Adam's record on Labor

On November 15, 2001, Smith said Congress had passed airport security legislation replacing low-paid, poorly trained screening employees with federal law enforcement personnel who would not have the right to strike.¹

He said these new employees would be professionals earning a decent salary and benefits.¹

On November 28, Smith announced support for a stimulus package centered on what he called meaningful workers' relief, including extended and expanded unemployment eligibility, training, and health care benefits, and cited a 6.6 percent unemployment rate in his state.¹

On October 2, 2002, Smith led a group of Washington colleagues in a letter urging Totem Ocean Trailer Express to work with the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union so cargo bound for Alaska, then docked at the Port of Tacoma, could resume moving.¹

The letter said the ILWU had informed them it was willing to continue loading and unloading cargo for Alaska on Totem's vessels, and cited the cargo's importance to Alaska consumers and to military bases in Alaska.¹

On November 21, 2002, Smith joined the Washington state congressional delegation in a letter urging House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Minority Leader Richard Gephardt to bring the Senate's 13-week unemployment benefits extension to the House floor, after the House had passed only a five-week extension, warning that 45,400 unemployed workers in Washington state would have their benefits cut off around December 28 without further action.¹

Smith said the extension passed the previous week was "by no means a comprehensive victory for Washington state" and that the state needed help to "make it through the winter."¹

Smith said he was pleased that S. 23, the Unemployment Insurance Benefits Extension Act, passed, providing 13 additional weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits to jobless workers nationwide who had exhausted their 26 weeks of regular benefits, with workers in Alaska, Oregon and Washington eligible for 26 additional weeks.¹

He said the extension was retroactive to December 28, restoring benefits to the 45,400 Washington workers who had lost them that day when a temporary extension expired, at a time when Washington's unemployment rate stood at 6.6 percent.¹

Smith said continuing layoffs and budget cuts in the state meant "people need help now."¹

Smith cosponsored H.R. 1769, the Job Protection Act of 2003, which would repeal the FSC/ETI tax provision and replace it with a domestic manufacturing and production income exclusion.¹

He said companies receiving tax benefits should be providing jobs to Americans.¹

Smith announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration approved $100,000 for program implementation and $96,000 for an economic cluster development plan for the Central Puget Sound Economic Development District.¹

As co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition, Smith joined in releasing "e-genda 2003," a technology policy agenda, saying it laid out a strategy to promote job growth in the technology sector.¹

On July 16, 2003, Smith requested a study from the Government Accounting Office on offshore IT services outsourcing, citing concern that workers trained domestically for jobs could see those jobs sent overseas.¹

On August 5, 2003, Smith announced that the GAO approved his request, submitted July 17, to study offshore outsourcing of information technology jobs and the future of the U.S. job market.¹

On August 6, 2003, Smith announced he would ride along with a UPS driver on August 8 to deliver packages and visit local employers, noting he had worked for UPS while in college.¹

On February 25, 2004, Smith urged Congress to pass a manufacturing tax credit to avert European Union trade sanctions on American exports, citing a loss of more than 66,000 manufacturing jobs in Washington state over the prior three years.¹

On March 2, 2004, he introduced legislation to extend Trade Adjustment Assistance, then available only to manufacturing and agricultural workers, to displaced service-sector workers such as software programmers, saying it addressed job losses from offshore outsourcing.¹

On March 30, 2004, as co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition, Smith joined colleagues in raising concerns about a Federal Accounting Standards Board proposal on expensing employee stock options, saying it had the potential to harm both companies and workers.¹

Between April 13 and April 19, 2004, he announced funding requests for four local programs, including job training components at the Bethel Community Center and a Rural Information Technology Jobs Initiative estimated to create jobs in rural Washington communities.⁴

Smith announced the release of a General Accounting Office report on offshore outsourcing of information technology jobs, which he had requested along with Representatives Ike Skelton, John Dingell, Tammy Baldwin and Jay Inslee.¹

He said the report was "but the first step in a series of studies that the GAO plans to conduct on the issue of outsourcing."¹

On October 7, 2004, Smith issued a statement on the National Defense Authorization Bill saying Congress had finished work on the bill, which included a 3.5% pay raise for service members.¹

On April 19, 2005, Smith appointed Norma Kelsey, who had served 12 years as president of Office and Professional Employees Local 8, as his delegate to the White House Conference on Aging.¹

On May 2, 2005, Smith said he had cosponsored the Small Business Health Benefits Program Act of 2005, which he said would give small business employers a tax credit to help cover the cost of insuring low-income workers.¹

On May 3, 2005, Smith said he would oppose the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement on the floor of the House, saying the agreement did not balance the needs of American workers and companies.¹

On May 5, 2005, Smith said Microsoft's pledge to include diversity in its legislative agenda included support for federal legislation prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.¹

Smith said he was disappointed that the House passed CAFTA, calling it 'a fundamentally flawed trade agreement that does not balance the needs of American workers and companies, nor the needs of the nations with which we trade.'¹

Smith said the Republican-controlled House refused to address the health care crisis facing more than 45 million uninsured Americans, instead passing bills he said protect HMOs rather than doctors and patients.¹

Smith said H.R. 5, the Medical Malpractice Reform Act, broadly defines 'medical malpractice action' to protect HMOs, insurance companies, nursing homes, and drug and device manufacturers from liability, and caps punitive damages at a level he said is too low.¹

Smith, Senator Patty Murray, and Senator Maria Cantwell announced over $41 million in the SAFETEA-LU surface transportation bill for South Sound transportation priorities, including highways, ferries, and transit programs through 2009.¹

On October 26, 2005, Smith introduced the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Improvement Act with 75 original co-sponsors, including Reps. Charles Rangel and Benjamin Cardin.¹

The bill would extend TAA benefits, then limited to manufacturing and agricultural workers, to displaced service workers, and would broaden eligibility to cover job losses tied to overseas production in any country.¹

On November 16, 2005, Smith voted against H.R. 3010, the conference report for the FY06 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, saying the legislation failed to address needs including job training programs.¹

On May 10, 2006, Smith stated he supported passage of H.R. 5122, the FY2007 Department of Defense Authorization Bill, in the U.S. House of Representatives.¹

On May 24, 2006, Smith and Senator Maria Cantwell sent a letter to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao regarding a Department of Labor decision to allow workers who produce intangible products such as software to qualify for Trade Adjustment Assistance.¹

The letter noted that Smith and Rangel had introduced H.R. 4156 to extend TAA benefits to service sector workers affected by foreign competition.¹

On June 7, 2006, Smith and Representative Charles Rangel asked the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the TAA program, including the reasons for denial of TAA petitions by the Department of Labor.¹

In a Labor Day statement, Smith said the federal minimum wage had been $5.15 per hour since 1997, compared with Washington State's $7.63 per hour, and said Democrats wanted to raise the federal minimum wage to bring the rest of the country to Washington State's level.¹

He said that when the House of Representatives last considered a minimum wage increase, the Majority attached a tax cut package for the heirs of the wealthiest fraction of one percent of Americans, and that the bill would have cut pay for Washington State tip-earners.¹

He called on Congress to fund trade adjustment assistance and expand it to service-sector workers.¹

Smith voted for H.R. 2, raising the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over two years.¹

H.R. 2 passed the House of Representatives.¹

Smith said, "Millions of American families have had to get by on $5.15 an hour for the past decade."¹

On July 15, 2007, Smith voted for S. 966, the Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007, which passed the House by voice vote.¹

On July 19, 2007, he voted for H.R. 3043, the fiscal year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill, which passed by a vote of 276 to 140.¹

On August 1, 2007, Smith issued a statement on H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act reauthorization, saying it included a one-year extension of Section 214 authority and that he would continue to work for a permanent extension in the next reauthorization bill.¹

On October 10, 2007, Smith introduced H.R. 3801, the TAA Improvement Act, which would extend Trade Adjustment Assistance to service-sector workers, improve access to training, health care, and wage insurance benefits, and reauthorize TAA programs through fiscal year 2012.¹

On October 30, 2007, the House passed H.R. 3920, the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007, by a vote of 264 to 157, despite a White House veto threat; Smith was an original cosponsor and said the bill closely mirrored the one he had introduced on October 10.¹

On November 6, 2007, Smith voted for H.R. 3043, a conference report package that included the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill, which passed the House 269 to 142.¹

On January 14, 2008, Adam Smith voted with a bipartisan majority for the SCHIP Reauthorization Act, which renewed and extended the Children's Health Insurance Program to cover 11 million children.¹

Responding to the State of the Union address on January 27, Smith, who chairs the terrorism subcommittee on the House Armed Services Committee, said the President "failed to back policies to move us forward" on issues including terrorism, health care costs, and infrastructure.¹

On January 29, Smith said he voted no on the stimulus package the House had passed the previous day, saying it did not include "extended unemployment benefits and temporary food stamp increases."¹

On 2008-06-17, after the GAO ruled on Boeing's protest of the Air Force's tanker contract process, Smith said the process "was not fair and did not provide equal consideration for both companies' products" and said GAO's recommendation could lead to reopening the bidding and termination of the contract awarded to Northrop Grumman.¹

On 2008-06-19, Smith voted no on both amendments the House approved in the fiscal year 2008 emergency supplemental appropriations bill, one providing more than $160 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the other providing funding for disaster assistance, foreign aid, veterans benefits, and extended unemployment benefits.¹

On 2008-07-08, after Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the Pentagon would reopen bidding for the tanker contract, Smith said the Pentagon "made the right decision - and the only reasonable one - to correct the Air Force's mistakes and re-compete the tanker contract" and said he hoped Boeing and Washington State workers would get a fair shot at the new contract.¹

Smith voted with a bipartisan majority in favor of the SCHIP Reauthorization Act on January 14, 2009, and voted for the final version of the bill on February 3, which the House approved 290-135.²

He voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on January 27, 2009, stating that one million Americans had lost their jobs in the prior two months and that unemployment benefit rolls had reached their highest level since 1982, and voted for it again on February 12, citing 3.6 million jobs lost since the recession began.²

On February 12, 2009, he also expressed support for including an expanded Trade Adjustment Assistance program in the Economic Recovery Package, which extends TAA to service industry workers and increases funding for training, health care, and income support.¹

On April 20, 2010, Smith introduced the America Recruits Act with Congressman Scott Murphy, which would create a U.S. Department of Commerce program offering forgivable loans of up to $10,000 for each high-tech or manufacturing job relocated to the United States from abroad.¹

On April 21, 2010, Smith introduced the Veterans Employment Assistance Act of 2010, which would expand job training, education, and small business assistance programs for veterans.¹

On April 27, 2010, Smith received the Goodwill National Policymaker Award for 2010 for sponsoring H.R. 4299, legislation to expand the workforce training capacity of organizations like Goodwill.¹

On May 19, 2010, Smith's Veterans to Work Pilot Program Act, a five-year pilot program to enroll military veterans in apprenticeship programs and employ them on military construction projects, was reported out of committee as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2011.¹

That same day, as Air and Land Forces subcommittee chairman, Smith offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 directing the Department of Defense to report on the impact of illegal foreign subsidies on the KC-X tanker competition.¹

On May 24, 2010, the Veterans to Work Pilot Program Act, incorporated into the NDAA, passed the House of Representatives and required Senate passage before it could be signed into law.¹

At a Washington Innovation Summit panel in Redmond, Smith said government's responsibility includes "educating a world-class workforce" alongside rewarding innovation and improving infrastructure.¹

On the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, he said the deal announced that day "requires immediate, concrete steps and resources to address violence against Colombian trade unionists and human rights activists, strengthen workers' rights, and improve the rule of law."¹

Ahead of a possible government shutdown, he said it would be "a stressful time for many people who deal with the government, including federal workers and military families," while his office continued constituent casework.¹

Responding to President Obama's budget framework, he said a competing proposal from Rep. Paul Ryan "slashes assistance for working class Americans."¹

On August 7, Smith said the short-term extension of FAA budget authorization ended a lapse that had put paychecks for 4,000 federal employees and 70,000 construction workers at risk, and said he had cosponsored H.R. 2644 as a clean extension meant to avoid the shutdown.¹

On September 4, for Labor Day, Smith said labor unions and collective bargaining rights have historically played a role in supporting the nation's workers, and said continued investment in workforce training was needed to help people succeed in the job market.¹

On September 7, after President Obama's address on the American Jobs Act, Smith said federal investment in workforce training, transportation, education and energy would support living-wage jobs, and said a tax credit for companies hiring veterans would be a promising step.¹

On September 12, after passage of H.R. 2887, the Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011, Smith said the bill would avoid a repeat of the August FAA shutdown that had cost 4,000 federal employees and 70,000 construction workers part of their paychecks.¹

Smith said the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, following its passage, would expand education, training and counseling for veterans and provide incentives for businesses that hire veterans who are unemployed or have service-related disabilities.¹

Smith and Rep. Dave Reichert announced plans to co-host a jobs fair in Kent, Washington, and later said the event drew nearly 2,400 job seekers who met with more than 90 local employers.²

Smith said he was pleased that Boeing and the International Association of Machinists had reached an agreement to build the 737 MAX at Boeing's Renton, Washington plant, pending ratification of a labor agreement.¹

On January 24, 2013, Smith congratulated Denis McDonough on his appointment as White House Chief of Staff.¹

In a January 31, 2013 statement marking Black History Month, Smith said the nation struggles to solve unemployment rates while also working to improve schools, health care, and the judiciary.¹

Responding to the State of the Union address on February 11, 2013, Smith said creating jobs and charting "a responsible path towards fiscal security" were the country's most pressing challenges.¹

He said Congress should eliminate sequestration and pass long-term federal budgets, and described the President's approach as combining increased revenues with reduced spending.¹

Smith said the Republican budget cut Medicare benefits through a voucher program, reduced education and worker training investments, and raised no revenue, and after the budget passed he voted for the House and Senate Democratic budget proposals.²

He said Japan's request to join Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations was a step toward an expanded trade agreement and noted that nearly 40 percent of jobs in Washington State are trade-related.¹

He said he was an original cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, introduced to address a gap in which women earned 77 cents for every dollar men earned for the same work, and he said the Senate immigration proposal would give the 11 million undocumented immigrants and their families a path to citizenship.²

He commended Boeing for extending pension survivor benefits to same-sex spouses and domestic partners and noted that he had introduced the Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act earlier that year.¹

On December 23, 2013, Smith said Congress should extend unemployment insurance for hardworking Americans, noting that federal benefits were set to expire for 24,400 Washingtonians three days after Christmas and for 40,000 more in the first half of 2014.¹

On January 14, 2014, after the House passed the Fiscal Year 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Smith said the bill failed to restore unemployment insurance.¹

On January 27, 2014, reacting to the State of the Union address, Smith said Congress should raise the minimum wage and said supports such as unemployment insurance and job training were needed to help Americans find work.¹

On January 28, 2014, Smith voted against the farm bill, saying it would cut $8.6 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over ten years.¹

On April 1, Smith said the Republican budget proposal introduced the previous day "would be devastating to seniors, the middle class, and the poor" while giving more tax cuts to wealthy Americans (r1).¹

On April 7, Smith said women earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn and called for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act (r2).¹

On April 9, Smith said he supported the Van Hollen budget and the Congressional Black Caucus budget, and said the Republican budget passed by the House that day "dismantles Medicare by turning the system into a voucher program" (r3).¹

On November 20, 2014, Adam Smith joined Representatives Sander Levin, Derek Kilmer, and Charles Rangel in a statement urging passage of Trade Adjustment Assistance legislation before it expired on December 31, 2014, after Senator Sherrod Brown introduced a Senate companion to the TAA Act of 2014 that Smith had introduced.¹

In the statement, Smith and the other members said the House and Senate TAA bills provide work training, income support, and health care to help dislocated workers transition to new careers.¹

On December 9, 2014, Smith and Levin, joined by 30 other House Democrats, sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi urging reauthorization of TAA before its December 31, 2014 expiration.¹

In the letter, the members said TAA's reauthorization "enjoys bipartisan support."¹

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Smith said that zip codes and incomes too often limit access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities, and called for reducing income inequality and expanding economic opportunities for all.¹

Following the President's State of the Union address, Smith said that job growth had returned to levels not seen since the 1990s but that this growth was not being shared with the majority of the country, citing rapid income growth for the top one percent alongside stagnant incomes for lower earners.¹

Smith said he would work in Congress to advance the President's agenda on tax code reform, education access, and clean energy and healthcare investments intended to keep good-paying jobs in the United States.¹

Smith also stated support for USAID's $1 billion commitment to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and urged Congress to approve the funds.¹

After the ILWU and PMA reached an agreement, Smith said he was pleased they came together and was glad West Coast ports would resume full operations.¹

Smith joined Rep. Sander Levin and Sen. Sherrod Brown in introducing legislation to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance program through 2020 and renew a 2009-2010 expansion providing assistance to service-industry workers affected by trade.²

The bill would also extend the TAA for Firms program, which helps businesses adversely affected by trade regain their competitiveness.²

Smith opposed Trade Promotion Authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying they do not do enough to protect workers and the environment at home and abroad, and said the trade framework's investor-state dispute settlement mechanism lets corporations sue governments while workers lack the same right to action.¹

He voted in support of Trade Adjustment Assistance on June 15 and again on June 25, saying the June 25 bill cut worker-training funding from $575 million to $450 million and did not qualify public sector workers for the program.²

On June 25, he also said the Supreme Court's King v. Burwell decision ensures American workers and middle-class families, regardless of what state they live in, keep access to federal tax credits for healthcare under the Affordable Care Act.¹

On July 5, he said he applauded the President's proposal to raise the overtime pay threshold from $23,660 to $50,440, saying it would allow 5 million American workers to take home the money they have earned.¹

On November 2, 2015, Smith announced he had joined the Democratic Whip's Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality and Opportunity, chaired by Rep. Barbara Lee, which examines policy proposals on higher education, job training and employment, and housing.¹

He said that his father, a ramp serviceman at SeaTac airport, earned more than $15 an hour with benefits from United Airlines in the 1980s, and that similar jobs in the region now often pay $9.47 an hour.¹

On November 5, 2015, he called for criminal justice reform, stating that people leaving prison face long-term unemployment because employers are often unwilling to consider them due to their records.¹

On November 10, 2015, in a Veterans Day statement, he said Congress should ensure veterans return home to "good, family-wage job opportunities."¹

On April 12, 2016, marking Equal Pay Day, Smith stated that women make 79 cents for every dollar earned by men, said he is a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, and called for expanded access to affordable child care and paid family leave.¹

On April 25, 2016, Smith joined Reps. Scott and Cummings in a statement opposing a proposed NDAA amendment to block the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order, which requires defense contractors to disclose violations of employment, safety, minimum wage, and non-discrimination laws when applying for new contracts, and said he would oppose efforts to override the order in the defense bill.¹

On April 28, 2016, following the House Armed Services Committee markup of the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, Smith's office reported that Democrats won votes to include women in Selective Service, expand military parental leave to 14 days, expand adoption leave for dual-military couples to 36 days, and require a Defense Department study of flexible maternity and paternity leave sharing.¹

On November 11, 2016, Smith said "We must focus on ensuring" that veterans come home to "family-wage, quality job opportunities" after leaving the military.¹

On December 1, 2016, Smith, writing as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the FY 2017 NDAA avoids earlier efforts to "undermine labor laws."¹

On March 27, 2017, Smith reintroduced the Relief from Sequestration Act of 2017, which he said would repeal the sequestration mechanism established under the Budget Control Act of 2011.¹

On March 29, Smith said Attorney General Jeff Sessions had threatened to revoke or withhold public safety grant funds from local jurisdictions, including funds supporting prosecution of labor and sex trafficking.¹

On April 4, marking Equal Pay Day, Smith said he was a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act intended to close the gender pay gap.¹

On Labor Day, Smith said his experience as the son of a union baggage handler showed him how labor unions have helped working families, and voiced support for legislation to protect living wage jobs and lower health care costs.¹

He called the Republican budget resolution a vehicle to cut taxes on the wealthiest while shifting the tax burden to working Americans, citing cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and veterans' benefits.¹

He called the Republican tax plan disastrous for American workers and middle class families, and said it would cost $1.5 trillion while cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthiest.¹

On Labor Day, Smith released a statement saying he is the son of a union baggage handler at SeaTac Airport and calling for jobs that pay a living wage, fair workplace conditions, and a healthcare system covering those in need.¹

Smith introduced the House Intern Pay Act on September 6 to fund a full-time, year-round paid internship at $15 an hour in each House member's office, and on September 12 called a $20,000-per-office intern-pay provision in an appropriations minibus conference report a first step that should be built on.²

On September 26, Smith introduced the Social Security Equity Act, legislation to change the Windfall Elimination Provision formula that reduces Social Security benefits for retirees who also earned a public-sector pension.¹

On October 5, Smith introduced the Empowering Individuals to Succeed Through Education and Workforce Training Act, which would create a grant program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to fund support services such as child care and transportation for people receiving workforce training and education.¹

After President Trump's January 19, 2019 address on the shutdown, Smith said the speech expressed no concern for the hundreds of thousands of Americans without paychecks and called on the President to reopen the government immediately.¹

Following the shutdown's temporary end after 35 days on January 25, 2019, Smith said its impacts on federal workers and communities had been immense.¹

Ahead of the February 5, 2019 State of the Union, Smith said the shutdown had been the longest in the country's history and that the President should reassure federal workers about the approaching government funding deadline.¹

On February 14, 2019, Smith voted for a conference report funding seven appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year, saying that without it federal employees would not be paid and the services they provide would not be delivered.¹

Smith voted yes on H.R. 1759, the Building on Reemployment Improvements to Deliver Good Employment for Workers Act, which passed the House 393-24.¹

On April 30, 2019, he reintroduced the House Intern Pay Act, which would set aside funds to pay congressional interns, starting at $15 an hour in the first year of enactment.¹

On May 2, 2019, he joined Senators Murray and Cantwell and Congresswoman Jayapal to introduce the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, legislation to strengthen workers' right to organize, join a union, and bargain collectively.¹

On June 12, 2019, Smith voted yes on the rule for further consideration of H.R. 2740, appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, which passed 232–189, and voted yes on ordering the previous question on that rule, which passed 230–184.²

On June 18, 2019, he voted yes on a motion that the Committee rise on H.R. 2740, which passed 317–82.¹

On June 19, 2019, he voted yes on passage of H.R. 2740, which passed 226–203, and voted no on a motion to recommit the bill, which failed 196–231.²

Smith voted yes on the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 582 and on ordering the previous question for that rule, then voted yes on passage of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, which passed the House 231-199.³

He voted no on a motion to recommit H.R. 582 with instructions, which failed 210-218.¹

On August 16, he issued a statement on a Department of Labor rule proposed by the Trump Administration that would let federal contractors cite religious objections to skirt worker protections, calling it "unacceptable" and saying it would "undermine our civil rights."¹

Smith voted yes on four measures between November 20 and 21, 2019, advancing H.R. 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, including the vote on final passage, which passed the House 251-158.⁴

On November 21, 2019, Smith introduced the Empowering Individuals to Succeed Through Education and Workforce Training Act, which would establish a competitive grant program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act dedicated to support services for individuals in workforce training and education.¹

On December 19, 2019, Smith said he voted to support the USMCA, stating that Democrats made positive steps on labor standards and enforcement and that the agreement adds an enforcement mechanism specifically for labor and an independent review body to check Mexico's compliance with labor reforms.¹

On January 14, 2020, Smith voted yes on H.Res. 790, a resolution providing for consideration of H.R. 1230, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, which passed 216-200, and voted yes to order the previous question on that resolution, which passed 226-191.²

On January 15, 2020, Smith voted no on a motion to recommit H.R. 1230 with instructions, which failed 196-220, and voted yes on passage of H.R. 1230, which passed 261-155.²

On February 6, 2020, Smith voted yes on House passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which he described as making "comprehensive and necessary changes to protect and strengthen workers' rights to organize."¹

On March 13, 2020, after House passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), Smith said the bill establishes two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave, and said Americans need and deserve free coronavirus testing and enhanced unemployment benefits.¹

On March 27, 2020, after House passage of the CARES Act, Smith said the bill provides a historic expansion and enhancement of unemployment benefits, increasing the amount eligible workers receive each week, and infuses billions of dollars for relief to small businesses to maintain payroll and pay rent.¹

On April 23, 2020, Smith said the interim COVID-19 emergency relief bill passed by the House would replenish funding for small business programs including the Paycheck Protection Program, provide additional money for hospitals and health workers, and set aside funds for businesses in underserved communities.¹

On May 1, 2020, Smith visited Northwest Harvest's food distribution center in Kent, Washington, where workers, volunteers, and National Guard members were packing and delivering food to families in need, and said food banks would need more support from Congress to keep up with growing demand.¹

On May 4, 2020, Smith signed a letter with other House Democrats to the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs opposing a National Interest Exemption letting coronavirus-related federal contracts avoid federal affirmative action requirements, and the letter asked the agency to disclose how many contracts and qualified candidates would be affected.¹

On May 15, 2020, Smith voted for the Heroes Act and said in a statement that it would give hazard pay to frontline workers and commit almost one billion dollars to help state and local governments provide childcare for essential workers.¹

On July 30, 2020, Smith and Senator Murray introduced the Toxic Exposure Safety Act of 2020, legislation intended to make it easier for workers at Hanford and other nuclear clean-up sites to receive the full benefits they're entitled to when suffering illnesses due to toxic exposure on the job.¹

On July 29, 2020, the House passed the Child Care Is Essential Act, which Smith said would let child care providers keep staff on the payroll and cover operating expenses, and the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act, which would expand child care tax credits for families.¹

On August 7, 2020, Smith and Rep. Peter King introduced the TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act, which would require TSA to streamline the application and renewal process for the three separate TSA credentials transportation workers must hold.¹

On July 17, 2020, Smith said the Trump Administration blocked the CDC from testifying before the Committee on Education and Labor about safely reopening schools.¹

On September 17, 2020, he voted no on a motion to recommit the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (H.R. 2694), then voted yes on its passage, which passed the House 329-73.²

In a press release the same day, he said the bill establishes a straightforward right to reasonable workplace accommodations for pregnant workers.¹

On September 22 he voted yes as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act passed 406-3, and on September 30 he voted no on a motion to recommit the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act before voting yes on its passage, which passed 253-163.³

On October 1, after Boeing announced it would consolidate 787 Dreamliner assembly in South Carolina and end production in Everett, Washington, he said the decision was "deeply disappointing" and that a fair plan should be laid out for workers affected by the move.¹

On September 17, 2020, Smith issued a statement after the House passed H.R. 2694, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, saying the bill establishes a right to reasonable workplace accommodations for pregnant workers.¹

On October 1, 2020, Smith issued a statement after the House passed H.R. 925, the Updated Heroes Act, saying it extends small business relief through the Paycheck Protection Program and expands unemployment benefits amid the pandemic.¹

The same day, Smith issued a statement after Boeing announced it would consolidate 787 Dreamliner production in South Carolina and end production in Everett, Washington, saying Boeing's employees and their families deserve a fair plan for workers affected by the decision.¹

On November 12, 2020, Smith introduced the Emergency Economic and Workforce System Resiliency Act, which would provide funding to states and localities to prevent layoffs, meet the needs of dislocated workers, and support employer strategies for preserving and creating jobs.¹

On November 19, 2020, Smith and Rep. Jim Langevin included an amendment to the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 that would let pre-apprenticeship programs use grant funds to provide stipends covering costs such as housing, transportation, and childcare.¹

On November 20, 2020, Smith said the House had passed the National Apprenticeship Act reauthorization, which would invest more than $3.5 billion over five years to create nearly 1 million additional apprenticeship opportunities.¹

Smith introduced the Pre-Apprenticeship Wrap-around Support Services Fund Act, was an original cosponsor of the PRO Act when it was introduced in the House, and reintroduced the Toxic Exposure Safety Act and the Emergency Economic and Workforce System Resiliency Act.⁴

He applauded House passage of the National Apprenticeship Act reauthorization and voted for the PRO Act's passage in the House.²

He voted for procedural rules bringing the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act to the floor, then voted for the workplace violence bill's passage, 254–166; after the House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act he issued a statement on it, and he voted for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act's passage, 315–101, and, after procedural votes on its floor rule, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act's passage, 247–178.⁹

On July 27 and 29, 2021, he voted for procedural rules on the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill, for its passage 219–208, against a motion to recommit it that failed 208–217, and to table a motion to reconsider its passage, 219–209.⁵

On April 16, 2021, the House passed H.R. 1195, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, and Smith said the bill directs OSHA to establish an enforceable workplace violence prevention standard for health care and social service workers.¹

On May 4, 2021, the House passed H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act, which Smith said would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and let women challenge pay discrimination.¹

On May 14, 2021, the House passed H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which Smith said establishes a right to reasonable workplace accommodations for pregnant workers.¹

On July 16, 2021, Smith reintroduced the Emergency Economic and Workforce System Resiliency Act, which he said would fund state and local workforce agencies to prevent layoffs and support displaced workers.¹

Smith joined 37 colleagues in a letter to Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh urging the Department of Labor to create reporting requirements for unpaid internships so the Bureau of Labor Statistics could track the data.¹

Smith said he had advocated for intern pay in Congressional offices and had led efforts to increase funding for offices to pay interns.¹

On 2021-11-19, Smith said he voted for H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act, describing it as creating "good-paying, unions jobs", and on 2021-12-08 he voted yes on H.R. 1155, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which passed the House 428-1.²

On 2022-02-04, he issued a statement supporting a Biden executive order requiring project labor agreements on federally funded construction projects over $35 million.¹

On 2022-02-11, he issued a statement on an unfair labor practice strike by Teamsters Local 174 members against King County concrete suppliers, saying "I firmly believe in the right to organize and the importance of unions for American workers, their families, and the strength of our economy."¹

On 2022-03-16, he introduced the Empowering Individuals to Succeed Through Education and Workforce Training Act, which would establish a fund to provide support services and stipends for individuals in workforce training and two-year education programs.¹

Smith issued a statement after the House passed the America COMPETES Act of 2022 by a vote of 222 to 210, saying the bill would invest in American workers, manufacturing, research, and innovation.¹

He issued a statement supporting President Biden's executive order requiring project labor agreements on federally funded construction projects over $35 million, saying the agreements benefit the government, taxpayers, and workers.¹

In a statement on the Teamsters Local 174 strike across King County, he said employers were "refusing to come to the bargaining table" and said, "I firmly believe in the right to organize and the importance of unions for American workers, their families, and the strength of our economy."¹

On March 16, 2022, he introduced the Empowering Individuals to Succeed Through Education and Workforce Training Act, which would establish a fund to provide wrap-around support services and stipends, including for housing, child care, and transportation, for people in workforce training and two-year education programs.¹

On May 10, 2022, Smith voted for H. Res. 915, which the House passed, recognizing congressional workers' right to organize, and said congressional staffers "should not be denied the right to unionize."¹

On May 26, 2022, Smith joined the Washington congressional delegation in a letter urging the Bonneville Power Administration to negotiate with Blue Wolf Capital Partners to reopen the Intalco aluminum smelter and restore the hundreds of union jobs lost when it closed in 2020.¹

On June 7, 2022, Smith voted yes on H.R. 6087, the Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act, which passed the House 325–83.¹

On June 9, 2022, Smith and Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard introduced the Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act of 2022, the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Assistance Act of 2022, and the Professional's Access to Health (PATH) Workforce Integration Act of 2022, aimed at reducing employment barriers for immigrants who want to work in the health care field.¹

On 2022-09-15, Smith introduced the Expanding Service Coordinators Act, which would provide funding over five years to the Multifamily Housing Service Coordinator Program and the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator Program.¹

On 2022-09-22, he introduced the Behavioral Health Crisis Care Centers Act, which would provide funding to states, cities and counties, and tribal governments to build, operate, and expand one-stop behavioral health crisis care centers.¹

On 2022-09-29, he introduced the Community and Technical College Investment Act, which would provide funding for states to implement tuition-free community and technical schools and to establish and expand wraparound support services.¹

On November 3, 2022, Smith sent a letter to the CEOs of Albertsons and Kroger raising concerns about the proposed merger's effects on consumer prices, food access, and wages and employment for workers.¹

On November 21, 2022, Smith joined Representative Pramila Jayapal and other colleagues in a letter asking FTC Chair Lina Khan to investigate the merger, stating the acquisition could impair workers' bargaining power for fair wages and safe working conditions.¹

On November 30, 2022, Smith voted yes on H.J.Res. 100, a resolution addressing unresolved disputes between certain railroads and their employees, which passed the House 290-137 with 211 Democrats voting yes and 8 voting no.¹

On January 31, 2023, Smith voted no on two procedural votes tied to H.J. Res. 7, both of which passed (r1, r2).²

That day he also voted yes on a motion to recommit H.R. 497, the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, which failed 210-219, then voted no on final passage of the bill, which passed 227-203 (r3, r4).²

On February 7, 2023, Smith released a statement on President Biden's State of the Union address stating that 12 million jobs had been created in two years, that unemployment was at its lowest level in half a century, and that real wages were increasing (r5).¹

On February 28, 2023, Smith voted no on passage of H.J. Res. 30, a resolution providing for congressional disapproval of a rule submitted by a federal department, which passed 216-204, and voted no on two procedural votes tied to H.Res. 166 and H.R. 347, both of which passed (r6, r7, r8).³

Smith led a letter with Rep. Seth Moulton requesting that House intern funding be maintained at FY2023 levels of $46,800 per office, enough to compensate interns at $15 per hour.¹

He introduced the Community and Technical College Investment Act, which would provide grant funding for states to offer tuition-free community and technical college programs and expanded support services.¹

On H.R. 1163, the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act, he voted yes on a motion to recommit that failed 210-221, then voted no on passage, which passed 230-200.²

He introduced the Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act, the International Medical Graduate Assistance Act, and the PATH Workforce Integration Act, which would help immigrants enter health care professions.¹

On April 3, 2023, Smith and Rep. Seth Moulton sent a letter, signed by 118 House members, that asked the House Appropriations Committee to fund fiscal year 2024 House office budgets at the fiscal year 2023 level of $46,800 per office so each office could pay a full-time and a part-time intern $15 per hour.¹

Smith said unpaid and low-paying internships represented a disproportionate barrier for low-income people and people of color seeking job opportunities.¹

On May 1, 2023, Smith introduced the Community and Technical College Investment Act, which would provide grant funding for states to offer tuition-free community and technical college programs and expand funding for housing, food, transportation, and other services students need to complete them.¹

On November 14, 2023, Smith voted no on two procedural votes governing floor consideration of H.R. 5894, a bill making appropriations for the Department of Labor and other agencies: a previous-question vote that passed 217-208, and a resolution vote that passed 217-209, with no House Democrats voting yes on either.²

On November 15, 2023, he introduced the Pre-Apprenticeship Wrap-Around Support Services Fund Act, which would fund transportation, housing, and childcare stipends, lost hourly wages, and certification costs for people enrolled in pre-apprenticeship programs.¹

On December 6, 2023, he joined a bipartisan group introducing the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, H.R. 5840, to eliminate redundant fees and background checks by letting transportation workers apply existing valid background checks to multiple TSA-managed credentialing programs.¹

On November 15, 2023, Smith introduced the Pre-Apprenticeship Wrap-Around Support Services Fund Act, which would fund transportation, housing, and childcare stipends and cover certification costs for people enrolled in pre-apprenticeships.¹

On December 5, 2023, Smith and Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the bicameral End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act of 2023, which would ban hedge funds from the single-family home market and claw back some of the homes they already own.¹

On December 6, 2023, Smith joined Republican and Democratic colleagues in introducing H.R. 5840, the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, to let transportation workers apply existing TSA background checks across multiple credentialing programs instead of repeating them.¹

On December 14, 2023, after the House passed the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 310 to 118, Smith said in a statement that the bill provides a 5.2% pay raise for service members.¹

Smith voted no on H.J.Res. 98, a resolution providing for congressional disapproval of a federal rule, which passed the House 206–177, with House Democrats splitting 8 yes to 177 no.¹

He voted yes on H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, which passed the House 357–70, with House Democrats splitting 188 yes to 23 no.¹

On May 7, 2024, Smith voted no on H.J.Res. 98, a joint resolution of disapproval, which failed 214–191 in the U.S. House, with Democrats splitting 9 yes to 191 no.¹

On May 9, 2024, Smith released a statement on stalled labor negotiations between Boeing and International Association of Fire Fighters Local I-66, saying the stalled talks have resulted in a lockout and that fire fighters are demanding fair pay, better benefits, and a safer workplace.¹

He said unions remain essential for workers and urged Boeing and IAFF Local I-66 to return to the negotiating table and participate in good faith discussions that result in a strong agreement.¹

On June 5, 2024, Smith announced 15 Community Project Funding requests he submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bill, including funding intended to support workforce development and job training across the Ninth District.¹

On June 26, 2024, Smith and Representative Donald Norcross said in a joint statement that an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, which would have temporarily reduced the number of F-35 aircraft purchased in fiscal year 2025 until program failures were addressed, was ruled out of order and blocked from debate.¹

In that statement, Smith and Norcross said the changes proposed by the amendment were "critical to support the F-35 workforce."¹

On September 13, 2024, after more than 33,000 union workers, mostly in Washington, began a strike that halted Boeing airplane production, Smith urged Boeing and the union to return to the negotiating table for good-faith discussions.¹

On October 13, Smith said he was disappointed by Boeing's announcement that it would lay off 10 percent of its 170,000-employee workforce, and on October 16 he joined Representative Rick Larsen, Senator Maria Cantwell, and Senator Patty Murray in a letter urging Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers to continue contract negotiations.²

After Boeing Machinists rejected a contract offer, Smith said on October 24 that he was disappointed and hoped both parties would return to the table, and on November 6 he said Boeing and the Machinists had agreed to a deal that included a wage increase and stronger retirement plans.²

On September 26, Smith's Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, introduced with Representative Garret Graves to let transportation workers apply existing background checks across multiple TSA credentialing programs, passed through the House Committee on Homeland Security.¹

On February 6, Smith said Musk was firing thousands of government employees in ways he said jeopardized their ability to do their jobs and might violate employment law, citing DOGE's offer of eight months' pay to FAA employees in exchange for quitting.¹

On February 26, Smith hosted a roundtable with minority contractors after Trump revoked Executive Order 11246, which Smith described as a civil rights-era policy ensuring equality in federal contracting and employment.¹

On February 27, Smith and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said layoffs of probationary employees at the Seattle VA, including workers who were themselves veterans, would mean longer wait times for veterans' cases.¹

On March 11, Smith voted no on H.R. 1156, the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act, which passed the House 295-127 with Democrats splitting 83 yes to 127 no.¹

On April 4, Smith joined a letter from every House Democrat urging Donald Trump to rescind an executive order that would remove collective bargaining rights for about 75% of the federal workforce, saying the president was exceeding his powers to threaten workers' rights.²

On December 10 and 11, Smith voted yes on H.Res. 432, procedural votes tied to H.R. 2550 to nullify that executive order; the House agreed to the resolution 232-194, with all voting Democrats in favor.²

He said the bill restored federal workers' union rights that were illegally stripped away by the Trump Administration.¹

He also said Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House had cut a similar provision from the National Defense Authorization Act that would have restored collective bargaining rights for nearly one million federal workers.¹

On January 13, 2026, Smith voted no on the rule and the previous question governing consideration of H.R. 2988, the Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act; both votes passed, 214–207 and 206–205.²

The same day, he voted no on passage of the Flexibility for Workers Education Act, which failed 209–215, and yes on a motion to recommit the bill, which also failed, 209–213.²

Also on January 13, he said in a public post that a minimum wage of $15 or more would now cover more Americans than the federal minimum wage of $7.25.¹

On February 2, 2026, he voted yes on the Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act, which passed 402–2.¹

On May 27, 2026, Smith said his heart went out to the workers and families affected by the Longview, Washington chemical explosion, and that he stood with southwest Washington in support of the community's efforts to obtain answers and support.¹

On June 9, 2026, he voted yes on a motion to discharge providing for consideration of H.R. 5408, which passed 220-199 in the U.S. House with Democrats voting 211-0 in favor.¹

He then voted yes on H.Res. 1140, agreeing to the resolution providing for consideration of H.R. 5408, which passed 221-201 with Democrats voting 210-0 in favor.¹

He voted yes on passage of H.R. 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act, which passed 230-193 with Democrats voting 210-0 in favor.¹

On July 17, 2026, Smith and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi introduced the Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act, legislation to help internationally educated health care professionals overcome licensing, credentialing, language, and other barriers to practicing in the United States.¹

In posts on July 24, 2026, Smith said the federal minimum wage has not been raised since 2009 and remains at $7.25, and said he supports a $15 per hour federal minimum wage.²

On July 31, 2026, Smith introduced a resolution calling on Congress to tax wage income and capital gains at the same rate, saying "a dollar earned should be a dollar taxed."¹