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291 rows where party = "Republican", state = "NJ" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending

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  • 2020 · 291 ✖

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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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-jeff-van-drew-statement-vaccinations Congressman Jeff Van Drew Statement on Vaccinations 2020-12-21 2020 2020-12 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy I believe that seniors, healthcare professionals and frontline workers should receive the vaccination first. I will be receiving my vaccination as soon as the most vulnerable have already received theirs. Let's get back to the way of life that we desire. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-jeff-van-drew-statement-cyber-attacks-foreign-governments Congressman Jeff Van Drew Statement on Cyber Attacks by Foreign Governments 2020-12-19 2020 2020-12 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON- Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew released the following statement regarding intelligence that implicates foreign governments in cyber attacks on American government agencies: "This week the United States learned of a foreign cyber espionage operation that targeted America's nuclear infrastructure and federal government. As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security I take such matters of national security very seriously. I stand with my colleagues in calling for the perpetrators to be held accountable and for the United States to bolster its cybersecurity capabilities." ### 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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-jeff-van-drew-announces-congressional-app-challenge-winner Congressman Jeff Van Drew Announces Congressional App Challenge Winner 2020-12-17 2020 2020-12 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON- Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew announced the winner of the Congressional App Challenge for the 2nd District of New Jersey. The App Challenge asks local middle and high school students to submit a developed application (app). The apps are judged based on creativity, usefulness, and technical capability of the coding. This year's winner is COVID Compass, developed by Justin Tresvalles and Raphaelle Hoang, which helps people find the safest way to limit COVID-19 exposure when seeking healthcare. The app allows users to look up their local hospitals and receive a brief overview on how many COVID-19 cases a specific hospital has treated within the past month. Additionally, the app provides information on bed availability and allows users to report COVID-19 cases. I am proud of the work that went into the development of this application, said Rep. Van Drew. This is a great tool that can help connect people to healthcare and keep our community safer. Congratulations Justin and Raphaelle on receiving this prestigious award; we look forward to big things from you in the future. ### 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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/cats-cannabis-coins-and-covid Cats, Cannabis, Coins and COVID 2020-12-05 2020 2020-12 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy Dear Friend, We have anesthetic to numb some of the pain COVID has caused our families and friends to feel. Politicians here in DC refuse to implementthissolutionand every day our businesses wither on the vine and our neighbors struggle. This is not a Democrat or Republican problem or solutionit is an imperative. If we are asking everyone to disrupt their lives, we better be there to ease the pain that restrictions have caused. It is unbelievably dangerous to keep us in limbo with no legislative action. We have a bi-partisan, bi-cameral solution that will ensure: Our businesses have access to funds to keep their employees working Those forced on unemployment can continue to put food on their tables Funds for our state and local government to combat COVID Rental assistance for those in need Instead of passing thissolution this week, hereare the priorities that Speaker Pelosi has had us vote on instead: Big Cat legislation Legalizing marijuana Commemorative coins As important as some of these issues may be, the next COVID relief package should be the only point of discussion. As always, I will be advocating for solutions that help ease the pain for all Americans. Please do not hesitate to reach out if our office can ever be of assistance. 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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/question-voters-cure-advocate-john-atwood Question from Voters for Cure Advocate John Atwood 2020-11-25 2020 2020-11 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy How do you feel about President Trump moving forward with his Most Favored Nation policy right when several pharmaceutical companies have announced they are close to delivering a highly effective vaccine for COVID-19? "For too long our seniors have had to bear the brunt of rising drug prices. I believe it is possible to balance protecting our seniors from rising drug prices and also ensuring that we have the research and development we need in the future." 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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-jeff-van-drew-statement-governor-murphys-new-restrictions Congressman Jeff Van Drew Statement on Governor Murphy's New Restrictions 2020-11-16 2020 2020-11 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy As elected officials we take an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the First Amendment is crystal clear about the right of the people to peacefully assemble, particularly in the privacy of their own homes ahead of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the rest of the Holiday Season, said United States Congressman Jeff Van Drew. This is the United States of America, and no matter how noble Governor Murphy may believe his intentions to be, he must respect the rule of law and the limits on his executive authority or the State Legislature and the people of New Jersey must hold him accountable. ### 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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-van-drew-strongly-opposes-governor-murphy-s-plan-release-criminals Congressman Van Drew Strongly Opposes Governor Murphy’s Plan to Release Criminals Early 2020-10-30 2020 2020-10 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy MAYS LANDING- Today, Congressman Van Drew condemned the plan by Governor Phil Murphy to release thousands of prisoners early into South Jersey starting the day after the election. Cumberland county in South Jersey is home to several state prisons and would be disproportionately impacted by this move. Governor Phil Murphy's dangerous plan to release thousands of violent criminals onto South Jersey's streets the day after the Election citing Coronavirus concerns is ridiculous and reprehensible, said United States Congressman Jeff Van Drew. Cumberland County is home to several state prisons so South Jersey would once again bear the brunt of the Governor's latest executive decision just like we did when he shut down thousands of local businesses, failed to get our hard working middle class families the Unemployment benefits they desperately needed, and mismanaged the reopening of the Motor Vehicle Commission. ### 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 &amp; 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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/smith-van-drew-introduce-covid-19-emergency-social-security-cost-living Smith, Van Drew introduce COVID-19 Emergency Social Security Cost-of-Living-Adjustment Increase Act 2020-10-19 2020 2020-10 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON-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) &amp; 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 federal… 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) &amp; 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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-van-drew-introduces-health-smart-air-travel-pilot-program Congressman Van Drew Introduces Health Smart Air Travel Pilot Program 2020-10-05 2020 2020-10 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON- Today, Congressman Van Drew introduced the Health Smart Air Travel Act (HSAT), HR 8526. HSAT will stimulate development of new technologies that mitigate virus transmission in airports and passenger aircraft. Created in partnership with the Atlantic County Economic Alliance and the National Aviation Research and Technology Park, Congressman Van Drew's legislation would create growth opportunities for South Jersey's aviation sector and the William J. Hughes FAA Technical Center. Some potential examples of the technologies that could emerge from this legislation are: Thermal detection cameras to identify at-risk individuals. Ultraviolet light disinfection systems. Advanced anti-viral HVAC filtration systems. Touchless document and security screening procedures Artificial-intelligence monitoring for social distancing and surface contamination. "COVID-19 has changed how we must operate, and this legislation will produce the innovations we need to fight back against the Coronavirus, said Congressman Jeff Van Drew. As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, it is my responsibility to help our country adapt to and overcome the threats that COVID-19 presents to air travel. Let's get America traveling safely again." Background:Congressman Van Drew collaborated with the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Homeland Security, and the Transportation Security Administration to produce a technically refined piece of legislation. The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to lead an interagency program to fund the development, testing, and evaluation of public health risk mitigation measures related to the public health risks presented by COVID-19 in airports and passenger aircraft. ### 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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-van-drew-honors-vietnam-war-veteran Congressman Van Drew Honors Vietnam War Veteran 2020-09-28 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy MAYS LANDING- Congressman Van Drew secured constituent, Petty Officer 1st class David Leininger's, medals from his time in the service in the United States Navy. Mr. Leininger served with distinction and honor in the United States Navy from the Korean War to the Vietnam War. Congressman Van Drew's office obtained numerous medals from the US Navy, even though the specific department is not fully operational due to COVID-19. Due to Mr. Leininger's declining health, Congressman Van Drew wanted to make sure he personally received his medals; which were presented in a frame built by fellow veteran Robert Brown. In attendance at the event was Mr. Leininger, his wife, family, the NJ State Commander for the VFW, officials from the VA outreach team, and the Legion Riders. The medals that were presented included: Bronze Star with Valor Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Meritorious Unit Commendation Navy E Ribbon 2nd award Navy Good Conduct Medal Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Korea Vietnam Service Medal Mr. Leiningerhelping to track these hard-earned medals from your time in the service of this nation is the least I could do to support you, said Congressman Van Drew. Thank you for your service, we are all indebted to you and all that serve or have served in our armed forces. 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: &gt; The mass internment of millions on a scale not seen since the Holocaust. &gt; Children ripped from the warm embrace of their families to be indoctrinated in Communist ideology and forced to renounce their religion, culture, and language. &gt; Rape and sexual abuse of women being held in internment camps. &gt; Forced abortion and involuntary sterilization to prevent the birth of Uyghur childrena direct violation of Article II (d) of the UN Genocide Convention. &gt; 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=408984 <span class ="kicker">Bipartisan bill passes House</span>Rep. Chris Smith Applauds Passage of Pregnant Workers Fairness Act 2020-09-18 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04),voted forand applauds Thursday's House passage of thePregnant Workers Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill to remove discrimination in the workplace and promote women's health and job security. Discrimination against pregnant women anywhereespecially and including in the workforceis despicable, said Smith. ThePregnant Workers Fairness Actclarifies and expands existing anti-discrimination laws by requiring employers provide reasonable workplace accommodations for pregnant workers including the ability to sit while working or take water orbathroom breaks as needed. It is especially critical as we struggle with COVID-19 and its impact on the economy that pregnant workers in a physical workplace do not face loss of employment or working conditions that jeopardize health or safety. Women should not have to choose between their and their child's health or their job, said Smith. The passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Actis long overdue. I applaud its passage in the House and hope that the Senate will take up this important piece of legislation to ensure pregnant workers are treated fairly and with accommodations that protect their health, added Smith. Rep. Smith recognizes the vital role of women in providing for the financial needs of their families. He is a supporter of paid family and medical leave and currently the only Republican cosponsor of theFAMILY Act(HR 1185) which would provide workers with up to 12 weeks of paid leave for pregnancy, childbirth, recovery from an illness, or to care for a family member. During the current 116th Congress, Smith also voted for thePaycheck Fairness Act (HR 7), to provide women with equal pay for equal work. Additionally, Smith voted twice for theLilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act,which changed the timeframe for a woman or any employee to file an employment discrimination charge and receive compensation. ### 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
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-van-drew-requests-action-relief-america Congressman Van Drew Requests Action on Relief for America 2020-09-17 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy WashingtonToday, Congressman Jeff Van Drew requests that Congressional leadership work together to fix the pressing issues facing America. Most members of Congress agree on issues like the extension of unemployment benefits, hazard pay for frontline workers, direct stimulus payments to individuals, additional PPE, funding our schools and hospitals appropriately, and the extension of protections for small businesses with programs like the Payroll Protection Program. Congressman Van Drew is requesting leadership in the House and Senate come together for America. America needs us to come together. America needs leader that work for them, not partisan gain, said Congressman Van Drew. Let's do this for each other, for New Jersey, and for the greatest nation in the history of the world-- America. ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408979 <span class="kicker">At the White House...</span>Rep. Smith: Signing of peace accords an historic milestone for Middle East 2020-09-15 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, attended today's historic signing of the Abraham Peace Accords at the White House with President and Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani of the Kingdom of Bahrain. It was an honor to witness the signing of the Abraham Accords, a truly historic milestone in Middle East peace, Smith said. Brokered by the United States, the Abraham Accords establishes formal ties between Israel and two Arab statesUnited Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The momentous pact is a credit to President Trump, his leadership teamincluding Secretary of State Mike Pompeoand the Trump Administration's ongoing efforts to bring lasting peace to the region. It is important to note, after decades of conflict, this is the first such agreement between Israel and any major Arab country since 1994, Smith said. I am hopeful that this is the beginning of several future peace accords to strengthen peace within the region.The United States has again brought strength to Israelone of our strongest allies in the regionand strength brings peace. PHOTO: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Congressman Smith at the White House marking the signing of the peace accords After decades of division and conflict, we mark the dawn of a new Middle East. Thanks to the great courage of the leaders of these three countries, we take a major stride toward a future in which people of all faiths and backgrounds live together in peace and prosperity, President Trump said. These agreements prove that the nations of the region are breaking free from the failed approaches of the past, said Trump. Today's signing sets history on a new course. ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408982 <span class ="kicker">Patch news article on vets housing Smith helped get started</span>'Veterans' Housing Coming To Tinton Falls' 2020-09-14 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy ByCarly Baldwin,Patch Staff This past Saturday, Sept. 12 saw the start of construction on a $23 million, 70-unit apartment community in Tinton Falls for veterans of the U.S. armed forces, including veterans transitioning from homelessness. Construction of the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Village will be directed by WinnDevelopment, the development arm of U.S. affordable housing leader WinnCompanies. The project will feature a four-story building with 70 one-bedroom apartments that will be available at a range of income levels: 18 units will be available to individuals earning up to 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI); 24 will be designated at 50 percent of AMI; 10 at 60 percent of AMI, and 18 at 80 percent AMI. Veterans' Village is located on a wooded 12-acre site on Essex Road in the borough of Tinton Falls; the property was donated by Tinton Falls. Federal, state, county and local officials gathered Saturday morning at Liberty Park in Tinton Falls to celebrate the groundbreaking. Expected to be ready for occupancy by October 2021, the community is named for the late Gordon H. Mansfield, a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran who served as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. This project is being built in partnership with Soldier On, a non-profit organization serving homeless veterans since 1994. Solider On will provide residents at The Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans' Village with comprehensive services, including case management and wellness support, workforce assistance, benefits assessment and application assistance, legal services, transportation, telehealth, daily meals and many ancillary support programs. The area's local congressman, Chris Smith, said it took more than a decade to get this project to come to fruition. "Because of federal, state and local public and private partnership, we are making progress but there are 37,000 homeless vets on the street on any given night," said Smith, (R-NJ4). That number remains unconscionable high. We have more to work to do." Smit… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-van-drew-sends-letter-fema-administrator-gaynor-opposition-policy Congressman Van Drew Sends Letter to FEMA Administrator Gaynor in Opposition to Policy Changes 2020-09-14 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy September 11, 2020 Peter T. Gaynor Administrator Federal Emergency Management Agency 500 C St. SW Washington, DC 20024 Dear Administrator Gaynor, I write to you to oppose the COVID-19 Pandemic: Work Eligible for Public Assistance policy that puts restrictions on reimbursement for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic starting 9/15/2020. There are numerous employees in public facilities and schools who will no longer be able to utilize FEMA's Category B designation. The PPE and disinfectants which were previously reimbursable no longer qualify. We must rectify this as we head back to school and as colder weather forces more students, teachers, medical professionals (and many more) indoors. This will have a cascading negative impact as we continue to fight COVID-19 with all the tools available to us. We respectfully request you change this policy. Sincerely, Congressman Jeff Van Drew 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407976 <span class ="kicker">Author of historic homeless veterans law thanks Freeholder Burry</span>Smith helps break ground for new homes for veterans at risk of homelessness 2020-09-12 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who worked with local officials for a decade to bring a modern housing project and services to homeless veterans, was one of the guest speakers today at a groundbreaking for the innovative housing complex in Monmouth County. Smith said Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry was the quarterback in the effort to see the project through to fruition. I have been proud to do my part in finding a Monmouth County home for Soldier On, and I promise you I will continue to be an active supporter as it moves from design through construction to the day that it opens its doors and welcomes its very first veteran home, Burry said. Said Smith, I am especially grateful to Freeholder Lillian Burry for her extraordinary dream of a creating a Monmouth County homeless veterans housing initiative, and for her tenacity and skill in making it happen. For nearly a decade, Lillian has been the quarterback in the push to meet the compelling housing and service needs of homeless veteransand there have been many setbacks along the way, including an inability to secure space at Fort Monmouth. Artist rendering provided by WinnDevelopment According to the VA, in 2001 there were 294,840 homeless veterans on any given night, said Smith, whose landmark 2001 law for homeless veterans first authorized funding for the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development-Veteran Affairs Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) program. Shocked and deeply concerned, I chaired a series of congressional hearings on how to help homeless vets, and wrote the historic Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001, (Public Law 107-95). Almost 20 years later, that number has dropped to 37,085. Progress, but still far too many. Among its many provisions, Smith's law authorized, for the first time, the HUD-VASH program, which will be tapped as a major source of future rental assistance funding for veterans who will be living at the housing complex. … 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408976 <span class ="kicker">Asbury Park Press business briefs</span>'Rep Chris Smith receives inaugural bipartisan award' 2020-09-12 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Asbury Park Press business briefs'Rep Chris Smith receives inaugural bipartisan award' f t # e Washington, Sep 12, 2020 Tamara Walker, Asbury Park Press The U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.,its inaugural Jefferson-Hamilton Award for Bipartisanship recipient, citing Smith's work during the first half of the 116th Congress in 2019-2020. The Jefferson-Hamilton Award is presented to the 20 top members of Congress, apportioned by party, based on the number of bills a member cosponsors introduced by a member of the opposite party. Smithhas the second-most bills enacted into law than among all of the sitting 435 members of the House. He is running for his 21st term in the House, representing the Fourth District, which straddles parts of Monmouth, Ocean and Mercer counties. USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey editorial board sits down with (pictured) Republican incumbent Chris Smith and Democratic challenger Josh Welle during a debate at the Asbury Park Press in Neptune, NJ Thursday, October 25, 2018. (Photo: Tanya Breen) This article and photo ran with business briefs in the Sept. 11, 2020 edition of the Asbury Park Press, and the original version can be found online at: https://www.app.com/story/money/business/2020/09/11/ f t # e 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408983 <span class ="kicker">Robbinsville TAPInto news article on Mayor, local officials, Congressman at flag display</span>'Celebrating the American Flag: Robbinsville Hangs New Flags on 9/11' 2020-09-12 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Almost 100 area residents came out to show their pride in the American flag on the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the country. The group of veterans, families, men,women,and children from all walks of life showed the diversity of the community and unity in their support for the country. At the event, Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried reiterated the importance of the flag saying "itis the first thing you are given when you are sworn in to become a citizen, and the last thing when a member of the military pays the ultimate sacrifice." Speaking before the group, Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4) honored the first responders who "ran up into the buildings to save lives" after the World Trade Center was struck by planes. He also remembered those who suffered serious, even fatal, illnesses as a result of their brave acts. Smith also said he remembered that almost every roadway overpass in the state donned a flag following September 11th. Local veteran Mel Boyce spoke to the crowd about the meaning of the red, white and blue in the flag. According to the American Legion, the white stripes signifypurity and innocence; the red stripes stand forhardiness and valor; and the blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice. The group walked together, manywaving flags, tothe Turnpike overpass on West Manor Way to rehang two American Flags. While doing so, numerous trucks and cars on the roadway below honked their horns in solidarity. The Friday event at Community Park was organized by Robbinsville Township and the Robbinsville PBA local #344 after public outcry when flags were removed from the fences on overpasses by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Governor Phil Murphy quickly stopped the flag removalsayingI think we should be proud of our flag at every step, Murphy noted. I stand with the flag. PHOTO: Robbinsville Mayor, Council Members, PBA #344 and Congressman Chris Smith. (Credit Elizabeth Meyers) This article originally ran in the Sept. 11 editi… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407971 <span class="kicker">Rep. Smith recalls 9/11 at Monmouth Co. memorial</span>Remembering the Victims of 9/11 2020-09-11 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy By Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when terrorists hijacked four airliners in order to commit the worst act of terrorism in American history. Nearly 700 New Jerseyans147 from Monmouth County alonelost their lives that day. No one remembers the shock, horror and numbing sorrow more, however, than the families and close friends of the victims. Because it was a surprise attack, there was no chance to fight back that day although when Todd Beamer and other passengers learned what happened to the Twin Towers, Todd famously said let's roll and they attacked the terrorists on board the flight that crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Who can forget the courageous first responders running up the stairs of the burning buildingswith total disregard for their own safety. On the morning of 9/11, I got a mere glimpseI say again, a mere glimpseinto the sense of horror suffered by the victim's families when I couldn't reach my own brother Toman American Airlines 757 Captain who often piloted Flight 11 from Logan to LA, the flight that crashed into the North Tower. Evacuated from the Capitol and stuck in traffic within sight of the burning Pentagon, cell phones were all but gridlocked. About noon I got through. He and his flight attendant wife Sandy were safe but were in anguish because they knew the pilots and crew on board Flight 11. For 19 years, the families and friends of those who died that day and since have had to endure their loss and a broken heart. Both thenand now 19 years laterwords are inadequate to convey our empathy for those who died and for the victims' families. For many, their faith in God has helped them survive and overcome. Some, including the Jersey Girlsfour amazing women who lost their husbands at the World Trade Centerpushed the Congress to create the historic and transformative 911 Commission that was led so effectively by former Governor Tom Kean. As you know, 19 years later, the consequencesthe ongoing loss of life and heal… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-van-drew-offering-wounded-warrior-fellowship Congressman Van Drew Offering Wounded Warrior Fellowship 2020-09-10 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy Congressman Van Drew is seeking a wounded warrior or medically retired veteran for a position in his Mays Landing district office. The Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program was established by the House of Representatives to provide employment opportunities for wounded or disabled veterans within member offices. The program is limited to veterans who meet all of the following requirements: Honorably discharged, released from active duty within the last five years, terminal pay grades at or below E-5 or O-3, 20% or greater service connected disabilities (waived if you have a Purple Heart). Veterans who are in receipt of a 20-year or Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) retirement are not eligible for the program. Interested veterans should go to https://www.usajobs.gov/ and search Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program for more information and how to apply. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407970 <span class ="kicker">Patch News Article</span>'Bipartisan Effort Leads To Conservation Victory For New Jersey' 2020-09-07 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy The work of New Jersey conservation leaders and Congressional representatives led to the full and permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a federal program that has enabled the acquisition and development of thousands of acres of open spaces and recreation areas in New Jersey. According to officials, a huge effort by U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill, and U.S. Representative Chris Smith and the entire New Jersey Congressional Delegation helped make it possible. 'We have been fighting a long time to permanently authorize the LWCF. The new law signed by President Trump assures a steady, reliable federal investment and the private partnership funding it will generate for critical conservation projects.' Rep. Chris Smith "I am excited to join New Jersey Conservation and the local community to celebrate the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act at the Great Swamp today. It is a reminder of why we worked so hard to pass this landmark legislation, which includes full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund," said Sherrill. "I frequently highlighted the Great Swamp as I worked to build support from Members of Congress to sign on to the Great American Outdoors Act. This bipartisan legislation is a historic investment in our open spaces, will help us jumpstart our economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and will protect New Jersey's natural resources and public lands for generations to come. I thank New Jersey Conservation and all the organizations who worked alongside us to champion this legislation." This victory for LWCF, which was years in the making, was part of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) legislation, signed into law in early August. Since 1965, LWCF has invested in land preservation and recreation projects in every state and almost every county. "We have been fighting a long time to permanently authorize the LWCF," Smith said in a statement. "The new law signed by President Trump assures a steady,… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407966 <span class ="kicker">APP Op-Ed on WW II vets by Smith</span>'75 years after the end of World War II, we honor 'exceptional heroism' | Smith' 2020-09-03 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Asbury Park Press Opinion-Editorial By Rep. Chris Smith Sept.2, 2020, marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the day Imperial Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The war that began for the Unites States with the bloody and unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec.7, 1941, ended on Sept.2, 1945, with unconditional surrender, bringing to a close a war that Americans fought on two fronts, where over 400,000 Americans sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy. What followed on Sept.3, 1945, was unprecedented in world history the democratization and rebuilding by America of a former adversary. The National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC(Photo: VickyRu, Getty Images/iStockphoto) Japan and Germany the latter assisted by the Marshall Plan are today great friends and allies of the United States. More: Aberdeen Vietnam War medic gets Silver Star 51 years after defending wounded GIs' lives The World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., contains a quote most fitting for today. President Truman expressed the profound gratitude of our nation, which is as true today as it was when he first uttered the words: Our debt to the heroic man and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude; America will never forget their sacrifices. A view of the inscribed quote by President Harry Truman beginning, "Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women..." at the World War II Memorial in Washington DC.(Photo: Mosslight Fine Art Photography, Getty Images) May we never forget that when faced with an attack on our nation, American soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guard and merchant marine backed by home front workers and supported by spouses, family and fellow Americans responded with great courage and perseverance. Today, my wife Marie and I remember both our fathers' and the lasting legacy of service to country they left to our family. Both served in the Pacific theatre.… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407962 <span class ="kicker"> Statement by Rep. Chris Smith</span>75 years ago, World War II came to an end 2020-09-02 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Statement by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) - Today, September 2, 2020, marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the day Imperial Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The war that began for the United States with the bloody and unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 ended on September 2, 1945 with unconditional surrender bringing to a close a war that Americans fought on two fronts where over 400,000 Americans sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy. Bern Smith served in the U.S. Army during WWII. What followed on September 3, 1945 was unprecedented in world historythe democratization and rebuilding by America of a former adversary. Japan and Germanythe latter assisted by the Marshall Planare today great friends and allies of the United States. he World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. contains a quote most fitting for today. President Truman expressed the profound gratitude of our Nation which is as true today as it was when he first uttered the words: Our debt to the heroic man and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude; America will never forget their sacrifices. May we never forget that when faced with an attack on our Nation, American soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guard and merchant marinebacked by Home Front workers and supported by spouses, family, and fellow Americansresponded with great courage and perseverance. Donald Hahn served in the US Navy during WWII. In like manner, my wife's father, Donald Hahn, served at sea onboard the heavy cruiser USS Canberra and was a part of the massive effort to subdue the large and highly capable Japanese navy.My dad, Bern Smith, was a combat infantryman who fought in New Guinea and other islands and was deployed to the Philippines for its liberation. He seldom spoke about his experienceit … 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-van-drew-sends-trump-administration-support-letter-maurice-river Congressman Van Drew Sends Trump Administration Support Letter for Maurice River Dredging Project 2020-09-02 2020 2020-09 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy MAYS LANDING- Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) R.D. James in support of the Maurice River dredging project. This critical project will expedite economic growth and coastal resilience in South Jersey and the Delaware Bayshore. It has been nearly 25 years since the Maurice River was last serviced; far past the optimal 5-8 year maintenance cycle. In July, Congressman Van Drew visited with local leaders, business owners, and Army Corps of Engineers officials to inspect the project site firsthand. This project is critical and will expedite much-needed economic growth in South Jersey, said Rep. Van Drew. We will work our hardest to see this long-overdue project is approved and implemented. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407960 Smith welcomes $1.1M-plus CARES Act funds to provide housing in Neptune area 2020-08-28 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy The Township of Neptune Housing Authority (TNHA) will receive $1.1 million in emergency federal funding to provide safe housing during the coronavirus pandemic, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) said today. The funding comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act which Smith supported and was signed into law by President Trump on March 27. This federal grant will help support and expand shelter and housing programs for the residents of Neptune Township and the City of Neptune as we continue our battle through the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith said. It will bolstercritical housing opportunities for low income residents during an uncertain time for many in the community. Smith noted that the new grant comes on the heels of previously awarded federal funding to the TNHA used providemasks for residents, stand up sanitizing stations and computer laptops and PPE for staff. He said that the coordinated and combined impact ensures more and safer opportunities for the homeless during the pandemic. TNHA Executive Director Bart Cook said TNHA, which serves housing programs in both the township and the City of Neptune, used $49,500 in HUD funds awarded in April for laptop computers for staff, additional signage throughout their properties encouraging residents to wear masks and social distance; as well as to provide meals and food to over 200 seniors and families every week in conjunction with Monmouth Ocean PAL. Cook said the new grant will support the existing Section 8 Housing and possibly even allow expanded housing. We are very excited about the possibilities, Cook said. In the current environment, the monies will allow us to stay at the forefront of providing the public fair and safe housing. It could not have come at a better time. Thank you to the congressman. We are very grateful for this grant.We have really invested in the technology to keep the staff, as well as the residents, safe. Smith said impact of COVID-19 on the economy has increased the need for public housing. The economic devastation… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407961 Smith, author of Belarus Democracy & Human Rights Act, calls on Belarus Lukashenko to step down 2020-08-28 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and author of theBelarus Democracy and Human Rights Act, is calling on Alexander Lukashenko, the long-time dictator of Belarus, to step down in the wake of pro-democracy protests sparked by recent contentious elections which have been widely criticized as unfair and fraudulent. Rather than killing, rounding up and jailing his political opponents, Lukashenko needs to listen to the voices of the Belarusian people who are calling for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom to change their government through free and fair elections, Smith said. For too long he has squelched these fundamental rights of the people of Belarus.Lukashenko needs to step down and allow a transitional government to manage truly free and fair elections that genuinely represent the will of the Belarusian people. A leading human rights lawmaker, Smith is the author of three laws to advance and promote democracy and human rights in Belarus: H.R. 854, theBelarus Democracy Act of 2004; H.R. 5948, theBelarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2006,and; H.R. 515, theBelarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2011. Smith's laws, which served as the forerunners for other major human rights laws known as theSergei Magnitsky Actand theGlobal Magnitsky Act(for which Smith was theprime sponsor in the House), impose personal sanctions on Lukashenko and other political leaders in his regime, including visa denials and prohibition on their ability to do any commerce with any U.S. entity.The Smith laws require Belarus to release political prisoners and transition toward democracy before the United States lifts the sanctions on Belarusian officials imposed by the laws. Smith also forewarned Russian President Vladimir Putin not to send military or police forces to prop up Lukashenko's crumbling regime, which Putin has threatened to do. It is up to the Belarusian people to decide their own future and who shall lead their country, not Vladimir Put… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407949 All-volunteer Manalapan firehouse to receive FEMA grant to help recruit new members 2020-08-25 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy The Gordons Corner Fire Company in Manalapan Township will receive a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) federal grant to help recruit and retain volunteers, said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today. Gordons Corner Fire Company is an all-volunteer firehouse that very much depends on keeping its current firefighters to protect the community, as well as attracting a new generation of volunteers, Smith said.This funding comes from the SAFER grant program, which Congress created to do just that: help communities to be safer by recruiting and retaining firefighters. Our all-volunteer fire companies have a challenge to find residents with the time and willingness to do the required training to serve their communities, said Smith This grant will help them tackle that challenge and foster a new generation of volunteers. Volunteer firefighters fill a critical need of public service. They are both heroes and dedicated members of the community who respond to the call to serve. PHOTO: Established in 1962, the volunteers of Gordons Corner Fire Company Station serve the residents of Fire District #1 in the township. Pictured is the station located on Tennent Road constructed in 1967, with a satellite firehouse constructed on Pease Road in 1976. The Operations and Safety Grant comes from the Department of Homeland Security's FY 2019 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program' SAFER program.The grant is administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. The SAFER Program operates a Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters program. We plan to use this grant to keep our retention growing and our roster of qualified firefighters to better serve the residents of Manalapan, said Chief Rob DiTota. DiTota said the grant will fund efforts to reach out to the community via social media and other avenues to attract new members to the Gordons Corner Fi… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407948 <span class ="kicker">More federal aid coming to Robbinsville</span>FEMA funds to protect Robbinsville firefighters 2020-08-24 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Robbinsville firefighters will receive a federal grant to purchase thermal imaging cameras that protect first responders and help them protect the public, said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today. This $22,805 grant will help pay for two thermal imaging cameras that can provide life-saving information in a smoke and fire-filled environment, Smith said.The funding comes from the Operations and Safety grant program, which Congress created to help communities equip their firefighters and EMS. Our firefighters rush into burning houses and buildings that other people are fleeing from, stated Smith (NJ-04). As they go into harm's way, they need tools to protect their lives in dangerous, potentially deadly conditions. These cameras give firefighters the ability to operate under conditions of poor visibility, including searching for victims, pinpointing the location of the fire, and avoiding obstacles. Eighteen firefighters are employed by the municipality to serve the 20-square-mile township's estimated 14,000-plus residents. The cameras will replace current older equipment that has become difficult to service. The Operations and Safety Grant comes from the Department of Homeland Security's FY 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program.The grant is administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. The Robbinsville Township Fire Department, Mayor Fried, Chief Schaffener, and Robbinsville Township Administration released a statement thanking Congressman Smith for assistance and support during the application process. Without the direct support of our application and the overall program support of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program by Congressman Smith, our department would be faced with difficult realities regarding the safety of our firefighters and residents, the statement read. The benefits of this award for our department and local residents is immeasurable. Earlier this summer Robbinsville was … 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407947 Smith votes to sustain & boost Postal Service in critical times 2020-08-22 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Legislation to provide a $25 billion emergency appropriation to the U.S. Postal Service will help stabilize the post office and restore critical operations and services, said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) who voted for the legislation and has been a consistent advocate for postal workers and customers, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. The men and women of the postal service have been working on the frontlines during COVID-19 delivering mail, food supplies, medicines, checks and other critical items, Smith said. The USPS has faced added expensesPPE, testing, quarantine leave, overtime and sanitizing equipmentall to help sustain our embattled economy and enable the rest of us to get the products we need. Smith, who was pivotal in the reopening of the John K. Rafferty processing and distribution center in Hamilton, NJ, after it was hit and closed in the anthrax attack of 2001, said that the changes proposed by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, would severely curtail operations and cut mail services throughout most of central New Jersey. They are aiming to get rid of almost half of the 26 major mail processing machines just at the John K. Rafferty processing distribution center in Hamilton, alone, Smith said. Efficient and powerful equipment such as delivery bar code sorters move 40,000 pieces of mail per hour. To dismantle perfectly operating equipment delays the mail and hurts customers and commerce. Smith noted he was also fighting recent lunch-hour closures at branch offices throughout his district as the closures make it harder for postal patrons to conduct business and/or pick up their mail, he said. The loss of personnel and machines could hamper vote by mail return as well, Smith said. In addition to providing the $25 billon emergency appropriation, the bill Smith voted for, Delivering for America Act, HR 8015, will: Prohibit the USPS from undertaking any operational changes from what was in effect prior to January 1, 2020 that may reduce services, such as revision of service standards, closure or … 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-van-drew-visits-20-post-offices-across-8-counties-south-jersey Congressman Van Drew Visits 20 Post Offices Across 8 Counties in South Jersey Ahead of Crucial House USPS Vote 2020-08-22 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy MAYS LANDING- Congressman Jeff Van Drew spent the week prior to a crucial United States Postal Service (USPS) vote, visiting with more than 20 postal offices across 8 counties in South Jersey. The House of Representatives is expected to vote today(8/22) on legislation that will fund the USPS ahead of November's Presidential and Federal elections. I visited the hard-working women and men of the USPS this week, and it only galvanized my resolve to ensure they are not used as political pawns, said Congressman Van Drew. We must ensure that they have the resources to deliver during these times to help all Americans receive their mail, which could include medicines or necessary goods. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407941 <span class ="kicker">Will continue to fight for more federal support</span>Smith welcomes NJs distribution of federal funds to Mercer and other New Jersey counties 2020-08-20 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) released the attached statement following Governor Murphy's announcement of CARES Act federal funding to additional New Jersey counties. The federal CARES Act grants and support provided through the State to our counties today, including at least $4 million to Mercer County in my district, is critical to fighting the ongoing coronavirus threat and pushing for full recovery. I have introduced legislation which will enable government entities of less than 500,000 people, like Mercer, to get federal COVID grants directly, but until then, the state is empowered to direct federal funds to our local governments and ensure that they get as much support as possible. NJ's county governments, of every size, have been working in our communities and they need federal assistanceboth directly and through the Stateto help fight the virus and support our local economies. I not only supported the CARES Act which provided this funding, but I was pleased to cosign a letter with the full NJ Congressional Delegation to the governor asking him to make sure the administration provided part of the State's federal award to the additional 12 counties that did not get direct funding from the federal government. It has taken some time to get through the state to the counties but the federal funding is very welcomed support. The financial assistance to our localities must not end today. Thus, I will continue to advocate for my legislation, the NJ, NY, and Highly Impacted States COVID-19 Relief Fund Act, which will provide an additional $500 billion to states and municipalities based not only on their population but also on their number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-van-drew-receives-awards-diligence-bipartisanship-congress-us Congressman Van Drew Receives Awards for Diligence, Bipartisanship in Congress from US Chamber 2020-08-20 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy MAYS LANDING- Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew was presented the Spirit of Enterprise and the Jefferson-Hamilton awards from the US Chamber of Commerce. The Spirit of Enterprise is given to members of Congress who vote for pro-economic growth policies while also working across the aisle to ensure those policies are enacted, and the Jefferson-Hamilton award is awarded to select Members of Congress who are the most bi-partisan in all of Congress. I am honored to receive these prestigious awards, said Congressman Jeff Van Drew. I will continue to fight for our people and businesses that make our community and our nation thrive, they deserve that. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407937 Rep. Smith on USPS Postmaster General's reversal of proposed changes 2020-08-18 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who has been pushing for more assistance for United States Postal Service (USPS) workers since April to address the myriad of COVID-19 challenges they face, welcomed today's announcement by the USPS Postmaster General to reverse his proposed changes that could have negatively impacted postal operations. I am grateful that the Postmaster General has reversed course on the proposed changes. And while I am glad for the postponement, we still need and I continue to support increased funding to help stabilize the Postal Service and ensure it can properly process the surge of ballots expected this fall. Smith noted that in New Jersey, the July primary was conducted mainly through the vote-by-mail process (VBM), as will the general election--even though county clerks, county governing bodies, and the post office have expressed serious concerns about a November VBM. I share those concerns but we must be committed and determined to protect the integrity of the voting process, he said. During the COVID-19 restrictions we are living under, if we are going to have a secure, vote-by-mail election, our Nation needs a robust and healthy United States Postal Service. For months I have been pressing postal officials and congressional leadership for added support and an appropriation of at least $25 billion for the Postal Service to alleviate some of the strain and help us meet the new demands, including the expected influx of ballots. We must provide the funding and equipment needed to allow postal workers to do their jobs, and that includes processing voters' ballots. Putting the brakes on this ill-conceived plan was a good decision, but we have to do more. In the midst of the pandemic the Postal Service has proven again to be a steadfast presence in our neighborhoods, delivering medicines, checks, food items and more. I continue to believe we must not shortchange USPS operations and must work together to ensure that the USPS, and the brave men and women on the frontlines of postal operations,… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407935 Smiths early and ongoing support of the USPS 2020-08-17 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Rep. Chris Smith, an early and strong advocate of increased appropriations and enhanced safety protocols at the United States Postal Service (USPS), said he will continue to speak out for funding reforms that will help stabilize the post office and ensure it can properly process the surge of ballots anticipated this fall. Smith noted that in New Jersey, the general election will be conducted primarily through the vote-by-mail process (VBM)similar to the primaryeven though county clerks, county governing bodies, and the post office have expressed grave concerns about a November VBM. Smith shares those concerns but is committed to working to protect the integrity of the voting process, he said. A critical aspect of securing our elections is ensuring our Nation has a robust and healthy United States Postal Service, Smith said. In the current time of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, our economy and elections are even more reliant upon a strongly supported USPS, he added. Having voted for HR 2legislation that recently passed the House to provide $25 billion in additional funding for the USPSI believe we must provide the backing and equipment needed so postal workers can safely and effectively do their jobs which includes processing voters' ballots. In a series of pointed letters and similar conference call meetings over the last several months and dating as far back as April, Smith began pushing regional and national postal officials, as well as top Republican negotiators, to provide much needed relief to keep this important service fully operational. In a May 5th letter to Republican COVID-funding negotiatorsHouse Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Treasury Secretary Steve MnuchinSmith joined other Republican congressmen and women urging an appropriation of at least $25 billion to the Postal Service to alleviate some of the strain caused by the pandemic. In his April 9th letter, Smith pressed for enhanced safety protocols saying, postal workers are a reliable presenc… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-jeff-van-drew-statement-current-outstanding-national-issues Congressman Jeff Van Drew Statement on Current Outstanding National Issues 2020-08-17 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy MAYS LANDING- Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew issued the following statement in response to numerous outstanding issues of national importance that remain unresolved. The American people deserve representatives in Congress who work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to come up with a deal that includes making sure unemployment issues are resolved, hazard pay for essential employees is passed, new direct stimulus payments to individuals are made, and the Postal Service is operating efficiently and effectively. Stop the blame game. We can work together to get this done and we should not leave Washington until all of these important issues are fixed. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-jeff-van-drew-statement-ongoing-postal-service-issues Congressman Jeff Van Drew Statement on Ongoing Postal Service Issues 2020-08-16 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy MAYS LANDING- Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew requested House leadership bring members back to Washington to deal with the ongoing United States Postal Service issues. "The United States Postal Service is overworked and under-funded. I am asking that leadership bring us back into session to deal with the ongoing issues so that we can ensure they have the necessary resources for them to continue their operations, said Congressman Jeff Van Drew. We need to be back in Washington to come together for the American people for a compromise for the Postal Service. Bring us back so they can continue their service. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407944 <span class ="kicker">The Independent news article on vet Smith honored</span>'50 years after actions in Vietnam, hero medic receives second Silver Star' 2020-08-15 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Vietnam War combat Army medic and Monmouth County resident Bart Fabian has been presented with his second Silver Star medal for actions he took on April 13, 1969. The medal was recently presented to Fabian by U.S Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). Fabian was a resident of Freehold Township from 1990 to 2019, before he moved to Aberdeen Township.This is the second Silver Star awarded to Fabian. He received his first Silver Star for his heroism during an ambush by the North Vietnamese on Jan. 11, 1969, according to a press release from Smith's office. Fabian had previously been awarded two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts and an Army Commendation Medal with Valor. Bart Doc' Fabian is a hero for all ages, earning the Silver Star not once, but twice. He routinely went above and beyond the call, protecting injured soldiers who were under attack, Smith said. Mr. Fabian's actions on April 13, 1969, which account for the second Silver Star, are truly courageous, heroic and the mark of a natural leader. Smith added, How does a man under gunfire find that kind of grit to do something absolutely astonishing? We are talking about a man who put his own life at risk, repeatedly, to defend injured soldiers who were being targeted by the enemy. The record shows he saved 10 U.S. soldiers and stopped two enemy soldiers who were trying to kill wounded GIs. In an era when people admire fictional superheroes and Hollywood stars portraying heroes, Doc Fabian is a genuine uncontested hero. After more than two years of Smith working with the Army, Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy ordered Fabian to be recognized For gallantry in action against an armed enemy of the United States while serving in his outfit, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Calvary Regiment, II Field Force Vietnam. Recounting that April day,Fabian said the battle raged on for 90 minutes. He lost six from his troop, including one of his closest buddies, and 19 in total, including the other medic. We got beat up pretty bad that day, Fabian said. It was a bad day for t… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-jeff-van-drew-statement-governor-murphy-imposition-all-mail-voting Congressman Jeff Van Drew Statement on Governor Murphy Imposition of All Mail-In Voting 2020-08-14 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy MAYS LANDING- Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew blasted the decision of Governor Murphy to require all voting this November General Election be done by mail. Any ballots cast in-person will be provisional, and not immediately counted. Governor Murphy is unilaterally threatening the integrity of this election. He continues to decide which science he agrees with and ignores what he does not; just yesterday, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that in-person voting can be done safely, said Congressman Van Drew. Mail-in voting should be a part of a strategy to ensure safety, but allowing for a singular process that is time-consuming, unreliable and creates the potential for fraud is completely unacceptable. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407926 Smith throws first pitch at Babe Ruth State Tournament 2020-08-13 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) tossed out the traditional first pitch at the Babe Ruth State Championship doubleheader featuring Hamilton/Northern Burlington squaring off against Atlantic Shore in the 2020 Southern NJ 15-year-old State Tournament Aug. 12. It was good to get on the field with the Hamilton/Northern Burlington team and toss that first pitch, said Smith, who for a number of years played inthe annual Congressional Baseball Game. Last night's game one was a come-from-behind thriller, but unfortunately we couldn't take game two. Still, it was a great night of baseball and the kids should be proud. Smith took to the mound after the National Anthem as the 15-year-old all-stars from Atlantic Shore and Hamilton/N. Burlington watched his wind-up and delivery with interest. The congressman's over-the-plate pitch was greeted by a round of applause. The WBCBSports.com announcer Keith Noonan, described the pitch as Congressman Chris Smith came out and threw the first pitch and it was absolutely perfect. Right down the middle with some speed. Co-announcer Joe O'Gorman said, If you see a guy with a little grey hair take the mound for Hamilton-Northern Burlington, be a little suspicious today. Atlantic Shore, the all-stars from Atlantic County, won the State Championship with a 8-3 victory in game two of the double header. Hamilton/Northern Burlington forced the second game with a come-from-behind 7-6 win in the first game. PHOTO ON RIGHT: Observers said Smith threw a strike down the middle. ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407921 <span class ="kicker">Smith appears on Fox News Channel to respond to Chinese dictatorship sanctioning him</span>'State Dept. condemns Chinese sanctions ' 2020-08-10 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Adam Shaw - Fox News The State Departmenton Tuesday condemned China's imposition of sanctions on a number of U.S. senators and called it an attempt by Beijing to extend authoritarian rule beyond its borders. We condemn these actions, which indicate the Chinese Communist Party has no tolerance for public discussion of human rights and freedom of expression both within and beyond its borders, a State Department spokesperson said. China announcedon Monday that it would impose sanctions on 11 U.S. citizens -- including Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa. The others sanctioned by the Chinese include Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Noth and Derek Mitchell, President of the National Democratic Institute. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com It did not specify what the sanctions were, but Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the 11 had performed badly on issues concerning Hong Kong, where the Chinese have been engaged in an incursion on long-held freedoms in the territory after it passed a national security law to deal with protests. The U.S. has respondedto the crackdown with a number of measures, and last week announced it was sanctioning Hong Kong Executive Carrie Lam and a number of other top officials over their role in Beijing's incursions. We condemn indictments against American citizens for exercising the right to free expression, the State Department said. We reject Beijing's attempt to extend authoritarian rule beyond its borders. These measures are not for national security but intended to intimidate and silence free speech both inside and outside Hong Kong. Lawmakers targeted by the sanctions reacted in a similar way. These toothless sanctions won't have much effect on me, but that's because they were never about me in the first place, Cotton said in aFox News op-ed. They're meant to scare potential critics of theChinese Communist Partyinto shameful silence and even comp… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-jeff-van-drew-blasts-decision-close-fort-mott Congressman Jeff Van Drew Blasts Decision to Close Fort Mott 2020-08-10 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy SALEM COUNTY, NJ- Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew decried the decision to close Fort Mott in Salem County, New Jersey indefinitely. The State Park Service has advised visitors to head to a different park, which is an approximate 40-minute drive away. While Fort Mott is an important site in the history of our State, the people of Salem County also heavily depend on the park for its recreational opportunities and scenic vistas. Finns Point National Cemetery, which has the only active Department of Veterans Affairs burial site in New Jersey, and inters veterans going back to the Civil War, is only accessible by traveling through Fort Mott. This piece of history will undoubtedly see a decrease in visitors due to the Fort Mott closure. Once again, Governor Murphy is doing his best to make life more painful for people inSouth Jersey, said Congressman Van Drew. This piece of history, and the well-being it also offers to folks who are looking for that during a pandemic is much-needed. Reopen Fort Mott. ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407925 <span class ="kicker">Belmar TAPInto article on Smith's veterans event</span>'Congressman Smith, Veterans Administration Team Up for Telephone Claims Clinic' 2020-08-08 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy By TAPINTO BELMAR/LAKE COMO STAFF - Rep. Chris Smith, in conjunction with the Veterans Administration, will host a Telephone Claims Clinic for veterans, military retirees and their family members, and active-duty service members on August 18 and 19. During the clinic, veterans will be able to talk on the phone with a VA representative about their VA benefits and entitlements, including pension and health. The privateappointments will be set up in advance by members of Smith's staff. While the congressman has hosted in-person clinics with the VA in the past, they have turned to more telephone appointments to safely serve veterans' needs in the current COVID-19 environment. It's vitally important that veterans, active-duty military, military retirees and their dependents have access to their VA services during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Smith (R-4thDistrict), whose congressional district includes Belmar and Lake Como. Health needs don't take a hiatus, not for COVID-19 or anything else.This Telephone Claims Clinic offers a critical opportunity for veterans to reach and speak with the appropriate officials at the VA regarding their claims and benefits and my staff and I will be able to help and ensure access and added assistance, if needed, on each claim. To make an appointment for the August 18 and 19 clinic, call Smith's office at 609-585-7878 by Tuesday, August 11. The offices are open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are open for visits by appointment. This article was originally published on Aug. 8, 2020 and can be found online at: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/belmar-slash-lake-como/sections/military-and-veterans/articles/congressman-smith-veterans-administration-team-up-for-telephone-claims-clinic 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407917 <span class ="kicker">Amendment increases Lyme research by $4M</span>House approves Chris Smith amendment for Lyme disease funding increase 2020-08-07 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy The House of Representatives passed an amendment authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to boost Lyme disease research funding at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just before the end of the July session. My amendment adds $4 million, for a total of $20 million, for Lyme disease research at the CDC for FY 2021. Just three years ago CDC's Lyme budget was only $11.7 million, said Smith, a longtime leader on Lyme as co-chair of the bipartisan Lyme Disease Caucus in Congress with Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN). The increase in funding achieved through my amendment will help CDC develop better diagnostic tests for Lyme, expand tick surveillance activities across the US and strengthen the federal government's overall strategy to combat Lyme. Rep. Peterson, is the lead Democrat cosponsor of the Smith Amendment which has also been cosponsored by Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Antonio Delgado (D-NY), Max Rose (D-NY), and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ). Smith said the increased funding, which passed July 30 is good news for the estimated 800,000+ people in New Jersey who have contracted Lyme over the past 20 years. New Jersey has one of the highest amounts of Lyme cases in the nation. Pat Smith (no relation to Rep. Smith), President of the Lyme Disease Association, a leading national Lyme advocacy group founded in 1991 and headquartered in Jackson, NJ, said Rep. Smith's funding amendment is an important step in the fight to reign in Lyme disease. The rising case numbers and increasing spread of tick-borne diseases are alarming and require a sustained focus from Congress to try to control this epidemic, said Pat Smith. We are grateful to Congressman Smith for his continued dedication to this effort and his success along with his colleagues to acquire an additional $4M in funding for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. In these difficult times for our country, that is an outstanding accomplishment, she said. PHOTO: Rep. Chris Smith is shown holding a copy… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407915 <span class ="kicker">Asbury Park Press page 1 story on Monmouth County vet whom Rep. Smith presented medal</span>'Vietnam War medic gets Silver Star 51 years after defending wounded GIs' lives' 2020-08-06 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy The Brooklyn native, who lives in Aberdeen today, was 20 years old then. He's 71 now, and the memory remains fresh. Some things, you don't forget. You can't. I remember feeling such rage not that my life was threatened, but I just remember thinking, The guy is half dead, and this is the guy you shoot?' Fabian said. All I had was a clip with eight bullets in it. I started working on this other guy and another (Viet Cong) came out of a bunker and started firing, so I eliminated him. The guy who I was working on survived, and I brought him back. During training, instructors used to pound a mantra into Army medics. Your job is to get them onto the helicopter breathing and we'll do the rest, Fabian recited. Most of the people I put onto the helicopter were still breathing, but you usually don't find out if they survived. You like to think that they did. Heroes honored:Medal of Honor display in Holmdel is nation's largest Doc treated at least 10 men that day, and most of them made it after a 90-minute fight that claimed the lives of 19 Americans. The next day, his commander told him he would be recommended for the Silver Star, the Armed Forces' third-highestpersonal decorationforvalorin combat. It took 51 years, but last month, Doc Fabian finally received the medal. 'It's really unusual' Fabian, who was drafted into the Army, didn't choose to be a medic. He was assigned the position with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and he never found out why. It's a difficult job that he performed with distinction, earning two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts and an Army Commendation Medal (ACM) with Valor. When you look at the accomplishments in your life you look at that and say to yourself, That's not bad; I guess I did OK,' he said. The first Silver Star was bestowed for his actions during an ambush on Jan. 11, 1969. He recalled responding to a fallen soldier who had been burned all over, he had shrapnel all over, he had a punctured lung. It was a welcome-to-war moment. V-E … 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407914 <span class ="kicker">Aug. 11 sign-up deadline</span>VA, Smith team up on Telephone Claims Clinic 2020-08-05 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), in conjunction with the Veterans Administration (VA), will host a VA Telephone Claims Clinic for vets, military retirees and their family members, and active duty service members on August 18 and 19, 2020. It's vitally important that veterans, active duty military, military retirees and their dependents have access to their VA services during the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith said. Health needs don't take a hiatus, not for COVID-19 or anything else.This telephone claims clinic' offers a critical opportunity for veterans to reach and speak with the appropriate officials at the VA regarding their claims and benefitsand my staff and I will be able to help and ensure access and added assistance, if needed, on each claim. The deadline to sign up is Aug. 11. Smith has hosted in-person clinics with the VA in the past, but in the current COVID-19 environment and accompanying precautions, the VA has turned to more telephone appointments to safely serve veterans' needs. Therefore, Smith's office makes appointments for private telephone conferences between the veterans and a VA representative. To make an appointment for the Aug. 18-19 VA Telephone Claims Clinic, call Smith's office at (609) 585-7878 by Aug. 11. The offices are open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are open for visits by appointment. ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407916 <span class ="kicker">TapInto Hamilton article on Smith's lead removal bill</span>'Rep. Smith Working to Get the Lead Out of Drinking Water' 2020-08-05 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy TapInto Hamilton article on Smith's lead removal bill'Rep. Smith Working to Get the Lead Out of Drinking Water' f t # e HAMILTON, NJ , Aug 5, 2020 By TAPINTO HAMILTON/ROBBINSVILLE STAFF Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4) has introducedtheGet the Lead Out Act(HR 7918) to authorize $14 billion over two years and require every utility in America to develop a plan to identify and remove lead pipes that threaten residents, especially children, from the dangers of lead. Smith said this measure builds upon his efforts toalleviate the threat of lead in drinking water systems in his district and other areas of New Jersey. For every family and every household, clean drinking water is an essential necessity of everyday living, said Smith.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.Local, state and federal government must work together to make that a reality. Credits: TAPinto.net File Photo "This bill will help get the lead out' of drinking water in towns like Trenton and Hamilton in my district, throughout New Jersey and across the country," Smith added to "tackle this threat tohuman healthwhichcan cause long-term harm in adults and which presents a particular danger tochildren,who are especially vulnerable to lead, TheGet the Lead Out Actdirects all community water systems across the US to develop a plan to inventory and replace all lead service lines (LSLs) in their system within 10 years. The plan must be submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval. To help community water systems afford these necessary upgrades, thebill authorizes nearly $1… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407895 Smith & Cuellar introduce Get the Lead Out bill to fund $14 billion for drinking water clean-up and infrastructure projects 2020-08-03 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), who has been working to help alleviate the threat of lead in drinking water systems in his district and other areas of New Jersey, has partnered with Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) to introduce the Get the Lead Out Act (HR 7918) which would authorize $14 billion over two years and require every utility in America to develop a plan to identify and remove lead pipes that threaten residents, especially children, from the dangers of lead. For every family and every household, clean drinking water is an essential necessity of everyday living, said Smith, prime sponsor of the bill. 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. Local, state and federal government must work together to make that a reality. This bill will help get the lead out' of drinking water in towns like Trenton and Hamilton in my district, throughout New Jersey and across the country. Rep. Cuellar and I are teaming up to advance a bipartisan plan to tackle this threat to human healthwhich can cause long-term harm in adults and which presents a particular danger to children, who are especially vulnerable to lead, Smith said. No community should have to worry that their drinking water is tainted with lead. Any amount of lead in drinking water can have serious developmental and health impacts for children, said Cuellar.This legislation will help utility companies invest in critical infrastructure plans and remove dangerous chemicals from our communities' water.I am committed to protecting our children and families by limiting their exposure to lead and making sure they have access to safe drinking water. I want to thank Congressman Smith for his leadership on this issue. The Smith-Cuellar Get the Lead Out Act directs all community water systems across the US to develop a plan to inventory and replace all lead service lines (LSLs) in their system within 10… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407911 <span class ="kicker">APP article on Braeden Bradford</span>'Braeden Bradforth: Settlement overshadows anniversary of Neptune football player's death' 2020-08-03 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy APP article on Braeden Bradford'Braeden Bradforth: Settlement overshadows anniversary of Neptune football player's death' f t # e Washington, Aug 3, 2020 By Stephen Edelson, Asbury Park Press Staff Writer - I remember the first time I met Joanne Atkins-Ingram some 20 months ago, listening to her talk about things like answers, accountability and action even as she recounted details from the worst day of her life. Saturday marked the second anniversary of the passing of her son, former Neptune High School football standout Braeden Bradforth, who died of exertional heatstroke during a conditioning test at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. But the moving tributes were somewhat overshadowed by Garden City's ill-timed announcement of a settlement with the family, leaving Atkins-Ingram emotionally drained by the time we spoke on Sunday evening. In fact, the only part of the statement the school released that really interested her was the part about the on-campus memorial a tree with a plaque at the base of it that had been her most important request. Joanne Atkins-Ingram holds up the jersey worn by her son, former Neptune standout Braeden Bradforth, who died of exertional heat stroke on Aug. 1, 2018 at Garden City Community College in Kansas. I wanted that in place and solidified before we agreed to anything, she said. I just needed his name there so when people walk by that tree and Google him and see his story, and have that conversation at home about staying hydrated. It's been hard enough that we had to have an anniversary. Now the fact that everyone is focused on the money instead of the issue at hand makes it disgusting to me. Atkins-Ingram planning to set up a foundation in Braeden's name with money from the $500,000 settlement. The school was r… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases/tropical-storm-isaias-information Tropical Storm Isaias Information 2020-08-03 2020 2020-08 Republican House NJ Jefferson Van Drew V000133 vandrew.house.gov     legacy Dear Friend, This is Congressman Jeff Van Drew with a brief update for you on the impending inclement weather that may impact South Jersey over the coming days. As it stands now,Tropical StormIsaias is tracking up the Atlantic coastline with potential landfall in South Jersey on Tuesday,8/4/2020, with the most severe portions impacting the area in the afternoon. To track the progress of the storm and updates on landfall, please follow this link to NOAA's storm tracking center. The state of New Jersey Office of Emergency Management has some information on how to prepare and how to stay safe during inclement weather. Please follow this link for more information. As always, our office stands by ready to assist in any way that we can. You can reach us at (202)225-6572 or online at Vandrew.House.Gov. Sincerely, Congressman Jeff Van Drew 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407905 <span class ="kicker">Asbury Park Press article on passage of Smith bill</span>'House passes 'Sami's Law,' ride-share safety bill named for slain NJ college student' 2020-07-31 2020 2020-07 Republican House NJ Christopher Smith S000522 chrissmith.house.gov     legacy By Michael L. Diamond, APP Staff Writer - A bill named after Samantha Josephson, a college student from Robbinsville who was murdered by someone pretending to beher Uber driver, is a step closer to law. The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday unanimously approved a bill that in part would force ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft to deploy technology that would match passengers with drivers before the ride begins. "It's bittersweet," Seymour Josephson, Samantha's father, said. "We'd much rather have Samantha sitting with us here on the couch, but to create a law so nobody else gets hurt is a good thing." The bill was authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. and was metwith praise forboth sides of the aisle duringa deeply polarized time. Josephson, 21,a student at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, was killed in March 2019 after she ordered an Uber ride and, authorities said, mistakenly got intoa cardriven byNathaniel Rowland. MORE:Samantha Josephson hometown mourns 'quirky, kindhearted' girl OP-ED:Sami's Law would protect ride-share passengers from assault Her body was found in Clarendon County, South Carolina,andRowland, thena 24-year-old from that area, was charged with her murder and kidnapping. The bill awaits approval in the U.S. Senate. Among the provisions: Ride-sharing companies would need to roll out technology that would match passengers with their drivers' vehicles. A drivercouldn't begin the trip until the passenger and driver verify each others identities. It sets up a 15-member advisory council that reports to the Secretary of Transportation with safety guidance. It makes it illegal to sell ride-share signage. It requires the government to study the prevalence of assault and abuse of passengers and drivers. It requires the government to examine ride-sharing companies background checks. Josephson left behind hundreds of friends and family members, who gathered in her Mercer County hometown last year to remember a woman who at on… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z

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