Rep. Adam Smith

Representative for Washington’s 9^th District

pronounced A-dum // smith

Smith is the representative for Washington’s 9^th congressional district (view map) and is a Democrat. He has served since Jan 7, 1997. Smith’s current term ends on Jan 3, 2025. He is 59 years old.

Smith's Official Website OpenSecrets Bioguide C-SPAN

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Earmarks

Smith proposed $40 million in earmarks for fiscal year 2024, including:

$4 million to City of SeaTac for “Airport Station Area Pedestrian Improvement Project”
$4 million to Abu Bakr Islamic Center of Washington for “Wadajir Residences & Souq”
$4 million to Indian American Community Services (IACS) for “Indian American Community Services (IACS) Community Center Improvement Project”

View all requests and justifications on Smith’s website »

View analysis and download spreadsheet from Demand Progress Education Fund »

These are earmark requests which may or may not survive the legislative process to becoming law. Most representatives from both parties requested earmarks for fiscal year 2024. Across representatives who requested earmarks, the median total amount requested for this fiscal year was $39 million.

Earmarks are federal expenditures, tax benefits, or tariff benefits requested by a legislator for a specific entity. Rather than being distributed through a formula or competitive process administered by the executive branch, earmarks may direct spending where it is most needed for the legislator's district. All earmark requests in the House of Representatives are published online for the public to review. We don’t have earmark requests for senators. The fiscal year begins on October 1 of the prior calendar year. Source: Appropriations.house.gov. Background: Earmark Disclosure Rules in the House

Analysis

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Smith is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot is a member of the House of Representatives positioned according to our ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).

The chart is based on the bills Smith has sponsored and cosponsored from Jan 3, 2019 to Nov 14, 2024. See full analysis methodology.

Committee Membership

Adam Smith sits on the following committees:

House Committee on Armed Services Ranking Member

Enacted Legislation

Smith was the primary sponsor of 6 bills that were enacted:

View All »

Does 6 not sound like a lot? Very few bills are ever enacted — most legislators sponsor only a handful that are signed into law. But there are other legislative activities that we don’t track that are also important, including offering amendments, committee work and oversight of the other branches, and constituent services.

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 at least about half of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110^th Congress).

Bills Sponsored

Issue Areas

Smith sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:

Health (27%) Transportation and Public Works (22%) Labor and Employment (20%) Armed Forces and National Security (10%) Housing and Community Development (6%) Agriculture and Food (6%) Immigration (4%) International Affairs (4%)

Recently Introduced Bills

Smith recently introduced the following legislation:

View All » | View Cosponsors »

Most legislation has no activity after being introduced.

Voting Record

Key Votes

Smith voted Yea

H.Res. 1160: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8034) making emergency supplemental appropriations to respond to the situation in …

Passed 316/94 on Apr 19, 2024.

Smith voted Yea

H.R. 7900: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023

Passed 329/101 on Jul 14, 2022.

Smith voted No

S. 612: A bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 1300 Victoria Street in Laredo, …

Passed 360/61 on Dec 8, 2016.

The WIIN (Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation) Act was a 277-page bill dealing with federal water policies, particularly for drought-stricken areas. It’s so complex …

Smith voted Nay

H.R. 5047: Protecting Veterans’ Educational Choice Act of 2016

Passed 411/3 on Nov 30, 2016.

Smith voted Aye

H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015

Passed 319/108 on Sep 17, 2014.

Smith voted Yea

H.Res. 530 (113th): Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2575) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to …

Passed 236/186 on Apr 2, 2014.

Smith voted Aye

H.R. 3523 (112th): Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act

Passed 248/168 on Apr 26, 2012.

Smith voted Yea

H.Con.Res. 94 (112th): Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 3672.

Passed 255/165 on Dec 16, 2011.

Smith voted Aye

H.R. 1249 (112th): Leahy-Smith America Invents Act

Passed 304/117 on Jun 23, 2011.

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 …

Smith voted Nay

S. 3729 (111th): National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010

Passed 304/118 on Sep 29, 2010.

Smith voted Nay

H.R. 6707 (110th): Taking Responsible Action for Community Safety Act

Failed 243/175 on Sep 27, 2008.

Smith voted Nay

H.R. 7006 (110th): Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008

Passed 419/4 on Sep 24, 2008.

Missed Votes

From Jan 1997 to Nov 2024, Smith missed 1,157 of 17,849 roll call votes, which is 6.5%. This is much worse than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.

We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absenses, major life events, and running for higher office.

Show the numbers...

Time Period	Votes Eligible	Missed Votes	Percent	Percentile
1997 Jan-Mar	71	4	5.6%	70^th
1997 Apr-Jun	174	2	1.1%	30^th
1997 Jul-Sep	232	7	3.0%	63^rd
1997 Oct-Nov	163	3	1.8%	56^th
1998 Jan-Mar	89	1	1.1%	23^rd
1998 Apr-Jun	185	2	1.1%	33^rd
1998 Jul-Sep	199	4	2.0%	49^th
1998 Oct-Dec	74	3	4.1%	67^th
1999 Jan-Mar	77	0	0.0%	0^th
1999 Apr-Jun	184	3	1.6%	39^th
1999 Jul-Sep	204	5	2.5%	69^th
1999 Oct-Nov	146	3	2.1%	47^th
2000 Jan-Mar	95	5	5.3%	57^th
2000 Apr-Jun	277	10	3.6%	65^th
2000 Jul-Sep	130	80	61.5%	98^th
2000 Oct-Dec	101	7	6.9%	45^th
2001 Jan-Mar	75	2	2.7%	63^rd
2001 Apr-Jun	135	7	5.2%	91^st
2001 Jul-Sep	149	2	1.3%	48^th
2001 Oct-Dec	153	4	2.6%	51^st
2002 Jan-Mar	79	2	2.5%	53^rd
2002 Apr-Jun	203	22	10.8%	96^th
2002 Jul-Sep	141	13	9.2%	86^th
2002 Oct-Nov	61	2	3.3%	63^rd
2003 Jan-Mar	94	5	5.3%	85^th
2003 Apr-Jun	239	108	45.2%	99^th
2003 Jul-Sep	193	11	5.7%	85^th
2003 Oct-Dec	151	13	8.6%	79^th
2004 Jan-Mar	104	21	20.2%	94^th
2004 Apr-Jun	221	17	7.7%	93^rd
2004 Jul-Sep	161	12	7.5%	88^th
2004 Oct-Dec	58	0	0.0%	0^th
2005 Jan-Mar	90	4	4.4%	61^st
2005 Apr-Jun	272	8	2.9%	56^th
2005 Jul-Sep	146	2	1.4%	48^th
2005 Oct-Dec	163	0	0.0%	0^th
2006 Jan-Mar	81	2	2.5%	63^rd
2006 Apr-Jun	276	20	7.2%	92^nd
2006 Jul-Sep	159	1	0.6%	29^th
2006 Nov-Dec	27	0	0.0%	0^th
2007 Jan-Mar	213	18	8.5%	95^th
2007 Apr-Jun	393	8	2.0%	65^th
2007 Jul-Sep	317	11	3.5%	78^th
2007 Oct-Dec	263	20	7.6%	89^th
2008 Jan-Mar	149	15	10.1%	88^th
2008 Apr-Jun	321	18	5.6%	78^th
2008 Jul-Sep	205	11	5.4%	76^th
2008 Oct-Dec	15	0	0.0%	0^th
2009 Jan-Mar	174	5	2.9%	62^nd
2009 Apr-Jun	303	8	2.6%	63^rd
2009 Jul-Sep	268	10	3.7%	81^st
2009 Oct-Dec	246	25	10.2%	93^rd
2010 Jan-Mar	195	20	10.3%	94^th
2010 Apr-Jun	219	4	1.8%	34^th
2010 Jul-Sep	151	4	2.6%	66^th
2010 Nov-Dec	99	8	8.1%	77^th
2011 Jan-Mar	212	19	9.0%	97^th
2011 Apr-Jun	281	4	1.4%	52^nd
2011 Jul-Sep	247	10	4.0%	80^th
2011 Oct-Dec	208	20	9.6%	90^th
2012 Jan-Mar	151	5	3.3%	71^st
2012 Apr-Jun	299	3	1.0%	37^th
2012 Jul-Sep	152	7	4.6%	80^th
2012 Nov-Dec	51	7	13.7%	93^rd
2013 Jan-Jan 112th Congress	5	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Jan-Mar	89	15	16.9%	95^th
2013 Apr-Jun	215	22	10.2%	94^th
2013 Jul-Sep	200	3	1.5%	51^st
2013 Oct-Dec	137	2	1.5%	42^nd
2014 Jan-Mar	148	32	21.6%	98^th
2014 Apr-Jun	219	27	12.3%	95^th
2014 Jul-Sep	147	2	1.4%	50^th
2014 Nov-Dec	49	29	59.2%	99^th
2015 Jan-Mar	144	48	33.3%	98^th
2015 Apr-Jun	244	68	27.9%	98^th
2015 Jul-Sep	139	16	11.5%	91^st
2015 Oct-Dec	177	0	0.0%	0^th
2016 Jan-Mar	137	131	95.6%	99^th
2016 Apr-Jun	204	4	2.0%	50^th
2016 Jul-Sep	232	0	0.0%	0^th
2016 Nov-Dec	48	0	0.0%	0^th
2017 Jan-Mar	208	9	4.3%	80^th
2017 Apr-Jun	136	1	0.7%	33^rd
2017 Jul-Sep	199	1	0.5%	40^th
2017 Oct-Dec	167	0	0.0%	0^th
2018 Jan-Mar	129	11	8.5%	89^th
2018 Apr-Jun	184	7	3.8%	66^th
2018 Jul-Sep	102	0	0.0%	0^th
2018 Nov-Dec	85	2	2.4%	61^st
2019 Jan-Mar	136	8	5.9%	88^th
2019 Apr-Jun	294	4	1.4%	57^th
2019 Jul-Sep	125	2	1.6%	71^st
2019 Oct-Dec	146	4	2.7%	67^th
2020 Jan-Mar	102	4	3.9%	69^th
2020 Apr-Jun	31	0	0.0%	0^th
2020 Jul-Sep	80	0	0.0%	0^th
2020 Oct-Dec	40	3	7.5%	75^th
2021 Jan-Mar	97	1	1.0%	41^st
2021 Apr-Jun	107	0	0.0%	0^th
2021 Jul-Sep	108	1	0.9%	37^th
2021 Oct-Dec	137	1	0.7%	34^th
2022 Jan-Mar	102	1	1.0%	58^th
2022 Apr-Jun	197	1	0.5%	40^th
2022 Jul-Sep	178	1	0.6%	41^st
2022 Nov-Dec	72	0	0.0%	0^th
2023 Jan-Mar	182	1	0.5%	38^th
2023 Apr-Jun	107	2	1.9%	54^th
2023 Jul-Sep	224	0	0.0%	0^th
2023 Oct-Dec	211	12	5.7%	81^st
2024 Jan-Mar	104	2	1.9%	48^th
2024 Apr-Jun	231	1	0.4%	18^th
2024 Jul-Sep	120	1	0.8%	22^nd
2024 Nov-Nov	10	0	0.0%	0^th

Primary Sources

The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:

unitedstates/congress-legislators, a community project gathering congressional information
The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
GPO Member Guide for the photo
GovInfo.gov, for sponsored bills

Rep. Adam Smith

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Earmarks

Analysis

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Committee Membership

Enacted Legislation

Bills Sponsored

Issue Areas

Recently Introduced Bills

Voting Record

Key Votes

Missed Votes

Primary Sources