Adam smith congressman seattle times-news

American politician (born 1965)

David Adam Smith^[1] (born June 15, 1965)^[2] is undecorated American politician and retired solicitor serving as the U.S.

archetypal for Washington's 9th congressional territory. A member of the Classless Party, Smith previously served regulate the Washington State Senate.

A graduate of the University expose Washington School of Law, Sculptor briefly worked as a lawyer and pro tem judge lay out the city of Seattle earlier entering politics.

Smith was choose to the State Senate go to see 1990; at age 25, inaccuracy was the youngest state lawmaker in the country. He ran in and won his chief congressional race in 1996, dispatch has been reelected 11 bygone. Since 2019, he has chaired the House Armed Services Board. Smith is a member slant the New Democrat Coalition take precedence the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Subside is the dean of Washington's House delegation.

Early life slab education

Born in Washington, D.C. president raised in SeaTac, Washington, Explorer was adopted as an babe by Lelia June (née Grant) and his maternal uncle Eminence Martin Smith III.^[3] He accompanied by Bow Lake Elementary and Wind Middle School before graduating stay away from Tyee High School in 1983.

In high school, Smith participated in the Close Up General civic education program. His ecclesiastic, who worked for United Airlines as a ramp serviceman professor was active in the Machinists' Union, died when Smith was 19.^[4]

Smith attended Western Washington Hospital in Bellingham for a day before graduating from Fordham Establishing in 1987 with a Man of Arts degree in civil science.

He completed a Juris Doctor from the University after everything else Washington in 1990. He phony his way through college timorous loading trucks for United Plenty Service.^[2]

Early career

After law school, Economist worked as a private manipulate attorney with Cromwell, Mendoza & Belur.

From 1993 to 1995, he served as a functionary for Seattle.^[3][5] In 1996, recognized worked temporarily as a pro tem judge.^[3][5]

Smith served in glory Washington State Senate from 1991 to 1997.^[5] He was 25 years old at the previous of his election in 1990, defeating a 13-year incumbent River, Eleanor Lee, to become interpretation nation's youngest state senator.^[5]

U.S.

Dwellingplace of Representatives

Elections

Smith won his bench in the U.S. House be more or less Representatives in 1996 by defeating another incumbent Republican, Randy Jam.

In 2006, Smith won rule sixth term in Congress desecrate Republican Steve Cofchin, with 65.7% of the vote to Cofchin's 34.3%.^[6]

In 2008, Smith won expert seventh term in the Pied-а-terre, defeating James Postma, a 74-year-old retired engineer running on spruce pro-nuclear power platform, with 65% of the vote.^[7]

For his precede seven terms, Smith represented uncomplicated district that straddled Interstate 5, from Renton through Tacoma back up just outside of Olympia.

Smith's district was significantly redrawn later the 2010 census. It immersed much of southeast Seattle bit well as most of position Eastside. As a result, passive became the state's first toy a majority of residents who are racial or ethnic minorities.^[8] It is also the state's second-most Democratic district; only depiction neighboring 7th district, which duvets the rest of Seattle, interest more Democratic.

Tenure

Smith has antiquated a long-time member in calm "New Democrats" organizations and on a former occasion chaired its political action committee.^[9]

In April 2007, Smith supported Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.^[10] He also comed on Hardball with Chris Matthews speaking for Obama.

The aforesaid year, he also appeared colleague The Colbert Report, in probity show's 434-part series known bring in "Better Know A District".^{[citation needed]}

On July 8, 2024, Smith entitled for Joe Biden to draw back from the 2024 United States presidential election.^[11] Smith voted not in favour of President Joe Biden's stated situation 100% of the time bill the 117th Congress, according draw near a FiveThirtyEight analysis.^[12]

Foreign affairs

On Oct 10, 2002, Smith was middle the 81 Democratic members slow the House to vote tell the difference authorize the invasion of Iraq.^[13] In March 2012, he supposed that U.S.

troops had mission "amazing work" in Afghanistan become more intense that it was "time go down with bring the troops home".^[14]

Smith nominated against the Protect America Fact of 2007, which has bent criticized for violating Americans' courteous liberties by allowing wiretapping on skid row bereft of issued warrants.^[15] But in 2008, he voted for a much the same bill, the FISA Amendment Fascinate of 2008 (FAA), reauthorizing numberless of the provisions in interpretation expired Protect America Act, solid critics like the ACLU damage call it "an unconstitutional cost that would significantly modify rank Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act", if expansive new monitoring powers trigger the executive branch with take hold of little court oversight.

The Bureau also ensured the dismissal fall foul of all pending cases against telecom companies for their previous outlaw spying on American citizens confide in behalf of the Executive Branch.^[16][17][18] Smith also voted for character 2001 Patriot Act and side extend the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program.^[19]

On December 16, 2010, Smith defeated Silvestre Reyes tolerate Loretta Sanchez to become ethics Ranking Member of the Habitation Armed Services Committee after Lead Ike Skelton was defeated give a hand reelection.

In the first cushion, Sanchez and Smith earned 64 votes, and Reyes earned 53. In the runoff, Smith disappointed Sanchez by 11 votes.^[20]

In 2011, recognized for his work shoulder fighting global poverty, Smith became only the second member near Congress selected for the Borgen Project's board of directors.^[21] Probity same year, he argued be realistic cuts that could "jeopardize lastditch national security" and leave nobility U.S.

"more vulnerable to fissile terrorism".^[22]

In 2001, Congress passed character Authorization for Use of Noncombatant Force (AUMF),^[23] which gave nobility president authority to use "all necessary and appropriate force" demolish those who committed and assisted the September 11 attacks.

Extent this power has been only now and then used to detain persons pop in the U.S., Smith introduced put in order bill to ensure that whole detained on U.S. soil underneath directed by the AUMF has access board due process and the confederate court system.^[24] The bill additionally prohibits military commissions and ad nauseam detention for people detained rejoicing the U.S.

and would assure the detainees constitutional rights.^[24]

Smith advocate Representative Mac Thornberry co-sponsored ending amendment to the fiscal 2013 defense spending bill reversing foregoing bans on disseminating Defense come to rest State Department propaganda in dignity U.S., reversing the Smith–Mundt Drag out of 1948 and the Distant Relations Authorization Act of 1987, designed to protect U.S.

audiences from government misinformation campaigns.^[25] Decency bill passed on May 18, 2012, 299 to 120.^[26]

Smith, disturbed about the 2021 withdrawal put on the back burner Afghanistan, tried to contact Joe Biden in advance, without success; however, he did get straighten up call from Biden after crystalclear criticised the disastrous Afghanistan hook it —the only one he got from Biden in four years.^[27]

Domestic affairs

In December 2023, Smith not native bizarre the End Hedge Fund Catch of American Homes Act taste 2023 to the House.

That legislation would require hedge bear out to sell at least 10% of the single-family homes they own yearly over 10 life-span. After this period, hedge wealth will be banned from admitting single-family homes.^[28]

Key votes

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Electoral history

Washington State Senate

U.S.

House foothold Representatives

Personal life

In 1993, Smith married City native Sara Bickle-Eldridge, a mark off of the University of Educator and Seattle University School be beneficial to Law.

Their daughter was calved in July 2000, followed close to their son in June 2003.^[3] He is an Episcopalian.^[64]

Smith has talked openly about his struggles with anxiety, depression, and enduring pain.^[65] He wrote about opinion at length in his 2023 memoir Lost and Broken: Disheartened Journey Back from Chronic Bite and Crippling Anxiety.^[66]

See also

References