{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415076", "Smith, who called for \u2018CPC\u2019 designation, pushes for sanctions on perpetrators and humanitarian aid to victimsNew legislation commends President Trump for Nigeria \u2018CPC\u2019 designation and paves a path forward for religious freedom in Nigeria", "2025-11-05", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, introduced new legislation commending President Donald Trump\u2019s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a \u201cCountry of Particular Concern\u201d and outlining the course of action the U.S. Department of State should follow in response to the Nigerian government\u2019s complicity in the religious persecution of Christians.\n\nSmith\u2019s new bill, H.Res.860, is cosponsored by Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL). The bill updates and expands legislation (H.Res.220) Smith introduced earlier this year, which all current cosponsors supported.\n\nSmith\u2019s previous bill urged the President to designate Nigeria a \u201cCountry of Particular Concern\u201d and called for a robust State Department response to Nigerian officials who have failed to address the mass murders, torture, religious freedom violations, and human rights abuses perpetrated against Christians\u2014and Muslims\u2014in their country.\n\nSmith, for more than a decade, has consistently introduced legislation and chaired congressional hearings on the crisis in Nigeria\u2014the most recent of which was held in March.\n\n\u201cTo be a Christian living in Nigeria means to be living under the constant threat of murder, kidnapping, rape, and torture by radical Islamists, such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists,\u201d stated Smith, who has led numerous human rights trips to Nigeria.\n\n\u201cMy new legislation commends President Trump\u2019s decisive action to redesignate Nigeria a \u2018Country of Particular Concern\u2019\u2014reversing an incredibly ill-advised decision by the Biden Administration\u2014and lays out a detailed roadmap for the State Department\u2019s future diplomatic dealings with the Nigerian government\u2014urging sanctions and new conditions on U.S. foreign assistance.\u201d\n\nRep. Huizenga, a cosponsor of H.Res.860 and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee, said, \u201cThe slaughter of innocent Christians in Nigeria demands a strong response from the United States. Congressman Chris Smith and I are leading the charge in Congress to stop these heinous killings.\n\n\u201cH.Res.860 commends the Trump Administration for designating Nigeria as a \u2018Country of Particular Concern,\u2019 while calling for the Administration to enact sanctions against individuals and entities in Nigeria who are supporting this horrific violence. Additionally, this measure calls for setting verifiable conditions on any US Aid going to Nigeria. Nigeria must do more to protect all innocent individuals, including Christians, within its borders,\u201d added Rep. Huizenga.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s \u2018CPC\u2019 designation of Nigeria is a critical first step towards achieving lasting peace, stability, and religious freedom in Nigeria,\u201d said Smith, an internationally recognized human rights lawmaker.\n\n\u201cCongress has a job to do as well\u2014to support President Trump\u2019s initiative and oversee the State Department\u2019s actions as it implements the goals of a \u2018CPC\u2019 designation, using all appropriate and available tools to advance religious freedom and protect persecuted Christians in Nigeria.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, Smith\u2019s bill lays out the tools the State Department can utilize, including those created through his previous law, the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, to:\n\nProvide immediate humanitarian assistance to faith-based groups in Nigeria;\n\nCondition U.S. foreign assistance, including global health programs, upon the Nigerian government\u2019s actions to address religious freedom violations and develop strategies for long-term peace and stability;\n\nCollaborate with the U.S. Department of the Treasury to impose targeted sanctions, visa bans, asset freezes, and other restrictive measures under the Global Magnitsky framework on individuals and entities responsible for egregious religious freedom violations in Nigeria, such as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore;\n\nAdd Fulani-Ethnic Militias operating in Benue and Plateau States to the Entities of Particular Concern list; and\n\nReaffirm the United States\u2019 commitment to promoting and protecting religious freedom and human rights throughout the globe.\n\n\u201cIt is well past time that the United States holds the Nigerian government responsible for its inability\u2014or unwillingness\u2014to fully confront and combat the unchecked, widespread religious persecution occurring within its borders,\u201d concluded Smith.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415076"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8581159636378288, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}