Orion Donovan Smith

Current Position: reporter

Orion Donovan Smith came to The Spokesman-Review in June 2020 through a grant received from the Report for America reporter program. He is the legislative reporter in our Washington, DC Bureau.

Email: orionds@spokesman.com
Phone: (202) 853-2524
Twitter: X

Most Recent Stories

News > Nation

Congress veering toward government shutdown after Trump, Musk sink bipartisan funding bill

UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 19, 2024

WASHINGTON – Congress careened toward a government shutdown on Thursday after President-elect Donald Trump sank a bipartisan deal that would have funded the government until March, then endorsed a last-minute GOP proposal that most Democrats rejected.

News > Nation

Cantwell, McMorris Rodgers make year-end push to pass Kids Online Safety Act

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 11, 2024

WASHINGTON – Two Washington lawmakers are making a last-minute effort to pass landmark legislation intended to protect minors on social media platforms and other parts of the internet, but opposition from the left and right may keep the bill from reaching the finish line by the end of the year.

News > WA Government

Where do Democrats go from here? Washington’s congressional delegation has some ideas

Sun., Dec. 8, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Since Republicans won control of the House, Senate and White House in last month’s elections, Democrats in Congress have embarked on a series of public and private debates over what went wrong for their party.

News > WA Government

For years, some employers have legally paid disabled workers below minimum wage. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Patty Murray are hopeful a Labor Department proposal will end the practice

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 4, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After the U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday proposed phasing out a program that lets some employers pay disabled workers less than the minimum wage, two Washington lawmakers who have long advocated an end to the program hailed the move.

News > Nation

Northwest lawmakers not surprised Trump would ‘take a wrecking ball’ to Justice Department with Matt Gaetz pick

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 14, 2024

WASHINGTON – JD Vance is set to be the No. 2 in the White House, but the vice president-elect told supporters on Saturday that the second-most important person in the incoming administration won’t be him, but rather the attorney general.

News > WA Government

Dan Newhouse defeats fellow Republican Jerrod Sessler in tight race to represent central Washington in the House

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 11, 2024

WASHINGTON – Rep. Dan Newhouse won re-election in central Washington’s 4th Congressional District on Monday, a victory for moderate Republicans in an election that saw President-elect Donald Trump pull the GOP farther to the right.

News > WA Government

Trump and Republicans made gains in nearly every state – but not in Washington

Sun., Nov. 10, 2024

WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump swept to victory in Tuesday’s election by winning a bigger share of votes in nearly every state than he did in 2020, improving even in Democratic bastions like Oregon, California and New York – but not in Washington state.

News > WA Government

Michael Baumgartner, Eastern Washington’s congressman-elect, hopes for bipartisanship despite heated election year

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 6, 2024

WASHINGTON – Michael Baumgartner intends to be a team player when he’s sworn in as a member of the House Republican conference in January, but Eastern Washington’s newly elected congressman says that doesn’t mean always being at odds with the opposing party.

News > WA Government

Maria Cantwell defeats Dr Raul Garcia to win fifth Senate term

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 5, 2024

Sen. Maria Cantwell won a fifth term in office on Tuesday, setting up the veteran lawmaker to represent Washington state for three decades in the Senate.