![Photo of Rep. Adam Smith [D-WA9]](/data/photos/400379-200px.jpeg)
Analysis
Legislative Metrics
Read our 2016 Report Card for Smith.
Sponsorship Analysis
Our unique analysis of the bills Smith has sponsored and cosponsored provides insight into his position in the House of Representatives.
Each dot in the chart below is a member of the House of Representatives. The dots are positioned horizontally according to our progressive—conservative ideology score and vertically according to our leadership score (leaders toward the top). Smith is shown as a purple triangle. (analysis methodology)
Ratings from Advocacy Organizations
Committee Membership
Adam Smith sits on the following committees:
- Ranking Member, House Committee on Armed Services
Enacted Legislation
Smith was the primary sponsor of 2 bills that were enacted:
- H.R. 4401 (111th): To amend the Act of August 9, 1955, to modify a provision relating to leases involving certain Indian tribes.
- H.R. 2115 (107th): To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of ...
We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if about one third or more of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110th Congress).
Bills Sponsored
Issue Areas
Smith sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:
Immigration (17%) Armed Forces and National Security (17%) Economics and Public Finance (13%) Public Lands and Natural Resources (13%) Health (13%) Transportation and Public Works (13%) Foreign Trade and International Finance (8%) International Affairs (8%)
Recent Bills
Some of Smith’s most recently sponsored bills include...
- H.R. 4087: Protecting Airport Communities from Particle Emissions Act
- H.R. 3923: Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act of 2017
- H.R. 3769: Freight Infrastructure Reinvestment Act of 2017
- H.R. 3624: Rural Economic Vitalization Act
- H.R. 3025: Fostering Unity Against Russian Aggression Act of 2017
- H.R. 1745: Relief From Sequestration Act of 2017
- H.R. 753: Military Infrastructure Consolidation and Efficiency Act of 2017
Voting Record
Key Votes
| Smith’s Vote | Vote Description |
|---|---|
| No |
S. 612: A bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 1300 Victoria Street in Laredo, Texas, as the “George P. Kazen Federal Building ...
Dec 8, 2016. Passed 360/61.
|
| Aye |
H.Res. 937: Providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany the bill (S. 2943) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for military activities of the Department ...
Dec 1, 2016. Passed 277/139.
|
| No |
H.R. 2146: Defending Public Safety Employees’ Retirement Act
Jun 18, 2015. Passed 218/208.
This vote made H.R. 2146 the vehicle for passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal currently being negotiated. H.R. 2146 was originally introduced as a bill to address issues with retirement funds of federal law enforcement officers and firefighters. ... |
| Yea |
H.R. 2048: Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015
May 13, 2015. Passed 338/88.
The USA Freedom Act (H.R. 2048, Pub.L. 114–23) is a U.S. law enacted on June 2, 2015 that restored in modified form several provisions of the Patriot Act, which had expired the day before. The act imposes some new limits on the bulk collection of ... |
| No |
H.R. 33: Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act
Feb 27, 2015. Passed 357/60.
This bill was the vehicle for the passage of continuing appropriations. This bill started out as the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act. It was passed by the House in this form. But on Feb 27, 2015 the Senate struck its text in whole ... |
| Aye |
H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015
Sep 17, 2014. Passed 319/108.
|
| Aye |
H.R. 3523 (112th): Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act
Apr 26, 2012. Passed 248/168.
|
| Aye |
H.R. 1249 (112th): Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
Jun 23, 2011. Passed 304/117.
The Leahy–Smith America Invents Act (AIA) is a United States federal statute that was passed by Congress and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on September 16, 2011. The law represents the most significant change to the U.S. patent system since 1952, and ... |
| Nay |
S. 3729 (111th): National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010
Sep 29, 2010. Passed 304/118.
|
| Nay |
H.R. 6707 (110th): Taking Responsible Action for Community Safety Act
Sep 27, 2008. Failed 243/175.
|
Missed Votes
From Jan 1997 to Oct 2017, Smith missed 1,087 of 14,066 roll call votes, which is 7.7%. This is much worse than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving. ProPublica has tracked 444 explanations for these missed votes. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
Primary Sources
The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:
- Congress-Legislators, a community project collecting election information
- The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
- GPO Member Guide for the photo
- GPO.gov/FDSys, for sponsored bills
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