Press releases
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50 rows where chamber = "Senate", party = "Republican" and state = "NJ" sorted by date descending
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| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409099 | <span class ="kicker">Would create ambassador position to combat anti-Semitism</span>Smith anti-Semitism bill headed to Presidents desk | 2020-12-31 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Today, at the very last legislative session of the 116th Congress, the House of Representatives passed legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) that would elevate the State Department's Anti-Semitism Special Envoy positionfirst created by Smith's legislative provisions in 2004to an Ambassadorship, giving more clout to address the alarming rise in anti-Semitism worldwide. As the Senate has already approved the amended legislation, the bill now heads to President Trump's desk to be signed into law. We've seen a rapid rise in anti-Semitic acts and rhetoric in many countries over the past decade: Jews harassed, assaulted and even murdered; synagogues attacked; graves and cemeteries desecrated; anti-Semitic slurs; and targeting the State of Israel with what my friend, the great Soviet refusenik and religious prisoner Natan Sharansky, calls the three Ds' demonization, double-standard, and de-legitimization, said Smith. My new law will raise the Special Envoy to the rank of Ambassador, and enable him or her to report directly to the Secretary of State, Smith said. That will give the Special Envoy more seniority and diplomatic accessboth inside the U.S. Government and when engaging foreign governmentsthat is needed do the job effectively. Especially with the rise of on-line anti-Semitism, we see that hate abroad easily crosses borders and impacts our communities here at home.Now more than ever we need to integrate our efforts both in the United States and abroad to stop the hate and keep our communities safe, said Smith, a founding member of both the House Anti-Semitism Caucus and the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism, which is comprised of legislative-branch members from Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Smith's bill, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act (H.R. 221) will ensure that the U.S. leadership position in fighting anti-Semitism worldwidethe Special Envoy at the State Departmentwould not only be promptly filled, but would be … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409097 | Rep. Smith votes 'YES' to increase COVID-19 relief assistance checks to $2,000 | 2020-12-28 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today said: The increase of COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000 coupled with yesterday's extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), expanded unemployment benefits and other assistance are justified and necessary to assist tens of millions of people devastated by the pandemic and like previous COVID relief packages are a bridge to a post-COVID world. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409075 | <span class ="kicker">The Monitor of Trenton article on Smith congressional hearing</span>Genocide in Nigeria 'happening before our eyes,' N.J. congressman says at hearing | 2020-12-22 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Kurt Jensen, Catholic News Service The Catholic bishop of Gboko, Nigeria, and the Knights of Columbus added their voices to a Dec. 17 congressional hearing spotlighting sectarian violence in Nigeria in which thousands of Christians have been killed simply for their faith identity. The hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission was spurred by recent developments: the fatal shooting of 51 peaceful protesters in Lagos Oct. 20; the kidnapping of over 300 schoolboys in Kankara, which government officials there said was instigated by bandits masquerading as the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram; and the Dec. 7 State Department designation of Nigeria as "a country of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The boys were rescued Dec. 18, and while the hearing included discussion of a congressional resolution of condemnation plus the imposition of sanctions, it didn't get into the specifics of either response. Sanctions would become a decision of the incoming Biden administration. "This is a genocide that's happening right before our eyes," said Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, the commission's co-chair. Smith, a native of Hamilton and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, has chaired seven previous hearings on human rights violations in Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa. The United States and the international community must do more to mitigate the violence because the dire situation on the ground warrants it and because the people of Nigeria deserve to live in peace and freedom with their fundamental human rights guaranteed, he said. Bishop William A. Avenya of Goboko agreed, saying, "It is depressing that our Middle Belt region has truly become a vale of tears, a region where mass burials are very common. Since the consistent attacks began some five years ago, there has hardly been a single day without killing in one part of the region or the other. In fact, one cannot give the accurate figures of those who have been … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409089 | House, Senate pass of bipartisan COVID relief bill | 2020-12-21 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | The House and Senate are expected to vote tonight on a COVID relief and omnibus legislative package that provides critical COVID relief for unemployed Americans, their families and small businesses struggling under the weight of the impact of COVID, while also funding the government through the end of the fiscal year in September 2021. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) supports the final COVID relief bill to provide approximately $900 billionin federal assistance to continue to respond to the COVID pandemic and its impact on the economy. This long-overdue legislation has additional funding for COVID vaccine accessibility and distribution, money for schools so they can safely reopen, and another round of $600 direct payments for Americans who have been hit the hardest during this pandemic, said Smith, member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus which helped spark dialogue for negotiations and push through a final bill. This relief bill also will extend the successful Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that has kept many small businesses afloat with desperately-needed relief, and will add deductibility for PPP expenses. Once signed into law, the act: provides direct payments up to $600 per eligible adult and per qualifying child. extends two key CARES Act programs about to sunsetthe Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program to help the self-employed and so-called gig economy workers, and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefit extension programwhich were both extended for 11 weeks, avoiding a financial crunch for millions of Americans. The new timeline will prevent another deadline that would have stopped the programs in March. will add $300 to all weekly unemployment benefits. allows workers who rely on multiple jobs and have lost income to be eligible for a weekly $100 boost. helps schools by providing additional funding so they can safely reopen. Provisions provide elementary, secondary and higher education $82 billi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409090 | <span class ="kicker">House, Senate pass for Smiths legislation on Belarus</span> Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2020 to head to White House | 2020-12-21 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Even as the people of Belarus continue their brave struggle against a brutal dictatorship, a bill authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee(HFAC), was expected to pass tonight by both houses of Congress to ramp up pressure on entrenched Belarus President Alyaksandr Lukashenko following his regime's violent crackdown and political repression that came in the wake of his fraudulent August 9 re-election. As prime sponsor of theBelarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, Smith said his law, which passed the House Nov. 18, will put pressure on Europe's last dictatorship to respect the sovereignty of its own citizens. By passing this bill Congress is recognizing what the struggling, courageous people of Belarus have been fighting since August 9 with their massive rallies: the recent election was clearly fraudulent, and has no credibility in the international community with anyone except Lukashenka himself, and perhaps Russia, said Smith, who authored the bill, H.R. 8438, in September to update and reauthorize his previous legislation enacted in 2004, 2006 and 2011 to advance and promote democracy and human rights in Belarus. This bipartisan bill renews sanctions on Belarusian Government officials who have obstructed the country's democratic transition, Smith said. It gives much-needed support to the besieged Belarusian media and to the country's important IT sector. Belarusian hackers who have cracked Lukashenko's firewall have been able to broadcast truthful news accounts to the Belarusian people. This bill also commissions several much-needed fact-finding efforts to get an accurate picture of the situation on the ground. The Belarusian people are fighting to preserve the independence and sovereignty of their country despite the ominous threat posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The bipartisan bill, which is included in the legislation before Congress this week, enjoys a strong list of co-sponsors, to include Chairman Eliot L. Enge… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409074 | <span class ="kicker">Communications High sweeps App Challenge</span>Rep. Chris Smith announces winners of 2020 Congressional App Challenge | 2020-12-18 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today announced the winners of this year's New Jersey Fourth Congressional District Congressional App Challenge (CAC), part of a nationwide competition for middle and high school students to showcase their software app-developing skills and teamwork. The winning app, CollabraCart, was designed by Communications High School students Erin Hardiman of Spring Lake, Melody Lin of Freehold and Jacob Rosegarten of Morganville. I am pleased to congratulate all the winning students at Communications High School, said Rep. Smith. The first place-winning app, CollabraCart,' is very timely in the COVID era in which we find ourselves. It can match people who are struggling to purchase groceries with individuals who are seeking to donate their time and/or money to help them. During these unprecedented times when many of our fellow New Jerseyans are struggling to maintain their livelihood and feed their families, it was great to see Melody, Erin and Jacob work together and develop an App that will help others in our community. At a user's discretion, the service may stay anonymous, and people may opt to connect with another user through a "Friends" feature. All money donated would be used for the payment of somebody's groceries. Timed to coincide with Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek), December 7-13, 2020, Smith said this year's contest drew entries from Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Twenty-nine students participated in teams and as individuals to design nine apps. Communications High School, a Monmouth County Vocational School District career academy located in Wall Township, swept all three top spots. The second-place app is Green Garden, designed by Brigid McCarthy of Manasquan, Abi Cohen of Marlboro, Rina Peshori of Holmdel, who all worked to aid the conservation of at-risk insect species through technology and engagement of an audience with a unique potential to create change. The app serves a dual purpose of education an… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409088 | <span class ="kicker">Smith chairs Lantos Commission hearing after latest killings, kidnappings:</span>State Dept., humanitarian groups testify on killings in Nigeria, alleged acts by Islamist radicals | 2020-12-17 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | The brutal atrocities and continuing threats to Nigerian peace and stabilityespecially to Christians under seemingly relentless attacks by radical Islamists in Nigeriawere at the core of testimony by U.S. State Department officials and human rights organizations at a hearing today, Conflict and Killings in Nigeria's Middle Belt, held by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Our Middle Belt region has truly become a vale of tears, a region where mass burials are very common. It appears as though what is happening here is part of a grand conspiracy. Our national government has not shown convincing signs of real commitment to ending the menace, said Bishop William A. Avenya of the Nigerian Roman Catholic Diocese of Gboko in his testimony. The mass slaughter of Christians in Nigeria's Middle Belt, by every standard, meets the criteria for a calculated genocide from the definition of the Genocide Convention as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group as well as the available facts. This has inflicted deep mental, psychological, physical and economic injuries to the affected families and communities. Smith, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, has chaired seven previous hearings on human rights violations in Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa. The largest, dominant driver of conflict in the Middle Belt region is committed by Fulani extremists, who appear driven in large part by ethno-religious chauvinism, against mostly Christian farmers though I do note that elsewhere Shia Muslims are also victims, and that intra-Sunni conflicts also exist within the Muslim community as well, said Smith. The United States and the international community must do more to mitigate the violence because the dire situation on the ground warrants it and because the people of Nigeria deserve to live in peace and freedom with their fundamental human rights guaranteed and because Nigeria is… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409076 | Smith, Suozzi, Cotton unveil bill to combat forced organ harvesting | 2020-12-16 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY), and U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK), announced bipartisan legislation in the House and Senate today called the Stop ForcedOrganHarvesting Act (H.R. 8972, S.5016), intended to prevent the unethical and criminal harvestingorgans from minority groups and other victims. Organ harvesting is a barbaric, inhumane and egregious act of global significance as transnational human trafficking gangs, terrorist organizations, profiteers and even governmentsChina's Communist regime in particular kill innocent people and sell their organs for profit, said Congressman Smith, sponsor and lead Republican for the House bill who has fought organ harvesting for more than 20 years, including chairing a June 2016 hearing on the cruel practice in China. A global problem requires a global response. Under our bill, organ harvesters and traffickers, who often prey on vulnerable populations like political prisoners or minorities, will be identified and exposed by the State Department with the goal of punishing perpetrators and promoting effective sanctions and restrictions on travel.The bill will help shed more light on these horrific activities, enable the naming of names of the vicious perpetrators and ultimately help put an end this gruesome human rights abuse. For years, the Chinese Communist Party has continued to take advantage of prisoners, members of ethnic minority, and religious groups. Today, we are still witnessing them take further advantage of these groups through organ harvesting," said Congressman Suozzi, lead Democrat for the House bill. "Members of the Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable for these unspeakable actions. Organ harvesting has no place in our world." There is growing evidence that the Chinese Communist Party has and continues to harvestorgans from prisoners and members of Chinese religious and minority groups. This bill will identify and punish CCP members involved in forcedorganharvesting. It's past time to hold Beijing ac… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409077 | <span class ="kicker">Smith to co-chair Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing Dec. 17:</span>'Conflict and Killings in Nigerias Middle Belt' | 2020-12-16 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | OnThursday, December 17 from14 p.m., Congressman Chris Smith will co-chair a hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on the deteriorating human rights situation in Nigeria's Middle Belt, including its religious dimensions, and proposed responses. The underlying causes of the conflict in Nigeria's Middle Belt are complex and varied. They include competition for access to land and other resources between pastoralists and farmers exacerbated by drought, desertification, and climate change. In a part of the country where farmers are mainly Christian and pastoralists are mainly Muslim and ethnic Fulani, deadly confrontations have sharpened ethnic, regional and religious polarization. Precise statistics are unavailable and fatality counts are contested, but one analysis estimated that farmer-pastoralist conflicts killed 2,000 Nigerians annually between 2011 and 2016. Some have described attacks by pastoralists as a persecution of Christians, amounting to an attempted or unfolding genocide. Some Muslim leaders, for their part, have described attacks on Fulani as part of an effort to purge Nigeria's Muslim community. The Nigerian state has failed to provide protection or ensure accountability for any of the victims. In its newly released annual Statistical Risk Assessment (SRA), the Holocaust Memorial Museum's Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide calculated that Nigeria as a whole faces a 7.3% risk of experiencing a new mass killing by the end of 2021, the 6th highest in the world. In last year's SRA, Nigeria was ranked 17th with a 5% risk. For purposes of the report, a mass killing occurs when the deliberate actions of armed groups result in the deaths of at least 1,000 noncombatant civilians targeted as part of a specific group over a period of one year or less. The Center did not find evidence that groups perpetrating violence in north-central Nigeria are coordinating in a campaign against a particular group of civilians. Also this month, the State Department designated Nigeria as a Country … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409073 | <span class ="kicker">Asbury Park Press article</span>'Bill set to boost Joint Base passes by a wide margin' | 2020-12-15 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | George WoolstonBurlington County Times USA TODAY NETWORK - The $732 billion bill that sets spending and policy for the U.S. military has passed the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday with bipartisan support. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) received bipartisan support by passing 335-78, with a total of 140 Republicans and 195 Democrats backing the bill, the Associated Press reported. South Jersey lawmakers consider several provisions in the bill big wins for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Among those wins include a 3% pay raise for all military personnel, slowing down of the retirement of KC-10 tankers jets over the next three years to ensure their replacement, the KC-46 tanker jets, arrive 100% ready to go at the end of 2021, and authorizing two constructions projects on the base. We live in an uncertain world with persistent, credible threats to our nation and our democracy, so it is more important than ever that we support our men and women in uniform and ensure the readiness and modernization of our nation's armed forces while spending our valuable resources wisely, U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross said in a statement following the bill's passing. Norcross, D-1 of Camden, serves as the chair of the tactical air and land forces (TAL) subcommittee in the House Armed Services Committee. Norcross, along with fellow New Jersey lawmakers U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, D-3 of Mooreston, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherill,D-11 of Montclair, and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4 of Hamilton, all worked to ensure the security of the Joint Base's future. The bill authorizes $37 million total for construction projects on the base $22 million for a Munitions Storage Area and $15 million for a National Guard Readiness Center. In addition to slowing down the KC-10 tankers and ensuring the new KC-46 tankers arrival, the bill also restricts the premature retirement of KC-135 Stratotankers operated by the New Jersey National Guard. The missions of the active duty 305th Air Mobility Wing and its sister Air Force Reserve 514th Air Mobi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409070 | <span class ="kicker">Smith Op-Ed in Washington Times</span>'Reflecting on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Dec. 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), rightfully heralded as a human rights landmark. To understand how the UDHR came about and what made it necessary, however, we need to first recall what preceded it. The UDHR was born of the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II, as well as the imperfect attempt to achieve some sort of justice at the Nuremberg and Tokyo War Crimes trials. Recall, the defendants at Nuremberg and Tokyo had broken no positive laws indeed, they controlled the power of the state, which dictated the laws. To dispense a modicum of justice to right the obvious injustice that had been done to millions of victims, Robert Jackson a prosecutor at Nuremberg who took a leave of absence from his duties as a sitting associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court referenced the need to apply a natural law that binds each man to refrain from acts so inherently wrong and injurious to others that he must know that they will be treated as criminal. Illustration on the U.N. Human Rights Council by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times It is this notion of a law above whatever the positive law may be at a particular moment in time which likewise animates the UDHR. There are some rights which are so fundamental, that the state may never take them away, regardless of the power it may wield at any moment. We see this notion expressed, for example, in Article 26 of the UDHR, which states that Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. This is a right that is prior to the state in other words, it is grounded in nature, and cannot be taken away by the state. These are the rights which our Declaration of Independence referred to as unalienable, having been endowed upon us by our Creator. Foremost among these rights is of course the right to life, without which no other rights are possible. This notion of Natural Law is certainly compatible with a Judeo-Christian tradition, one that… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409071 | Rep. Chris Smith voices serious concern over South Koreas growing disregard of fundamental civil liberties, acquiescence to Communist North | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Responding to reports that South Korea's parliament was on the verge of passing legislation that would criminalize the sending of leaflets, Bibles and money across the border to the Communist North, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chair of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, made the following statement. I am troubled that legislators in an ostensibly vibrant democracy would contemplate criminalizing conduct aimed at promoting democracy and providing spiritual and humanitarian succor to people suffering under one of the cruelest communist dictatorships in the world. Yet a legislative majority of Korea's Democratic Party members appear poised to do so, in apparent violation of South Korea's constitution and the nation's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.(ICCPR). Smith further explained, Article 19 of the ICCPR provides that Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.' Why then are parliamentary allies of President Moon Jae-in disregarding their obligations to protect fundamental civil and political rights? The people of North Korea are suffering under a brutal regime. Humanitarian and religious non-governmental organizations launch balloons containing Bibles, videos and information denied people living in the North, giving them hope and objective information instead of despair and communist propaganda. Why in the world would legislators in the free South want to not only stop that, but also put people in jail for simply sharing information? asked Smith, who has held numerous human rights hearings focused on North Korea. Further, I have serious concerns over the trajectory in South Korea under President Moon Jae-in. We have seen the government on the local and national level use the response to COVID as a pretext to curt… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409069 | <span class="kicker">News12 NJ story; Smith backs key bill for experimental drugs</span>'New Jersey man fights for access to experimental ALS drug' | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | News12 NJ story; Smith backs key bill for experimental drugs'New Jersey man fights for access to experimental ALS drug' f t # e Washington, Dec 10, 2020 By News12 Staff - With the world potentially days away from having a COVID-19 vaccine, research continues to help treat other life-threatening diseases like Lou Gehrig's disease. Forked River resident Josh Smith, 31, was an athlete and football coach who ran a construction business with his father. But his world was turned upside-down when he was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2019. When I first got diagnosed, I mean honestly, I felt like I died on that dayYou lose every dream that you had. It's kind of out the window, Smith says. With an average lifespan of two to five years after diagnosis, Smith says that he put his dreams aside to fight the illness. His doctors suggested that he search for an experimental treatment since he was young and still strong. That experimental treatment is a drug known as NurOwn a phase three treatment. Smith's family says that the treatment appeared to slow the progression of the disease. However, the trial treatment is only temporary. He no longer has access to the drug. I put my body through this for the sake of data. Now give me the drug for the sake of me, now, Smith says. Smith and other ALS patient advocates are pushing for House Bill 8662, which would increase the opportunity for patients to access investigational therapies and $100 million each dedicated to research and development to find a treatment and cure. District 4 U.S Rep. Christopher Smith says he co-sponsored the bill last week. "The sooner we get that and other kinds of therapeutics out to people and we need to fast-track it like we're doing with COVID, like the vaccine which is on a fast track. It … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409068 | <span class ="kicker">Patch news article</span>'Rep. Smith's Outdoor Therapy For Veterans Bill Signed Into Law' | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Legislation authored by this area's Congressman, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), to help veterans heal through outdoor recreational therapy, has now been signed into law by President Trump. Smith's bipartisanAccelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act, which was endorsed by more than 120 veteran service organizations, outdoor recreation groups and conservation organizations, will provide increased access to federal lands for the purposes of veterans' medical recovery therapy. Smith's bill cosponsored by 136 Republican and Democratic lawmakers was included in a package of veterans' legislation, The Veterans' COMPACT Act (H.R. 8247), which passed unanimously in the House of Representatives in September and was passed unanimously by the Senate in late November. President Trump signed the legislation over the past weekend. Smith recounted how one combat wounded veteran who served in Iraq was suffering severe depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder responded to outdoor therapy. He had made three visits to the VA psychiatric wards and a substance abuse rehab. But it was a backpacking trip led by the Sierra Club that changed his perspective. Smith quoted the vet's own words: "When the depression, anxiety and everything else that comes with PTSD creeps back into my life, I know just what to do: Strap on a pack and get outside." According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, between 11 and 20 percent of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, 12 percent of those who served in Desert Storm have PTSD in a given year, and 30 percent of those who served in Vietnam, will have had PTSD in their lifetime. Research has shown that outdoor recreation can be an effective form of treatment, rehabilitation and healing for veterans, said Congressman Chris Smith.(Shutterstock) "Research has shown that outdoor recreation can be an effective form of treatment, rehabilitation and healing for … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409066 | <span class ="kicker">House passes 2021 defense bill</span>Smith: Defense bill helps service members, NJ military missions, $37M for JB-MDL | 2020-12-08 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | The House passed and Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) voted for the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today, new legislation that will protect the airlift and air refueling missions at America's only tri-service installation, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB-MDL), and brings $37 million in construction jobs that will support construction work for the local economy. The bill requires the Secretary of the Air Force to maintain a minimum of 50 KC10 Extender tankersmany of which are based at JB-MDL here in New Jerseythrough fiscal year 2021, 38 Extenders through FY2022 and 26 through 2023, Smith said. This timetable should allow the critical air mobility mission at JB-MDL to continue without major disruptions as the Joint Base receives the new Boeing KC-46 tankers in the years ahead. We should see the first of 24 new aircraft in late 2021. The NDAA also restricts the premature retirement of KC-135 Stratotankerssuch as operated by the New Jersey National Guardfrom retiring. The missions of the active duty 305th Air Mobility Wing and its sister Air Force Reserve 514th Air Mobility Wing, as well as the NJ Air National Guard's 108th Air Refueling Wing, have never been more important, Smith said. Smith noted the bill authorizes construction of two key military projects at JB-MDL located in part in his congressional district: $22 million for the Air Force for a much-needed Munitions Storage Area $15 million for the New Jersey National Guard to build a National Guard Readiness Center to help with deployments of Guard members from the base. The bill also addresses key military challenges including suicide prevention in the ranks and sexual assault and harassment and it improves information sharing on human trafficking activities to counter this heinous crime. The bill also provides 3 percent raises for all military personnel and hazard duty pay for certain deployments and combat. The 2021 NDAA also initiates mental healthcare reforms for service-members, family members and re… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409065 | <span class ="kicker">Smiths 15th veterans bill becomes lawVFW, Sierra Club praised bill</span>'President Trump signs Smiths outdoor therapy vets legislation into law' | 2020-12-07 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to help veterans heal through outdoor recreational therapy has been signed into law by President Trump. Smith's bipartisan Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act (H.R. 2435), which was endorsed by more than 120 veteran service organizations, outdoor recreation groups and conservation organizations, will provide increased access to federal lands for the purposes of veterans' medical recovery therapy.Smith's billcosponsored by 136 bipartisan lawmakerswas included in a package of veterans' legislation, The Veterans' COMPACT Act (H.R. 8247), which passed unanimously in the House of Representatives in September and was passed unanimously by the Senate last month. Trump signed the legislation over the weekend. Research has shown that outdoor recreation can be an effective form of treatment, rehabilitation and healing for veterans, said Smith, author of the Veterans Health Programs Improvement Act (P.L. 108-422), and 13 other veterans laws. While many nonprofit organizations, veteran service organizations and private companies have used the outdoors to help heroes heal, providing greater coordination among key federal agencies will open new opportunities for veterans on public lands and other outdoor spaces, said Smith, who has twice served as chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. The new law will require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an interagency task force on the use of public lands to provide medical treatment and therapy to veterans through outdoor recreation. After undertaking a comprehensive analysis, the task force will submit recommendations to Congress, within one year, on how to eliminate barriers and provide more public outdoor space for use by our veterans. Click here to watch Chris Smith's remarks on the House Floor on Sept. 23. Upon House passage, many respected veterans and environmental groups praised the bill including New Jersey VFW State Legislative Director William F. Thomson, who said, Congratulati… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409061 | <span class ="kicker">Rep. Smith's hearing statement on Ethiopian crisis</span>'The Unfolding Conflict in Ethiopia' | 2020-12-03 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Excerpts of remarks by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) at a hearing of the House Africa Subcommittee on the crisis in Ethiopia held on December 3, 2020: I'd like to thank Chairwoman Bass for once again convening a hearing on an extremely important topicthe unfolding conflict in Ethiopia, centered around the Tigray region, but one which impacts the entire country. Indeed, it is my belief that Ethiopia is one of the two most strategically significant countries in AfricaNigeria being the other oneand what happens there is amplified throughout the region. And while I am hopeful that the Ethiopian government's capturing of the regional Tigrayan capital of Mekelle, coupled with an announcement that the government will allow United Nations humanitarian assistance to flow in the region, signals an end to armed conflict, nonetheless my concern is that the fall of the capital marks simply the end to one stage of an armed civil conflict and signals the beginning of a protracted civil war characterized by guerilla tactics. This concern is based in part on the history of the Tigray People Liberation Front, or TPLF, and the geography of the Tigray region and Ethiopia. The TPLF, of course, came to rule all of Ethiopia following a successful guerrilla campaign against the Derg a case of a Marxist-inspired movement overthrowing a Marxist governmentin the early 1990s. As guerillas, the TPLF used the highland terrain of Ethiopia, including Tigray, to their advantage. During the years of TPLF rule, this subcommittee was at the forefront of raising concern about human rights abuses. Following a critical hearing I chaired in the Spring of 2005, I traveled to Ethiopia and met Prime Minister Meles that August, as well as with human rights leaders. I raised concerns directly with him, especially the egregiously flawed election and the killing of dissidents by his forces, and the next year introduced the Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights Advancement Act. Following the passing of Prime Minister Meles, domination by t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409056 | US lawmakers: UK Sec of State greatly disappoints, continues injustices of Finucane murder case | 2020-11-30 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Richard Neal (D-MA), who spearheaded a bipartisan congressional letter urging an independent UK inquiry into government collusion in the 1989 assassination of human rights lawyer Patrick Finucane, today released the following statement in response to UK Secretary of State Brandon Lewis' disappointing decision to block a public hearing into the murder: The British Government's announcement today, its most recent attempt to break its promise for a public inquiry into the murder of defense attorney Patrick Fincuane, is inconsistent, unrealistic and dismissive of the extraordinary human rights implications of his murdera case where the government has acknowledged collusion but will not accept responsibility. Despite multiple public commitments to get to the truth and foster reconciliation for a lasting peace, the British government has instead engaged in years-long subterfuge, substituting one limited review after another, always short of the public inquiry. We had hoped that today would be different.We had hoped today would be the day the British Government would get back on track, follow through on its solemn obligation and hold accountable those responsible for this heinous crime. Instead they offer more ploys, more maneuvering. There is no statute of limitations on the truth. And while we are heartsick for Geraldine and the entire Finucane family we are no less determined to work with them to get to truth. Smith, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has chaired 17 congressional hearings on human rights and the peace process in the north of Ireland10 of which featured Finucane's surviving children and/or his wife Geraldine who was injured in the assassination. Neal, chairman of both the bipartisan Friends of Ireland Caucus as well as the House Ways and Means Committee, has fought side-by-side with Smith and other members of the U.S. Congress for the Finucane family for over 30 years to obtain justice. Their bipartisan letter, signed by 2… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409057 | <span class ="kicker">CNN Op-Ed by Smith, other lawmakers</span>'Fighting anti-Semitism online requires a global effort ' | 2020-11-30 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Given the state of global affairs, it is not a given that we -- a bipartisan group of elected officials from Israel, the US, Canada, Australia and the UK -- would find common ground in the midst of a global pandemic. However, the disconcerting proliferation of anti-Semitism through new technology demands that we take urgent action. We recently launchedthe Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism in order to hold social media companies accountable for what takes place on their platforms and help create transparent policies to tackle hate speech. The hate that we see online isn't just harmless chatter relegated to dark corners of the internet -- it often spills onto the streets, and dangerous propaganda can quickly transcend the geographic borders of any of our countries. Combating this global hatred, therefore, requires a global solution. The launch of our task force follows grassroots initiatives, including the#NoSafeSpaceForJewHatecampaign, and repeated calls to action after social media platforms have ignored or inadequately addressed virulent anti-Semitism on their platforms. Last year, Facebook's CEOMark Zuckerberg published acall for help from elected officials requesting that we take a more significant role in the battle to combat hate on the internet. We are here to answer this call. Our task force, made up of lawmakers across the political spectrum, underscores the fact that the fight against anti-Semitism should be a nonpartisan issue in democratic countries and that virulent anti-Semitism is a poison that exists among both the far left and far right. We are launching this process with the mission of creating consistent understanding, messaging and policy to be utilized by our respective legislatures. We will hold virtual hearings, bringing together experts on technology and speech from around the world to meet directly with parliamentarians and tech companies in an unprecedented way. We will engage with social media comp… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409054 | US lawmakers send bipartisan letter to UK prime minister urging independent, judicial investigation into Finucane murder | 2020-11-25 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | The United Kingdom must end years of delay and establish an independent inquiry into collusion in the 1989 murder of human rights lawyer Patrick Finucane, said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who with Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) sent a bipartisan letter signed by 24 members of the U.S. Congress to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Pat Finucane was a courageous defense attorney, a loving father and husband, gunned down because of his commitment to human rights and the rule of law,said Smith, who has chaired 17 congressional hearings on human rights and the peace process in the north of Ireland10 of which featured Finucane's surviving children and/or his wife Geraldine who was injured in the assassination. The British government's deliberate decision not to proceed with an independent, judicial inquiry into the Finucane murderan unfulfilled commitment of the peace processis a public breach of faith. It resonates throughout Northern Ireland and among international lawmakers and human rights observers, undercutting the good the British government has done and its commitment to justice, truth and reconciliation. Said Neil, As chairman of the bipartisan Friends of Ireland Caucus in the United State Congress, I once again join my colleagues calling on the British government to hold a public inquiry into the killing of human rights lawyer Pat Finucane. I continue to believe the Finucane family has a right to truth and justice and that is why I have worked closely with them on this case on both sides of the Atlantic for more than three decades. They deserve to know what happened in February of 1989 and the level of state collusion into the murder of their husband and father. This letter is calling on the British government to be accountable. The letter read, in part, We write to urge you to establish an independent public inquiry into state collusion in the murder of human rights attorney Patrick Finucane at his home in Belfast in front of his wife and children on February 12, 1989. Recent news reports state that, to comply… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409052 | <span class ="kicker">APP article on Monmouth parents of child w Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Smith trying to assist</span>'Manalapan charity wants to raffle car online; state says no' | 2020-11-20 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | By Jerry Carino, Asbury Park Press staff, USA TODAY NETWORK Jim and Karen Raffone thought they had the perfect fundraiser for their charity, which sponsors major research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy: All American Ford in Old Bridge donated a 2020 Ford Mustang convertible for them to raffle off. We thought we could raise $100,000, Jim Raffone said. We raised approximately $25,000 before we had to stop. Then the office of New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal informed them they were in violation of the law. Under existing New Jersey law remote and online raffles are not permitted, said Gema de las Heras, the Attorney General's office spokeswoman,in an email."Our Division of Consumer Affairs has discussed several options with the family's representatives and stands ready to assist them and other nonprofits who seek to hold raffles find a path forward working within the existing law." My Cause MyCleats:NFL player wears cleats in ailing Manalapan boy's honor PHOTO: Jamesy Raffone atop of dad Jim Raffone'sshoulders during a Jan of Hope event. The Raffones, who live in Manalapan, were conducting the raffle online because of the gathering restrictions imposed by Gov. Phil Murphy during the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has grinded fundraising events to a halt for nonprofits across the state, threatening their survival in many cases. Every charity in New Jersey is not allowed to do what I'm fighting for, Raffone said. We can't even have an event inside. It's very, very difficult. We're looking to host a clinical trial by January and it's going to cost us $2 million. How do I get this $2 million? The Raffones' nonprofit, JAR of Hope, was founded in 2013 after theirson James was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative condition that eventually results in total muscle failure. Patients seldom live past their 20s.Jamesy is now 11 years old and still walking. We're keeping the disease at bay as much as possible, Jim Raffone said, but it's still doing what it wants to do. … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409053 | <span class ="kicker">House passes Smith bill</span>Smith statement as House debates Belarus Democracy, Human Rights and Sovereignty Act of 2020 | 2020-11-18 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | The following are excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) in the House of Representatives during debate on H.R. 8428, Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020 on November 18, 2020: Madam Speaker, I urge swift enactment into law of the bipartisan Belarus Democracy, Human Rights and Sovereignty Act of 2020 which I introduced. And here's why this legislation is absolutely needed now. Belarus was perhaps the nation most mired in its Soviet past, with an inefficient economy and a strongman autocrat in charge for over two-and-a-half decades. Yet the indomitable spirit of freedom stirred among the people of Belarus, and when a patently false election result was announced on August 9th declaring Alyaksandr Lukashenka the winner, the people took to the streets. The OSCE Moscow Mechanism, reported November 5 that there is overwhelming evidence that Belarus's August 9 presidential election results were falsified and that systematic" human rights violations have been committed by the country's security forces in response to the peaceful demonstrations the vote sparked. Now, reports out of Belarus indicate that police are using increasingly violent tactics against these peaceful demonstrators. The BBC summed it yesterday in an article Belarus protesters battered, bruised but defiant after 100 days which said in part: Opposition protesters remain defiant in Belarus despite police brutality, 100 days after they first took to the streets to denounce the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. Police in helmets and body armour throw women holding flowers and balloons into police vans. Officers tear-gas elderly people on a pensioners' march Yet every Sunday thousands still pour into the streets of the capital Minsk, condemning what they see as Mr Lukashenko's fraudulent 9 August victory Alesya, a 31-year old worker in the IT industry, regularly attends the Sunday rallies. On 15 November, however, things turned nasty very quickly. When she arriv… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409045 | Smith statement on the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights and Sovereignty Act being debated by the House | 2020-11-17 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | The following are excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) in the House of Representatives for debate on H.R. 8428,The Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, andSovereignty Act of 2020 onNovember 18, 2020: Madam Speaker, I urge swift enactment into law of the bipartisan Belarus Democracy, Human Rights and Sovereignty Act of 2020 which I introduced. And here's why this legislation is absolutely needed now. Belarus was perhaps the nation most mired in its Soviet past, with an inefficient economy and a strongman autocrat in charge for over two-and-a-half decades. Yet the indomitable spirit of freedom stirred among the people of Belarus, and when a patently false election result was announced on August 9th declaring Alyaksandr Lukashenka the winner, the people took to the streets. The OSCE Moscow Mechanism, reported November 5 that there is overwhelming evidence that Belarus's August 9 presidential election results were falsified and that systematic" human rights violations have been committed by the country's security forces in response to the peaceful demonstrations the vote sparked. Now, reports out of Belarus indicate that police are using increasingly violent tactics against these peaceful demonstrators. The BBC summed it yesterday in an article Belarus protesters battered, bruised but defiant after 100 days which said in part: Opposition protesters remain defiant in Belarus despite police brutality, 100 days after they first took to the streets to denounce the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. Police in helmets and body armour throw women holding flowers and balloons into police vans. Officers tear-gas elderly people on a pensioners' march Yet every Sunday thousands still pour into the streets of the capital Minsk, condemning what they see as Mr Lukashenko's fraudulent 9 August victory Alesya, a 31-year old worker in the IT industry, regularly attends the Sunday rallies. On 15 November, however, things turned nasty very quickly. When she arrived at the square where the march was s… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409043 | Statement on Chinese Gov't removal of four elected pro-democracy Hong Kong lawmakers | 2020-11-12 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the House-passed Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, said: the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) forced removal of four duly elected pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong's Legislative Council is outrageous, unjustified and absolutely dishonorable and tells the world that human rights and the rule of law are a cruel joke under the dictatorship of Xi Jinping. Smith continued, Today's mass resignation of all the remaining pro-democracy lawmakers to protest Beijing's iron fist policies toward Hong Kong and the lawmakers deserves the deepest respect, support and admiration of everyone who cherishes freedom. The entire free worldnot just a few nations like the United Statesmust sanction Beijing and hold the CCP to account. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409042 | <span class ="kicker">On Veterans Day, Smiths 15th veterans law goes to White House VFW, Sierra Club praise Smith bill</span>Smiths outdoor therapy vets bill clears Senate | 2020-11-11 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | On the eve of the Veterans' Day holiday, legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to help veterans heal through outdoor recreational therapy cleared the Senate and was on its way to the President's desk for signing and implementation. Smith's bipartisan Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act (H.R. 2435), which was endorsed by more than 120 veteran service organizations, outdoor recreation groups and conservation organizations, will provide increased access to federal lands for the purposes of veterans' medical recovery therapy.Smith's billcosponsored by 135 bipartisan lawmakerswas included in a package of veterans' legislation, The Veterans' COMPACT Act (H.R. 8247), which passed the House of Representatives in September and was approved by the Senate late last night. Research has increasingly shown that outdoor recreation can be an effective form of treatment, rehabilitation and healing for veterans, said Smith, author of the Veterans Health Programs Improvement Act (P.L. 108-422), and 13 other veterans laws. While many nonprofit organizations, veteran service organizations and private companies have used the outdoors to help heroes heal, providing greater coordination among key federal agencies will open new opportunities for veterans on public lands and other outdoor spaces, said Smith, who has twice served as chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. The new law will require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an interagency task force on the use of public lands to provide medical treatment and therapy to veterans through outdoor recreation. After undertaking a comprehensive analysis, the task force will submit recommendations to Congress, within one year, on how to eliminate barriers and provide more public outdoor space for use by our veterans. Click here to watch Chris Smith's remarks on the House Floor. Nearly 75 years ago, Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed a law changing Nov. 11 from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, Smith said. It's a day for us all to rec… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409033 | <span class ="kicker">The Monitor of Trenton</span>'As trafficking law turns 20, Rep. Smith fears pandemic fosters child exploitation' | 2020-10-30 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | By Julie Asher, Catholic News Service AstheTraffickingVictims Protection Act of 2000 marked its 20th year Oct. 28, the Catholic congressman who wrote it -- and four other anti-traffickinglaws in the intervening yearscelebrated the historic legislation that holds every nation on the globe "to account on humantraffickingmatters." But in celebrating thelaw's anniversary,Rep. ChrisSmith, R-New Jersey, and member of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, also expressed serious concern the ongoingpandemicis putting more children and young people at risk ofexploitation. With restrictions in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, they are spending so much more time on the internet, he said. "Some of today's challenges, suchashow ever-evolving technology is being utilized by predators to lure children intotrafficking, could not have been anticipated20years ago,"Smithsaid. "Today, due to COVID-19 restrictions, young people are spending more time online and evidence suggests a huge spike in predators' access to children on the internet and the rise of online grooming and sexualexploitationwhile children are isolated and 'virtually' connected to the world," he added. In his home state alone, he said, reports of onlinechildexploitationare up 75 percent, according to the Asbury Park Press daily newspaper. "(This) can lead to humantraffickingand other abuses,"Smithsaid. He made the comments in an op-ed he distributed to media around the country, including Catholic News Service. Thelawhe wrote "to aggressively combat sex and labortraffickingboth within the United States and around the world," he said, "created a new, well-funded whole-of-government domestic and international strategy and established numerous new programs to protect victims, prosecute traffickers and to the extent possible, prevent humantraffickingin the first place." "Thousands of human traffickers have been prosecuted and jailed pursuant" under the landmarklaw, he said, including Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409037 | <span class ="kicker">Trentonian Op-Ed</span>'Smiths historic anti-trafficking law marks 20th year' | 2020-10-30 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000the comprehensive, historic law that I authored to aggressively combat sex and labor trafficking both within the United States and around the world. The TVPA created a new, well-funded whole-of-government domestic and international strategy and established numerous new programs to Protect victims, Prosecute traffickers and to the extent possible, Prevent human trafficking in the first place. Thousands of human traffickers have been prosecuted and jailed pursuant to the TVPA including all charges in 2019 against Jeffrey Epstein and the infamous sex trafficking ring convictions involving NXIVM's Keith Raniere and Smallville actress Allison Mack. The TVPA included a number of sea change criminal code reforms including treating as a victimand not a perpetrator of a crimeanyone exploited by a commercial sex act who had not attained the age of 18 and anyone older where there was an element of force, fraud or coercion. The TVPA radically reformed the U.S. criminal code to authorize asset confiscation and jail sentences of up to life imprisonment for the predators. Most importantly, because of the TVPA, many victims have been rescued and protected while comprehensive prevention strategies have spared many from the exploitation and abuse of the crime that treats mostly women and children as mere commodities to be bought and sold. Of significance, my law also included the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act and reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)doubling VAWA funding to $3.3 billion over five years for women's shelters, rehab programs, housing and other initiatives for battered and abused women. Over the years, I've authored four additional laws to combat human traffickingincluding in 2003, 2005, 2016, and 2019. Believing that federal law needed parallel state and local statues to foster an effective prosecution str… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409038 | <span class ="kicker">Rep. Smith on NJ101.5 FM</span>Fighting to protect the victims--mostly woman and children-- of human trafficking | 2020-10-30 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | WKXW 10/30/2020 8:11:59 AM: Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) was a live call-in guest on NJ101.5 today with host Bill Spadea. The following are excerpts of the show:Spadea: Please welcome myfriend Congressman Chris Smith back to the show... and he has some good news to share... Actually this week marked the 20th anniversary of something that Congressman Smith championed, it is the victimsof trafficking and violence protection act's 20thanniversary. This was designed to combat traffickingand fight against violence against women, and Chris Smith was the author and has been anoutspoken advocate... he's out doing his job focusing onconstituent service. Morning Chris, how are you? Smith: Morning, Bill, and thanks for having me on, appreciate it it. Spadea: So tell me about this bill and the realproblem human trafficking that is still going on in theworld... . Smith: Oh, without a doubt. It's still growing. It's a hugeproblem in New Jersey, throughout the rest of the country. And part ofthat is that during COVID-19 that's gottenworse for young kids who are online, and predators are trying to groom them to send inpictures of themselves and that leads to a whole horrible outcome. So parents need to be veryaware of that and monitor very, very aggressively the use of phones, as wellas the use of internetwith so many children and with so many predators trying tofind those kids to exploit them. So the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, all of which were my law. It was 20 years ago this past Wednesday, just a coupledays ago. It empowers a whole-of-governmentapproach. The prosecutors nowcan bring charges... they're prioritized. And there have been thousands of prosecutions, successful ones, that have putthose whomcommit these heinous crimes behind bars for longperiods of time. That [Keith] Ranier, the man that was partof the that horrible cult in NY just got 120 years and they used my law to prosecute him. Spadea: That's good. Smith: So, it really makes a differenc… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409030 | <span class ="kicker">Asbury Park Press Op-Ed on the anniversary of Smith's landmark human trafficking law</span>'COVID-19 puts more children at risk of exploitation as anti-trafficking law hits 20 | Smith' | 2020-10-28 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Today Oct.28 marks 20th anniversary of theTrafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 the comprehensive, historic law that I authored to aggressively combat sex and labor trafficking both within the United States and around the world. The TVPA created a new, well-fundedwhole-of-government domesticand international strategy and established numerous new programs to protect victims, prosecute traffickers and, to the extent possible, prevent human trafficking in the first place. The TVPAincluded a number of sea change criminal code reforms including treating as a victim and not a perpetrator of a crime anyone exploited by a commercial sex act who had not attained the age of 18 and anyone older where there was an element of force, fraud or coercion. The TVPA radically reformed the US criminal code to authorize asset confiscation and jail sentences of up to life imprisonment for the predators. Most importantly, because of the TVPA, many victims have been rescued and protected while comprehensive prevention strategies have spared many from the exploitation and abuse of the crime that treats mostly women and children as mere commodities to be bought and sold. Of significance, my law also included the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act and reauthorized theViolence Against Women Act(VAWA) doubling VAWA funding to $3.3 billion over five years for women's shelters, rehab programs, housing and other initiatives for battered and abused women. Over the years, I've authored four additional laws to combat human trafficking including in2003,2005,2016and2019. 2017 investigation:NJ police help FBI operation that saved 84 kids from sex trafficking Believing that federal law needed parallel state and local statues to effectuate an effective prosecution strategy to combat human trafficking, the TVPA included new DOJ programs to assist states in crafting laws and authorized the creation of new anti-human trafficking task forces. In like manner, the TVPA … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409028 | <span class ="kicker">COVID-19 puts more children at risk of exploitation</span>Smiths historic anti-trafficking victims law marks 20th year | 2020-10-27 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | October 28th marks 20th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000the comprehensive, historic law authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to aggressively combat sex and labor trafficking both within the United States and around the world. The TVPA created a new, well-funded whole-of-government domestic and international strategy and established numerous new programs to Protect victims, Prosecute traffickers and to the extent possible, Prevent human trafficking in the first place. Thousands of human traffickers have been prosecuted and jailed pursuant to the TVPA including all charges in 2019 against Jeffrey Epstein and the infamous sex trafficking ring convictions involving NXIVM's Keith Raniere and Smallville actress Allison Mack. According to Smith the TVPA included a number of sea change criminal code reforms including treating as a victimand not a perpetrator of a crimeanyone exploited by a commercial sex act who had not attained the age of 18 and anyone older where there was an element of force, fraud or coercion. The TVPA radically reformed the U.S. criminal code to authorize asset confiscation and jail sentences of up to life imprisonment for the predators. Smith said that because of the TVPA, many victims have been rescued and protected while comprehensive prevention strategies have spared many from the exploitation and abuse of the crime that treats women and children as mere commodities to be bought and sold. Of significance, Smith's law also included the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act and reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)doubling VAWA funding to $3.3 billion over five years for women's shelters, rehab programs, housing and other initiatives for battered and abused women. Over the years, Smith authored four additional laws to combat human traffickingincluding in 2003, 2005, 2016, and 2019. Believing that federal law needed parallel state and local statues to foster an effective prosecution … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409026 | Smith co-sponsors bipartisan bill to help struggling health & fitness industry | 2020-10-23 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Health and fitness centers trying to survive the COVID-19 pandemic that has devastated their industry could qualify for federal grants under HR 8485, the Health and Fitness Recovery Act of 2020, a new bill cosponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). The wellness and fitness industry has been especially hard hit by the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, Smith said. Gyms and fitness facilities were ordered to shut down completely in March when stay-at-home orders began, and have only recently been able to reopen in New Jersey upon meeting strict criteria regarding air circulation and ventilation, frequent sanitization of all surfaces and equipment, and temperature and health checks for staff and clients. If these health and fitness businesses are forced to permanently close, their workers lose their jobs and the clients they serve will find it more difficult to maintain their physical, as well as mental, healthsomething that's so important to overall wellness. Both need to be paramount concerns as we continue to battle the ongoing public health emergency. PHOTO: Rep. Smith and Kevin McHugh, CEO of the Atlantic Club in Wall Township, discuss the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the health and fitness center. The bill, introduced this month by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Mike Quigley (D-IL), is a top priority for the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). The Health and Fitness Recovery Act of 2020 would create a $30 billion recovery fund for gyms and health clubs, many of which are small businesses with an average of seven workers in an industry estimated to have employed over 700,000 in 2019. While some health clubs were able to qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), many will face closure or bankruptcy unless Congress either authorizes a second round of PPP loans or passes HR 8485. Recipients of these grantswhich are capped at an actual business loss up to 10 percent of previous year's revenuewould be able to use… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409025 | <span class ="kicker">Asbury Park Press Oct. 25 article on Smith announcement</span>'Whiting, Joint Base to be protected from wildfires by five-mile firebreak' | 2020-10-22 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | By Amanda Oglesby, STAFF WRITER More wildfire protection is coming to the Roosevelt City section of Whiting, along the densely forested western side ofManchester, due to a$380,000 project by the U.S.Department of Defense. The project will build a five-mile long firebreak, or stretch of land cleared of vegetation,in the forest between the Roosevelt City neighborhood and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith R-N.J., whose Fourth Congressional District includes Manchester. Whiting lies within the Pine Barrens, where dry, sandy soils and dense underbrush contribute to the region being one of the most fire-prone on the East Coast. "This project protects America's only Army-Navy-Air Force joint base the second largest employer in New Jersey and the missions it performs," Smith said in a news release."More importantly, it also protects the residents of Whiting. There are many homes and businesses concentrated in Whiting which will be better protected through this project." The funding is part of $1.9 million in Department of Defense spending in New Jersey for "Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration." Other projects funded by the program are: $500,000 for shoreline protection that will fund an oyster castle groin in Barnegat Bay near Island Beach State Park; $500,000 for storm surge protection atNaval Weapons Station Earlein Middletown; More than $100,000 for storm surge protection in Keansburg, near Earle; $300,000 to protect forests fromwildfire around the New Jersey National Guard Warren Grove Gunnery Range. In 2007, afire that started at the range consumedmore than 17,000 acres of forest anddestroyed five homesin Barnegat; $150,000 in storm water management infrastructure around the Lockheed Martin plant in Burlington County that producesAEGIS technology for the U.S. Navy. PHOTOS ABOVE: To view a photo slide show of a 2019 wildfire that burned areas of Ocean and Burlington counties, click here, or on image above. Manchester Mayor Ken … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409012 | <span class ="kicker">6 NJ sites to get $1.9M in DoD funds for conservation work near bases</span>Firebreak near Jt. Base MDL would protect Whiting from wildfires; Other projects at Earle, Warren Grove | 2020-10-20 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Residents of the Whiting community in Manchester Township south of Joint-Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst(JB-MDL)will receive added protection from the threat of wildfires because of new federal funding, said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). The Department of Defense will provide funding to six projects in New Jersey (see list below) that promote land conservation near military sites, including $380,000 for afirebreakproject to be built near the Roosevelt City section of Whiting. The firebreak will simultaneously protect the military mission of JB-MDL. This modest but important federal funding will go a long way toward protecting areas near our military bases that are susceptible to forest fires, Smith said. According to the NJ Forest Fire Service, more than 7,000 acres a year are consumed by an average of 1,500 wildfires in New Jersey, the most densely populated State in the union.The firebreak project will be in Manchester Township, home tonearly 44,000 peopleand many senior retirement communities, he said. PHOTO: Much of the 65-square mile Joint Base-MDL consists of forests. (U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris, at JB-MDL, 2013) Manchester Township Mayor Ken Palmer said that he liked the idea of added fire protection for the Whiting section of the township. We welcome any effort to provide firebreaks in the most wooded portion of our town, Palmer said. Certainly, any safety measure to assist in this area is appreciated and extremely useful. Smith noted that the $380,000slated toward building a five-mile long firebreak near JB-MDL will protect people and property to the west of Whiting. This area in Whiting is part of the New Jersey Pine Barrens is vulnerable to forest fires in the dry seasons or droughts, Smith said. This project protects America's only Army-Navy-Air Force joint basethe second largest employer in New Jerseyand the missions it performs. More importantly, it also protects the residents of Whiting. There are many homes and businesses… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409017 | <span class ="kicker">Smith, Van Drew introduce bill to raise 2020, 2021 COLA</span>COVID-19 Emergency Social Security Cost-of-Living-Adjustment Increase Act | 2020-10-16 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | New Jersey congressmen Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew today introduced legislation to significantly increase the annual cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for Social Security recipients after it was announced earlier this week by the Social Security Administration that the COLA effective December 2020 is going to be 1.3 percent. The Smith-Van Drew proposal would increase the 2020 COLA to 3 percent in 2020, and no less than 3 percent more in 2021. With the average Social Security payment to individuals being $1,514 a month, or $18,168 annually, the announced SSA increase would only provide a $236 COLA for 2021. The Smith-Van Drew bill would increase the average COLA to $545 for both 2020 (retroactively) & 2021, or an estimated $1,090, over two years. COVID-19 has not only disproportionately harmed senior citizenscausing death to many especially in nursing homesbut has devastated them economically as well, said Smith (NJ-04). HR 8600, theCOVID-19 Emergency Social Security Cost of Living Increase Act, is aimed at helping seniors and other Social Security recipients keep up with rising costs they experience in their daily lives, especially in health care, Smith said. The COLA announced this week does not reflect the costs seniors cope with every day. It is unfair, and theCOVID-19 Emergency Social Security Cost of Living IncreaseAct will help remedy that unfairness. Rep. Van Drew (NJ-02) said, The burden on South Jersey seniors from taxes, tolls and Coronavirus has been enormous. Social Security recipients need more assistance to ensure the promise made to them is kept; this legislation is a key part of that commitment and we will fight as hard we can to ensure it is enacted. The legislation would also reform the formula for calculating annual COLA increases by using a senior consumer price index (senior CPI) beginning in 2021. Social Security COLAs are currently based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which excludes items like taxes, such as state and fe… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409018 | <span class ="kicker">Asbury Park Press article/video</span>'Middletown mayor, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith announce CARES Act funding for small businesses' | 2020-10-16 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | ByAlex N. Gecan, Asbury Park Press If you run a small business in Middletown, the township may have $15,000 worth of good news for you. The township will begin awarding grants of up to $15,000 for businesses with up to 50 employees through the newMiddletown Economic Relief Program, Mayor Tony Perry announced Thursday. The township has approximately $400,000 in grants, obtained through theCoronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to distribute to local businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. "These are all businesses giving back to our community, making our community a better place making Middletown a great place to live, work and raise a family," Perry said at a press event Thursday at the Fountain Ridge Plaza on Route 35. "COVID has devastated everything we knew and know and has changed everything," U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said at the press event. "The question has always been, how do we get a bridge from where we were before COVID-19 to where we can thrive again?" Click here to view photos of the event."Getting the PPP enabled us to reopen to do takeout," Cartier said. "Without that, we wouldn't have been able to support ourselves ... it was a time when you really couldn't go to donors for help because people weren't working and it was a very unsure time." No business:COVID-19 kills 'Shoppes at Middletown' development A virtual fundraiser in April helped lift the caf out of the lockdown doldrums, and morning dance parties on Zoom helped keep morale up, Cartier said. Still, "It was a hard time," Cartier said. "We had to retrain a lot of our employees." Shati Sinclair, who runs a Code Ninjasfranchise, said without a grant he received from Monmouth County,he may have been out of business.Code Ninjas teaches children ages 7 through 14 how to write computer code. "Once that came in, I was like 'Thank God,'" he said. "My cable bill was up to $600. The money came and it just went because all the bills were already there." Sinclair said a grant like the ones a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408991 | <span class ="kicker">Examiner Page 1 article on vet housing Smith helped bring about</span>'Ground broken for veterans housing complex in Tinton Falls' | 2020-10-10 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Ground has been broken for the construction of the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Village in Tinton Falls, a four-story building with apartments that will be available to veterans of the armed forces at a range of low and moderate income levels. The building will be run by the nonprofit organization Soldier On, according to a press release from the office of Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ). Smith was a guest speaker at the Sept. 12 ceremony. About 50 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony held at Liberty Park just north of the 12-acre project site on Essex Road. Officials said $8 million in federal funding will help pay for construction. The remaining costs will be financed by the developer and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, according to the press release. Today construction begins on Soldier On and WinnDevelopment's $23 million, 70 one-bedroom housing units, Smith said. Thank you Tinton Falls for welcoming the project. Smith praised Soldier On'sleaders, President Jack Downing and CEO Bruce Buckley, for what he called their tireless efforts to help veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Soldier On, thanks to Jack Downing and Bruce Buckley, has created world class home ownership opportunities coupled with vital services for homeless veterans, and the impact has been enormous and life-changing, Smith said. For the first time in years, even decades, many veterans will finally have a decent place to live and hope and prosper. I am especially grateful to Freeholder Lillian Burry for her extraordinary dream of creating a Monmouth County homeless veterans housing initiative, and for her tenacity and skill in making it happen, Smith said. For nearly a decade, Lillian has been the quarterback in the push to meet the compelling housing and service needs of homeless veterans and there have been many setbacks along the way, including an inability to secure space at Fort Monmouth, the congressman said. I have been proud to do my part in finding a Monmouth County home for Sold… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409013 | U.S. law enforcement must immediately end Chinese Communist Party (CCP) threats to Pastor Bob Fu, others | 2020-10-09 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) October 9, 2020 I am deeply concerned that since late September, Pastor Bob Fu, founder of the nonprofit ChinaAid, and his family have been the targets of outrageous slander, libel and intimidation by suspected members of the Chinese Communist Party, and their enablers, and are at grave risk of serious bodily harm. They have been forced to flee their home in Midland, Texas after protestors in chartered buses arrived at their home. Pastor Fu and his family are currently under police protection. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hates Pastor Bob Fuand other Chinese human rights activists living in the United States and elsewhere in the worldand are employing the big lie against Bob Fu in much the same way they do in China. I have known Pastor Bob Fu for twenty-two years. He is an extraordinary man of deep faith in God who has tenaciously advocated for universally recognized human rights in China including and especially religious freedom. As the former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Human Rights Subcommittee as well as the chair of the Congressional-Executive China Commissionand now serving as Ranking Member on both those panelsI unequivocally attest to Pastor Fu's impeccable character, integrity, kindness and bravery. I have been a member of Congress for forty years and attest thatBob Fu is one of the most prayerful, dedicated, disciplined, wise and effective champions for human rights that I have ever met. At my request and invitation, Pastor Fu gave expert testimony at thirteen separate official congressional hearings (see list below) I've chaired on the Chinese Communist Party's pervasive harassment and persecution of religious believers of all faiths. Together, we have jointly appeared at press conferences and worked on Chinese human rights legislation. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle frequently turn to Pastor Fu for guidance, insight and direction. When in 2012, Chinese human rights leader Chen Guangcheng was in a Beijing hospital bed after bein… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409015 | <span class ="kicker">Washington Times Smith op-ed on missing Chinese bishop</span>'Chairman Xi, Where is Missing Bishop James Su Zhimin?' | 2020-10-09 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Thirty-six years ago this Oct. 8, Bishop James Su Zhimin was arrested by the Chinese government. He was never to be seen publicly again. It's an appalling tactic and human rights violation the Chinese government inflicts on its citizens when it disappears a victim. But Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping, the dictator of China, knows where the bishop is and what happened to him. Having met him in Beijing in 1994, I remain deeply concerned for the well being of BishopSu, leader of Baoding diocese, whom the bipartisan congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission has recognized as a prisoner of conscience. For Bishop Su's crimemerely expressing his universally-recognized human right of religious freedomhe has endured approximately four decades in prison. A House hearing I chaired in July entitled "Religious Freedom in China: The Case of Bishop James Su Zhimin"featured witnesses from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Religious Freedom Institute and the Hudson Institute who testified about China's war on freedom of religion. I asked what many, including the Bishop's relatives, want to know from General Secretary Xi: where is Bishop Su? Bishop Su's imprisonment is reflective of greater oppression of religious freedom in Chinaincluding how it pertains to the Catholic Church. Many wonder if the 2018 temporary agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government is in fact in the interest of religious believers in China, and if the agreement ought to be renewed at all. In either case it has broader implications with respect to the ability of faith communities to maintain relative autonomy from the State. The bishop is either a living Saint, or felled martyr. If he is still alive, as I and his family greatly hope, then General Secretary Xi must release him to his family and his faithful flock. Washington Times originalgraphic by Linas Garsys for Bish… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408999 | <span class ="kicker">TAP Into Hamilton/Robbinsville article</span>Rep. Chris Smith Bill Calls for Better Access to Public Land for Veterans' Treatment, Therapy | 2020-10-01 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | By TAPINTO HAMILTON/ROBBINSVILLE STAFF - Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4)hailed the recent passage of theAccelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Actthat wouldprovide increased access to federal lands for the purposes of veterans' medical therapy. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD, between 11 and 20 percent of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and 12 percent of those who served in Desert Storm have PTSD in a given year, and 30 percent of those who served in Vietnam will have had PTSD in their lifetime. Research has increasingly shown that outdoor recreation can be an effective form of treatment, rehabilitation, and healing for veterans. While many nonprofit organizations, veteran service organizations, and private companies have used the outdoors to help heroes heal, providing greater coordination among key federal agencies will open new opportunities for veterans on public lands and other outdoor spaces,said Smith. The measure (H.R. 2435)has been endorsed by more than 120 veteran service organizations including the New Jersey VFW as well as outdoor recreation groups, and conservation organizations such as the New Jersey Sierra Club. Smith garnered broad bipartisan support in the House, with over 135 cosponsors. Our public lands are places for respite and healing, but for many veterans, those landscapes remain out of reach,said Rob Vessels, campaign manager of Sierra Club Military Outdoors. He added that this is "an important first step in eliminating those barriers to access, so veterans can heal on the lands they swore an oath to protect." PHOTO: Congressman Chris Smith (Credit Elizabeth A. Myers) During the House floor vote on the measure,Smith recounted the story of a veteran suffering from PTSD, and his positive encounter with nature. "By the time he was 20, Blake was suffering severe depression, anxiety and PTSD and he made three visits to VA psychiatric wards and a sub… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409003 | <span class ="kicker">Full Committee passed Smith's....</span>H.R. 8438Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020 | 2020-10-01 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) during markup of H.R. 8438 in the House Foreign Affairs Committee October 1, 2020: Belarus was perhaps the nation most mired in its Soviet past, with an inefficient economy and a strongman autocrat in charge for over two-and-a-half decades. Yet the irrepressible spirit of freedom stirred among the people of Belarus, and when a patently false election result was announced on August 9 declaring Alyaksandr Lukashenka the winner, the people took to the streets. Mr. Chairman, it's been almost two months since the fraudulent poll, and the people of Belarusdespite Lukashenka's brutal crackdown in which he has arrested thousands, tortured hundredsare still organizing rallies of 100,000 people demanding that Lukashenka leave power, and leave Belarus to the people, to whom it belongs. According to the UN Special Rapporteur, more than 10,000 peaceful protestors have been detained as of September 18. Rep. Smith calls for passage of his bill, H.R. 8438, at the Foreign Affairs Committee mark-up in October 2020. They need our help. Recent reports out of Belarus indicate that police are using increasingly violent tactics against these peaceful demonstrators. As my colleagues know, the leading opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskayawho likely won the electionformed the Coordination Council. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya ran a brilliant campaign but today is in exile in Lithuania where she continues to rally the Belarusian people and the world and demand human rights for all the people of her nation. Last night I read portions of the transcript of a hearing I chaired in 2011after another fraudulent election. Then, as now, and on many other occasions, Lukashenka's bullies beat, jailed and assaulted peaceful protestors. We must remain in solidarity with the great people of Belarusnot the oppressorsno matter what. The big mistake of the pastfatigue or lack of commitment and perseverance by the international c… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409001 | <span class ="kicker">Smith authors bill</span>House Members Introduce Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2020 | 2020-09-30 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | In response to the Alexander Lukashenka regime's violent crackdown and political repression following the fraudulent August 9, 2020 election, Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member Michael McCaul (R-TX) Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (R-OH), Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), and Congressman William Keating (D-MA) introduced theBelarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020. The Act would provide for the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Belarus as well as support the aspirations of the Belarusian people to preserve the independence and sovereignty of their country in the face of the threat posed by Vladimir Putin's Russia. The world is recognizing what the strugglingbut courageouspeople of Belarus have been saying loud and clear since August 9 with their massive rallies: the recent election was fraudulent, and has no credibility with anyone save Lukashenka, and perhaps Russia, said Rep. Smith, who noted H.R. 8438 updates and reauthorizes his previous legislation enacted in 2004, 2006 and 2011 to advance and promote democracy and human rights in Belarus. This bipartisan bill renews sanctions on Belarusian Government officials who have obstructed the country's democratic transition. It gives much-needed support to the besieged Belarusian media, and to the IT sector. Some of the unlikely heroes of this struggle are Belarusian hackers, who have cracked Lukashenko's firewall, and have been able to broadcast truthful accounts to the Belarusian people of the news of the day. This bill also commissions several much-needed fact-finding efforts to get a better picture of the situation on the ground. The Belarusian people are fighting to preserve the independence and sovereignty of their country in the face of the threat posed by Vladimir Putin's Russia. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Engel said, Lukashenka has demonstrated time and time again that he is a brutal dictator intereste… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409006 | <span class ="kicker">Selected for his human rights work...</span>Armenian-American group to present Smith w bipartisan 2020 Freedom Award | 2020-09-30 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) is set to honor US Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) with the ANCA-ER Freedom Award at its virtual gala Havak for Hai Tahd on Thursday, October 15 at 8 pm EDT. The gala's program will take place onFacebook Live;the online giving platform can be found atwww.givergy.us/ancaer. The ANCA Eastern Region Freedom Award is the highest honor the region bestows upon individuals who exhibit extraordinary courage and devotion to freedom and justice. It is presented annually at the regional gala to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions toward issues that concern Armenian-Americans. Representative Engel, who serves New York's 16thcongressional district and as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Representative Smith, who serves NewJersey's 4thcongressional district, will be among an elite group of past recipients including Dr. Taner Akam; Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA); former US Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans; former US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power; US Senator Robert Menendez; US Senators Robert Dole and Elizabeth Dole; Baroness Caroline Cox; and renowned lawyer Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau family. Both Representatives Eliot Engel and Chris Smith are deserving of the Freedom Award as they have exhibited courage and leadership for the Armenian Cause during their decades-long time in office. They have not only advocated for the Armenian people in their own congressional districts, but for Armenian Americans nationwide. Whether it's their efforts to recognize the Armenian Genocide or concern for the safety and security of Armenia and Artsakh, they have shown their steadfast support. And unfortunately, now at a time when Armenians in Armenia and Artsakh need the voices of the world's leaders most, we are honored to have these two representatives supporting the Diaspora's initiatives to help their brothers and sisters in the homeland, said Lara Nercessia… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408994 | Smiths 2005 stem cell law to be reauthorized by House | 2020-09-29 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) statement during debate in the House of Representatives on the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act September 29, 2020. Margaret Hahnmy mother-in-lawpassed away on Friday and a Mass of Christian burial will be held today at St. Mary Church in South Amboy, New Jersey. She was 96 and was deeply loved and will be deeply missed. MargaretPegwas a great womanwife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She selflessly devoted her life to public service including her amazing work as Sayreville Borough Clerk for twenty years. She had an incredible reputation for getting things done for the people. No matter who served as mayor or on Council, everyone knew she was the power. My wife Marie and I will join family and friends today at her funeral and internment making it impossible for me to speak today during the debate on the reauthorization of a law I originally authored fifteen years agothe Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005and the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2015. So, I submit these comments for the Congressional Record. Madam Speaker, today the House of Representatives will vote to reauthorize the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act. This was an original idea of mine 20 years ago. Joined by 70 cosponsors, I introduced it in 2001 and again in 2003. After five long years of hard work and numerous setbacks, my bill was finally enacted into law in 2005. Beginning in 2001, Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, who is President of the Cord Blood Association, helped draft my original law.Dr. Kurtzberg has said, Cord blood transplantation is now an established field with enormous potential. In the future, it may emerge as a source of cells for cellular therapies focused on tissue repair and regeneration. PHOTO: Rep. Smith calls for passage of his bill in 2005. ABA/NBA legend star Julius Dr. J Irving, at left, was a strong supporter of Smith's legislation. The new law created a nationwide umbilical cord blood s… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408998 | <span class ="kicker">MidJersey.News article</span>#WHATSMYNAME 5k Run/Walk Held In Robbinsville In Honor of Samantha Josephson | 2020-09-26 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | MidJersey.News article#WHATSMYNAME 5k Run/Walk Held In Robbinsville In Honor of Samantha Josephson f t # e ROBBINSVILLE, NJ, Sep 26, 2020 Hundreds turned out for the #WHATSMYNAME 5K Run/ 1M Walk in honor of, Samantha Josephson. The run/walk supports the What's My Name Foundation's efforts regarding Ride Share Safety education. The 5K run kicked off a little after 9 am and the 1 mile walk started about the same time this morning. Samantha grew up in Robbinsville and was Robbinsville High School graduate and was attending University of South Carolina when a rideshare tragedy happened. Sydney, Seymour and Marci Josephson, with Rep. Chris Smith who has authored Sami's Law on a Federal level and has passed the House in July, at the run/walk this morning. (Dennis Symons photo) Related recent MidJersey.News story here:Sami's Law Passes The House On March 29, 2019, Samantha Josephson, a 21 year-old seniorat the University of South Carolina, was kidnapped and murdered when she was targeted by a person posing as a ridesharedriver. Immediately following this unfathomable tragedy, Samantha's parents, Seymour and Marci Josephson, set out to educate otherson the importance of ride share safety so that no other family wouldhave to suffer this kind of loss. The#WHATSMYNAMEFoundationwasestablished in honor of, Samantha Josephson.Our mission is to educate the world on ride share safety, supporting charitable organizations and providing college scholarships to selected high school seniors.Samantha may be gone but our goal for the rest of our time on earth is to share her story and make a lasting change. Before you get in a ride share ask What's my name? and remember hers. Sami's Law was authored by Rep. Chris Smith and passed the house in J… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408996 | <span class ="kicker">VFW, Sierra Club praise Smith bill</span>Smith veterans legislation passes Housewould create new Task Force to promote use public lands for medical treatment & therapy to vets via outdoor recreation | 2020-09-23 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the bipartisan Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act (H.R. 2435) with lead Democrat co-sponsor Adam Smith of (D-WA), hailed the passage today of the bill which will provide increased access to federal lands for the purposes of veterans' medical therapy. Research has increasingly shown that outdoor recreation can be an effective form of treatment, rehabilitation, and healing for veterans. While many nonprofit organizations, veteran service organizations, and private companies have used the outdoors to help heroes heal, providing greater coordination among key federal agencies will open new opportunities for veterans on public lands and other outdoor spaces, said Chris Smith, author of the Veterans Health Programs Improvement Act (P.L. 108-422), and 13 other veterans laws. The legislation requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an interagency task force on the use of public lands to provide medical treatment and therapy to veterans through outdoor recreation. After undertaking a comprehensive analysis, the task force will submit recommendations to Congress, within one year, on how to eliminate barriers and provide more public outdoor space for use by our veterans. Click here to watch Chris Smith's remarks on the House Floor. Smith's bill was included in a package of veterans' legislationThe Veterans' COMPACT Act, (H.R. 8247)which passed in a unanimous voice vote. Rep. Adam Smith is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Chris Smith served two times as chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. On the House floor today (PICTURED), Rep. Chris Smith thanked Sierra Club for its leadership, and his 130-plus colleagues who cosponsored his bill, including Adam Smith. He recounted the true story of a veteran suffering from PTSD, and his positive encounter with nature. By the time he was 20, Blake was suffering severe depression, anxiety and PTSD and he made three visits to VA ps… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408992 | <span class ="kicker">Takes aim at Chinese Govt genocide against Muslims</span>House passes Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act | 2020-09-22 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and ranking member of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, took to the House floor today during debate on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Below are excerpts of his remarks: At a 2018 congressional hearing I cochaired, Mihrigul Tursun recounted her ordeal of torture, sexual abuse and detention in one of China's mass internment camps in Xinjiang, Smith said. She broke down weeping telling us that she pleaded with God to end her life.Her Chinese jailers restrained her to a table increased the electrical currents coursing through her body and mocked her belief in God. AT LEFT: Smith cites the atrocities the Chinese government has done to Muslims. Click here or on image to watch. She was tortured simply for being an ethnic Uyghur and a Muslim in China. There are millions of stories like this waiting to be told about President Xi Jinping's genocide that include: > The mass internment of millions on a scale not seen since the Holocaust. > Children ripped from the warm embrace of their families to be indoctrinated in Communist ideology and forced to renounce their religion, culture, and language. > Rape and sexual abuse of women being held in internment camps. > Forced abortion and involuntary sterilization to prevent the birth of Uyghur childrena direct violation of Article II (d) of the UN Genocide Convention. > Forced labor on a massive scale that allows Chinese companies to profit from modern-day slavery. We cannot be silent. We must demand an end to these barbaric practices and accountability from the Chinese government. Chinese authorities initially denied the existence of mass internment camps and have tried to portray them as vocational training centers. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) employed lies, censorship and economic coercion to stifle discussion of their crimes. But documents obtained by th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408988 | <span class ="kicker">Trentonian article on Smith bill to help TWW</span>Congressman Chris Smith: Trenton Water Works needs to be lead free in 10 years'' | 2020-09-20 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | Trenton Water Works should be lead free in 10 years, argues Congressman Chris Smith of Hamilton Township. The Republican lawmaker has introduced bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would require large public water systems like TWW to replace all lead service lines within a decade. Congress must act on this critical legislation that's long overdue and can make drinking water safer for generations of Americans, Smith said in a press statement last month. People need to know the water from the kitchen tap they drink or cook with is clean and safe for themselves and their families. Lead service line replacement is needed to give them that peace of mind. Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas has co-sponsored the legislation, formally known as the Get the Lead Out Act or H.R. 7918, which has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. No community should have to worry that their drinking water is tainted with lead, Cuellar said in a press statement. Any amount of lead in drinking water can have serious developmental and health impacts for children. Trenton Water Works serves 225,000 people in the capital city and Ewing, Hamilton, Lawrence and Hopewell townships. The utility has a long history of documented shortcomings, including a record 13 violations in 2018. Trenton is under two administrative consent orders with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection requiring the city to make necessary improvements to the public water system, including the replacement of so-called LSL or lead service lines. DEP sued TWW earlier this year due to the city's failure to comply with the ACO mandates. A Superior Court judge, however, denied DEP's request for preliminary injunctive relief that would have required TWW to replace 7% of lead service lines annually. Jeffrey Wagenbach, an attorney representing TWW, argued the city is working hard to improve the water utility's operations and maintenance. New Jersey Deputy Attorney General Rober… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408990 | <span class ="kicker">Project benefits from Smith's 2001 homeless vets bill</span>'Veterans Village Construction Underway' | 2020-09-20 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | By Laura D.C. Kolnoski Earthmovers are clearing a 12-acre site as work commences on the Soldier On veterans residential community near Seabrook Village on Essex Road. That milestone was marked Saturday when local, county, state and federal officials gathered for a celebration of moving the $23 million facility closer to reality. Among those in attendance were U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R, NJ-4), State Sen. Vin Gopal (D, NJ-11), and former Tinton Falls mayor Gerald Turning and former borough council president Gary Baldwin, a retired U.S. Air Force captain, both instrumental in helping find a location for the facility and supporting it through approval processes.The ceremony took place off site in Liberty Park on West Park Avenue in lieu of a traditional groundbreaking, primarily due to a lack of access and parking at the construction site, said Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, who spearheaded the effort to create the permanent housing complex for homeless vets for over a decade. Officially called the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Village in honor of a paralyzed Vietnam veteran who became deputy secretary of the Veterans Administration and helped open the first Soldier On community, the four-story structure will have 70 one-bedroom furnished units. Soldier On, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization with similar communities in Massachusetts and New York, works with Winn Development to arrange financing and engage in the construction aspect. Additional financing, secured over several years and multiple trips to Washington, D.C. and Trenton by Burry and project supporters, came from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency and the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. Amenities will include a multipurpose community room, patio with grills, greenhouse and community garden, walking paths, communications technology and a Memorial Columbarium with an eternal flame where ashes of deceased residents can be interred. Support, therapeu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408987 | On the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | 2020-09-19 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | I convey my deepest condolences to the family of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on her passing after a long, arduous and brave struggle with cancer. "In the many remembrances of Justice Ginsburg, the one that I believe is most inspiring for this current time was her friendship with the late Justice Antonin Scalia which began when both served on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. Justice Scalia once told an audience before Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined him at the Supreme Court, 'I have missed Ruth very much since leaving the court of appeals. She was the best of colleagues, as she is the best of friends.' "Their close personal friendship underscores the fact that fundamental policy differences need not diminish friendship, respect and civility. Rep. Chris Smith | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408993 | <span class ="kicker">CNS article</span>'Abraham Accords called 'truly historic milestone' in Middle East peace' | 2020-09-18 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | Senate | NJ | Christopher Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | legacy | CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE (CNS) - A Catholic congressman who is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee called the Middle East peace accord signed Sept. 15 at the White House a "momentous pact" he hopes "is the beginning of several future peace accords to strengthen peace within the region." "The United States has again brought strength to Israel one of our strongest allies in the region and strength brings peace,'" U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, said in a statement. Smith is a native of Hamilton. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Vice President Mike Pence welcomed Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed and Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani to the White House, where the leaders signed the document, which is being called the Abraham Accords. "It is important to note, after decades of conflict, this is the first such agreement between Israel and any major Arab country since 1994." ~ Rep. Chris Smith "It is important to note, after decades of conflict, this is the first such agreement between Israel and any major Arab country since 1994," said Smith, who was at the White House to witness the signing, which he called "a truly historic milestone in Middle East peace." The Israel-UAE pact was initially reached Aug. 13, normalizing what had long been informal but strong foreign relations between the two countries. On Sept. 11, Bahrain announced it also would formally recognize the Jewish state. In an Aug. 20 statement, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace welcomed the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE and said it can be a step for peace in the Middle East. "The Catholic bishops of the United States have long held that both morally and as a basis for lasting peace, the two parties must negotiate directly and arrive at a fair compromise that respects the aspirations and need of … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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