Speakers

Congressman Adam Smith

Congressman Smith is a senior member in the House of Representatives and part of the Democratic leadership team. His district spans from diverse South Seattle to the bustling Port of Tacoma, and includes the city of Bellevue, a center for high-tech innovation. Throughout his time in Congress, Congressman Smith has fought for issues important to his constituents in the 9th district.

Congressman Smith serves as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, where he is a strong advocate for our military personnel and their families. He is committed to providing our military with the best equipment available to carry out their current and future missions while ensuring that the Pentagon spends taxpayer dollars in the most efficient and effective manner. Given his current and previous committee assignments and extensive travel, Congressman Smith has unique insights into today's major national security issues throughout the Middle East, including the war in Afghanistan, as well as Northern Africa and our larger efforts to stop the spread of violent extremist groups and their ideology around the globe.

Understanding the need for a holistic approach to national security, Congressman Smith recognizes the importance of poverty reduction, access to education, sustainable global markets, diplomatic engagement, good governance and other measures to enable our pursuit of stable international partners. He has supported efforts to reform American foreign assistance, introduced legislation to address global poverty, and created the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistance (CCEFA) with former Congressman Ander Crenshaw.