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Adam Smith (politician)
Encyclopedia
David Adam Smith American
politician, has been a Democratic
member of the United States House of Representatives
since 1997, representing Washington's 9th congressional district
.
, Smith was raised in the Sea-Tac
area of Washington State. Smith graduated from Tyee High School in 1983. His father, who worked for United Airlines
and was active in the Machinists' Union
, died when Smith was 17.
Smith graduated from Fordham University
in 1987 with a bachelor's degree. He completed a law
degree at the University of Washington
in 1990. He worked his way through college via employment on a loading dock at a trucking company. After college, Smith spent two years as a private practice attorney with Cromwell, Mendozza, and Belur. From 1993 to 1995, he worked for the city of Seattle as a prosecutor. In 1996, he worked temporarily as a pro tem judge.
from 1991 to 1996. He was just twenty-five years old at the time of his election, defeating an incumbent Republican
to become the youngest State Senator in the country. He won his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 by defeating another incumbent Republican, religious conservative Randy Tate
. Smith hasn't faced serious opposition since, and has turned what was originally drawn as a "fair fight" district into a fairly safe Democratic seat.
He has been a leader in moderate
, "New Democrat" organizations. He serves as the chair of the political action committee
of the New Democrat Coalition
.
On October 10, 2002, Adam Smith was among the 81 Democratic members of the House voting in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq
.
In 2006, Smith won his sixth term in Congress. His opponent was Republican Steve Cofchin. Smith won 65.7% of the vote to Cofchin's 34.3%.http://vote.wa.gov/elections/general/Results.aspx?o=b74ba317-0b75-4caf-9f4d-6256f5a2e281
In April 2007, Smith threw his support behind Senator Barack Obama
for the 2008 Presidential Election
.http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/311514_joel13.html He has also appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews
speaking for Obama.
Smith voted against the Protect America Act of 2007
, which has been criticized for violating American citizens' civil liberties by allowing for wiretapping without issued warrants.http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2007-836
In 2008, Smith won a seventh term in the House by defeating James Postma, a 74-year-old retired engineer running on a pro-nuclear power platform, with 65% of the vote. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapHWA/H/09
On December 16, 2010, Smith defeated Silvestre Reyes
and Loretta Sanchez
to become the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee after Chairman Ike Skelton
was defeated for re-election. In the first round, Sanchez and Smith earned 64 votes with Reyes earning 53. In the runoff, Smith defeated Sanchez by 11 votes http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46528.html.
In 2011, recognized for his work in fighting global poverty, Smith became only the second member of Congress selected The Borgen Project's Board of Directors.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician, has been a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
since 1997, representing Washington's 9th congressional district
Washington's 9th congressional district
Washington's 9th congressional district encompasses a long, somewhat narrow area in western Washington that largely follows Interstate 5 through the densely populated central Puget Sound region, from Olympia in the south to Renton in the north. Since 1997, the 9th District has been represented in...
.
Biography
Born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Smith was raised in the Sea-Tac
SeaTac, Washington
SeaTac is an American city in southern King County, Washington, and an outlying suburb of Seattle, Washington. Incorporated in February 1990, the City of SeaTac is ten square miles in area and has a population of 26,909 according to the 2010 census...
area of Washington State. Smith graduated from Tyee High School in 1983. His father, who worked for United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
and was active in the Machinists' Union
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is an AFL-CIO/CLC trade union representing approx. 646,933 workers as of 2006 in more than 200 industries.-Formation and early history:...
, died when Smith was 17.
Smith graduated from Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in 1987 with a bachelor's degree. He completed a law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
degree at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1990. He worked his way through college via employment on a loading dock at a trucking company. After college, Smith spent two years as a private practice attorney with Cromwell, Mendozza, and Belur. From 1993 to 1995, he worked for the city of Seattle as a prosecutor. In 1996, he worked temporarily as a pro tem judge.
Politics
Smith served in the Washington State SenateWashington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators.The State Legislature...
from 1991 to 1996. He was just twenty-five years old at the time of his election, defeating an incumbent Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to become the youngest State Senator in the country. He won his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 by defeating another incumbent Republican, religious conservative Randy Tate
Randy Tate
Randy J. Tate is an American politician and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Washington....
. Smith hasn't faced serious opposition since, and has turned what was originally drawn as a "fair fight" district into a fairly safe Democratic seat.
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
, "New Democrat" organizations. He serves as the chair of the political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
of the New Democrat Coalition
New Democrat Coalition
The New Democrat Coalition is a Congressional Member Organization within the United States Congress made up of Democrats who support an agenda that the organization describes as moderate and pro-growth. A July 2009 Press release described the organization as "the largest moderate coalition in the U.S...
.
On October 10, 2002, Adam Smith was among the 81 Democratic members of the House voting in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
In 2006, Smith won his sixth term in Congress. His opponent was Republican Steve Cofchin. Smith won 65.7% of the vote to Cofchin's 34.3%.http://vote.wa.gov/elections/general/Results.aspx?o=b74ba317-0b75-4caf-9f4d-6256f5a2e281
In April 2007, Smith threw his support behind Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for the 2008 Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/311514_joel13.html He has also appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews is a talk show on MSNBC, broadcast weekdays at 5 and 7 PM hosted by Chris Matthews. It originally aired on now-defunct America's Talking and later CNBC. The current title was derived from a book Matthews wrote in 1988, Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told by One Who...
speaking for Obama.
Smith voted against the Protect America Act of 2007
Protect America Act of 2007
The Protect America Act of 2007 , , is a controversial amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that was signed into law on August 5, 2007. It removed the warrant requirement for government surveillance of foreign intelligence targets "reasonably believed" to be outside of the...
, which has been criticized for violating American citizens' civil liberties by allowing for wiretapping without issued warrants.http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2007-836
In 2008, Smith won a seventh term in the House by defeating James Postma, a 74-year-old retired engineer running on a pro-nuclear power platform, with 65% of the vote. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapHWA/H/09
On December 16, 2010, Smith defeated Silvestre Reyes
Silvestre Reyes
Silvestre "Silver" Reyes is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997, and the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the primary Committee in the U.S...
and Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 46th, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. The district lies in central Orange County....
to become the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee after Chairman Ike Skelton
Ike Skelton
Isaac Newton "Ike" Skelton IV is the former U.S. Representative for . During his tenure, he has served as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a member for the Democratic Party...
was defeated for re-election. In the first round, Sanchez and Smith earned 64 votes with Reyes earning 53. In the runoff, Smith defeated Sanchez by 11 votes http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46528.html.
In 2011, recognized for his work in fighting global poverty, Smith became only the second member of Congress selected The Borgen Project's Board of Directors.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
(Ranking Member)- As the ranking member on the committee, Rep. Smith may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommitees.
Caucus memberships
- 21st Century Healthcare Caucus
- European Union Caucus
- Goods Movement Caucus
- Intellectual Property Caucus (Co-Chair)
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Waterways Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus
External links
- Congressman Adam Smith official U.S. House website
- Adam Smith for U.S. Congress official campaign website
- John Adams Interview with The Young Turks
- Letter to Dick Clarke October 23, 2002
Sources
- The Almanac of American Politics 2004. Washington, D.C.: National Journal, 2003.