Adam Smith, Ninth District Representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, was the featured speaker at the May Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, talking about issues facing the region and nation.

Congress is struggling with low confidence in government, failing to put together a transportation package and trying to pay workers fairly, Smith said. The Washington State Legislature is facing similar problems.

Smith, in his ninth term, is the Ranking Minority member of the House Armed Services Committee, having also served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

He embraces a pragmatic and practical approach to federal issues.

“I view politics and public policy as solving problems,” Smith said. “You bring a diverse group of people together, you look at a bunch of different issues and you say, how can we get to a better solution? How can we make decisions and enact policy to improve the quality of life for the people in our community?”

It’s not always easy.

“We have a diverse population, and we don’t always agree on things,” he said.

Smith, who recently moved from South King County to Bellevue, said that each community has its own issues, from integrating transit to providing free and reduced lunch.

His office doesn’t limit itself to federal issues, he said, and aims to be “constituency-focused.”

He has he has worked with everyone from kids in school to veterans, helping them get the education and the benefits they deserve.

“Helping people navigate through the byzantine system of government is part of what we do,” Smith said, “Then also we bring community leaders together when problems come up.”