 5,200 additional U.S. troops to the border, including how much the deployment will cost, how long the deployment will last, and what the rules of engagement will be.
“The United States can maintain a secure border and the rule of law while still upholding our country’s values to protect those fleeing persecution and violence. The use of military personnel, however, will not help us meet this challenge and only exacerbates the potential to unnecessarily escalate the situation,” the Members wrote in part.
The letter continues, “Instead of working in a bipartisan manner to make comprehensive, common-sense, and humane reforms to our immigration system, the President continues to turn to politically-motivated fear mongering and uses DOD resources and personnel as means to drive his troubling anti-immigration agenda.”
The full text of the letter is as follows, and a full list of co-signers is below. The letter can be found at this link and attached to this release.
Dear Secretary Mattis,
We are writing today to express our opposition to the decision to use additional troops on the southern border to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Congress was recently notified that the Administration is sending an additional 5,200 troops to the border without a long-term plan or an analysis of the effectiveness of previous deployments from this year.
The United States can maintain a secure border and the rule of law while still upholding our country’s values to protect those fleeing persecution and violence. The use of military personnel, however, will not help us meet this challenge and only exacerbates the potential to unnecessarily escalate the situation. This effort is nothing short of a militarization of the southern border to score political points and stoke misleading fears among Americans regarding immigrants. In addition, this decision negatively impacts the readiness of our military personnel who could be training to increase their effectiveness in line with their assigned missions and expertise.
This latest announcement follows a series of actions the President has taken this year to use the military to support his failed immigration policies. Earlier this year, National Guard troops were deployed to the southern border at a cost of $103 million, with no evidence to date of the necessity or effectiveness of their deployment. Furthermore, the Department of Defense (DOD) supported requests from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to shelter as many as 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children and 12,000 family members. Lastly, DOD internally approved $7.5 million for advanced planning for a 37-mile border barrier at the Barry M. Goldwater Range that could cost as much as $450 million. Instead of working in a bipartisan manner to make comprehensive, common-sense, and humane reforms to our immigration system, the President continues to turn to politically-motivated fear mongering and uses DOD resources and personnel as means to drive his troubling anti-immigration agenda.
The President has exploited the caravan of people traveling to the U.S. to seek asylum for his own political gain, and he continues to politicize and militarize this humanitarian crisis as these men, women, and children are fleeing violence and persecution in an unstable part of the world. This is another example of the President using fear-mongering tactics over a humanitarian issue. This use of military personnel and resources for functions outside of core mission areas warrants additional Congressional oversight.
Given this disparate approach, we request an update to answer the following questions:
With all of these pressing concerns in mind, we request a briefing and written response to answer the questions above, and we request an overview of the current strategy. We look forward to your response and thank you for your attention on this matter.
Sincerely,
Reps. Adam Smith, Bennie G. Thompson, Jerrold Nadler, Elijah E. Cummings, Mark Pocan, David Cicilline, James P. McGovern, Carolyn Maloney, Frank Pallone, Jr., Nydia M. Velázquez, Ruben Kihuen, Joe Courtney, Marcy Kaptur, Colleen Hanabusa, Brenda Lawrence, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Adriano Espaillat, Richard E. Neal, Robert Brady, Linda T. Sanchez, Wm. Lacy Clay, Yvette D. Clarke, Donald M. Payne, Jr., William R. Keating, Scott Peters, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ruben Gallego, Rick Larsen, Jim Langevin, Madeleine Z. Bordallo, John Garamendi, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Thompson, Debbie Dingell, Suzanne Bonamici, Thomas R. Suozzi, Jim Cooper, Chellie Pingree, Suzan K. DelBene, Peter Welch, Salud Carbajal, Jimmy Panetta, Grace F. Napolitano, Diana DeGette, Seth Moulton, Eric Swalwell, Albio Sires, Steve Cohen, Hakeem Jeffries, Donald Norcross, Pramila Jayapal, Mark Takano, Alcee L. Hastings, Mike Doyle, Luis V. Gutiérrez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Darren Soto, Jim Himes, Filemon Vela, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Paul Tonko, Earl Blumenauer, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Marc Veasey, Marcia L. Fudge, Alan Lowenthal, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Frederica S. Wilson, Pete Visclosky, Barbara Lee, David E. Price, Julia Brownley, G.K. Butterfield, Anthony G. Brown, Jose Serrano, Cedric Richmond, Mark DeSaulnier, Gwen Moore, Beto O’Rourke, Daniel T. Kildee, Jamie Raskin, Emanuel Cleaver, II, Dina Titus, John Yarmuth, Richard M. Nolan, Susan Davis, Bobby L. Rush, Ted Lieu, Charlie Crist, Judy Chu, Ro Khanna, John Lewis, Carol Shea-Porter, Raúl M. Grijalva, Denny Heck, Keith Ellison, Kathleen M. Rice, Donald McEachin, Norma Torres, Tulsi Gabbard, Karen Bass, Nita Lowey, John B. Larson, Brad Schneider, Danny K. Davis, and Vicente Gonzalez.
Washington, D.C. – House Armed Services Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement about President Trump’s announcement that he plans to send 800 additional U.S. troops to the border:
“The President’s announcement that he will send more troops to the border is fundamentally wrong and a political act at a time when leadership is needed. We should not be militarizing the border, and President Trump has offered no clear idea of what our forces are going to do there. We have seen no evidence that it was helpful or effective when he sent the National Guard to the border in April.
“The caravan of people that the President is focused on are coming to seek asylum, and they have a lawful right to do so. There is absolutely no reason to further politicize and militarize this humanitarian crisis.
“These men, women, and children are fleeing poverty and violence in a very unstable part of the world. The United States should be leading efforts to bring the countries of the region together to figure out what can be done to reduce the horrific conditions that are causing people to flee. I don’t have any illusions that this is going to be easy, and it doesn’t fall solely on the United States to resolve these issues, but our role as a global leader should be focused on bringing countries in the region together to make progress on these humanitarian challenges, instead of isolating ourselves in a show of military force.”