Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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421 rows where party = "Republican", state = "NJ" and year = 2025 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415233 | Rep. Smith condemns Communist China’s provocations and acts of aggression against Taiwan | 2025-12-29 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued the following statement in response to China’s deliberately provocative and antagonistic military exercises around Taiwan: “Communist China’s egregious violations of Taiwan’s air space, its ships’ crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, and live-fire drills, which commenced on December 29, are belligerent provocations, which constitute the crime of aggression under international law. Communist China’s violations of the sovereignty of the democratic island nation—coupled with recent transgressions against U.S. treaty allies Japan and the Philippines—directly threaten peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. “China is a totalitarian tyrant, which abuses its own people at home and remains a predatory rogue state abroad. Congress stands with freedom-loving peoples in both nations—those in China, working against the oppressive Communist Party ruling their country, and the people of Taiwan, standing firm against this outside aggressor. By its actions, Communist China has put itself outside the community of nations.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415219 | Chairman Smith on President Trump’s decisive action to strike ISIS encampments in Nigeria | 2025-12-27 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee issued the following statement after the U.S. military’s coordinated strikes on ISIS settlements in northwestern Nigeria: “President Trump’s decisive action reflects the United States’ unyielding commitment to standing up to the Nigerian terrorists, who have been murdering, raping, torturing and violently harassing Christians and non-radical Muslims in the region for decades. “Coordinated under Secretary Pete Hegseth, the limited precision airstrikes against Islamist terrorists in Nigeria clearly demonstrate that violent actions against Christians and other religious groups have profound consequences. “The strikes also put the radical Islamist terrorists in Nigeria on notice that the United States will never condone or turn a blind eye to religious persecution and violence. “Significantly, the U.S. Department of State and Nigeria on December 19 signed a five-year bilateral America First Global Health Strategy, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen Nigeria’s health system with a strong emphasis on promoting Christian faith-based healthcare providers. The U.S. intends to commit $2.1 billion in health assistance in the combined investment of nearly $5.1 billion over the life of the MOU. “According to State, ‘The MOU was negotiated in connection with reforms the Nigerian government has made to prioritize protecting Christian populations from violence….’ Additionally, it was announced that the Trump Administration ‘expects Nigeria to continue to make progress ensuring that it combats extremist religious violence against vulnerable Christian populations.’ “In October, I and many of my colleagues applauded President Trump and welcomed his declaration of Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ based on the religious persecution of Christians in that country. “I then chaired a hearing entitled, ‘President Trump’s Redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”: A Serious, Well-Founded Wake-Up Call,’… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415214 | TAPinto Gold Coast article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'Federal Pause Hits Offshore Wind Projects Planned Off the Jersey Shore and Along the East Coast' | 2025-12-23 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Jim Lonergan Published December 23, 2025 at 9:51 AM WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration has ordered a suspension of construction and lease activity for five major offshore wind projects along the East Coast, including Empire Wind, which is planned off the New Jersey and New York coasts. Federal officials cited national security concerns, specifically the potential for large offshore wind turbines to interfere with military and civilian radar systems used for aviation and maritime navigation. The pause, announced by the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Defense, applies not only to future permitting but also to projects that were already approved, under construction, or still in the development phase. Administration officials said the action is intended to allow time for additional review and coordination between federal agencies, the military, and project developers. The five offshore wind projects affected by the suspension are: Empire Wind 1 (New York–New Jersey coast), developed by Equinor Vineyard Wind 1 (off Massachusetts), the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm Revolution Wind (off Rhode Island and Connecticut), led by Ørsted Sunrise Wind (off New York), also developed by Ørsted Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), a Dominion Energy project off Virginia Together, these projects represent several gigawatts of planned renewable energy capacity and had been central to state and federal clean energy goals along the Eastern Seaboard. Photo Credit: shutterstock/ShutterDesigner Rep. Chris Smith (R–NJ), a long-time critic of offshore wind development, welcomed the administration’s decision, saying it validates concerns he has raised for years regarding radar interference and national security risks. Smith has argued that offshore wind turbines can create radar “clutter” that may weaken or disrupt systems relied upon by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Armed Forces. Click HERE for Rep. Smith's deeper explanation of the risks posed. Smith pointed to an April 202… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415216 | Shorebeat article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'Trump Halts Construction of Remaining Offshore Wind Project Off N.J.' | 2025-12-23 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Daniel Nee Published December 23, 2025 President Donald Trump halted numerous offshore wind projects on Monday, citing national security concerns, officials said. The decision led to cheers from U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, who has lobbied against the projects for years, and with consternation from some environmental groups that favored the projects. The order from Trump’s administration will stop five major offshore wind farms — including Empire Wind, located offshore in the New York bight, roughly between Monmouth County and portions of southern Long Island. Unlike some other wind projects, proposed and approved, Empire Wind would not likely have been visible from the New Jersey coast. Offshore wind development has been a persistent source of partisan wrangling, favored by New Jersey Democrats as well as officials in the former Biden administration. Trump, and GOP congressional leaders, pledged to eliminate the leases of offshore territory after concerns grew over potential negative effects on marine mammals, as well as subsidies for its foreign owner, the Norwegian firm Equinor. An executive order shutting down the projects has bounced between courtrooms since Trump took office in 2025, with the administration suffering a loss in court earlier this month when Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Patti Saris, appointed by President Bill Clinton, struck down the order. The decision is expected to be appealed, but Monday’s order effectively accomplishes the abolition of the projects – at least in the immediate future – for reasons related to national security. Offshore wind turbine. (Photo: Harald Pettersen/Statoil) The Department of the Interior halted the projects to allow for a “pause” so a review could be conducted in conjunction with the Department of Defense (War). Critics of the offshore development, most prominently Smith, have raised concerns that the massive turbines atop the structures could create radar clutter in busy airspace, most notably affecting Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, a major transit … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415218 | Daily Caller article on Smith's Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act'"Murder Masquerading As Medicine": Senate Ignores Bill On CCP's Christian Organ Harvesting' | 2025-12-23 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Derek VanBuskirk Published December 23, 2025 at 1:08 PM ET A bill aimed at curbing the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forced organ harvesting of cultural and religious minorities, including Christians, has “languished” in committee for seven months as Senate leaders have failed to act. Republican New Jersey Rep. Christopher Smith, sponsor of the legislation that passed the House with a nearly unanimous vote, told the Daily Caller about the growing threat to Christians in China and the real consequences of delaying Senate action. H.R. 1503, the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025, is not Smith’s first attempt to confront the practice. A 2023 version of the bill passed the House 413-2 before dying in the same place the current bill now sits: the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. (Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images) Smith chaired his first hearing on forced organ harvesting in 1998, hearing testimony from Chinese security officials. While the practice was once limited in scope, it exploded into a billion-dollar state enterprise following the CCP’s 1999 crackdown on Falun Gong. Falun Gong, a spiritual practice drawing on Buddhist and Taoist traditions and once widely embraced in China, was the primary early target. Because practitioners abstain from tobacco and alcohol, they were considered ideal harvesting candidates, with the average age of those executed and immediately harvested being 28, Smith said. Taipei, TAIWAN: During a rally joined by thousands of Falun Gong practitioners at Taipei 23 April 2006, four demonstrators play in an action drama against what they said was the Chinese communists’ killing of Falun Gong followers and harvesting of their organs in concentration camps. (Photo: PATRICK LIN/AFP via Getty Images) “I want to know how long [the patients] have to wait [for a liver transplant].” David Matas and David Kilgour recorded from an undercover conversation they had with a Chinese doctor, as recorded in “Bloody Harvest: The Killing of Falun Gong for Their Org… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415204 | Construction of Empire Wind suspendedCiting national security concerns—the critical issue Chris Smith has raised for years—the Trump administration halts construction of offshore wind projects | 2025-12-22 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a longtime opponent of offshore wind industrialization, issued the attached statement following the Trump administration’s announcement that the Depts. of the Interior and War have paused the leases for five major offshore wind farms—including Empire Wind off the New Jersey and New York coasts—due to national security concerns: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on May 7, 2025. “I am grateful to President Donald Trump and Secretary Doug Burgum for their leadership in assessing ocean wind’s threats to national security and radar interference. The safety and security of the American people should always be at the forefront of U.S. policy. “As I have argued from day one—ocean wind projects pose significant, catastrophic impacts to radar, putting military and civilian aircrafts and vessels at grave risk. “This concern has been raised in a number of studies, including the April 2025 Offshore Wind Energy report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an analysis I requested, along with many of my colleagues, and was also called for in my legislation passed by the House—by a margin of 244 to 189—nearly three years ago. “As early as 2023, I joined Fox News’ Madison Alworth in Middletown, NJ to highlight the numerous national security and navigational risks associated with offshore wind industrialization. Rep. Smith debates in favor of his FAA amendment on July 20, 2023. “That same year, the House passed my amendment requiring the President or his designee to certify that offshore wind projects ‘will not weaken, degrade, interfere with, or nullify the capability of radar relied upon the Federal Aviation Administration or the Armed Forces.’ “It is particularly important that among the five offshore wind projects suspended by the Trump administration, Empire Wind is one of them—a project I have vehemently opposed for years. “Empire Wind’s close proximity to major international airports, including Newark Liberty, LaGuardia, and JFK, and critical… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415206 | Asbury Park Press article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'Is Lyme disease a military accident? New probe inspired by late Wall woman' | 2025-12-22 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Jerry Carino Published December 22, 2025 at 5:05 AM After nearly a decade of trying, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., has gotten the green light for a federal investigation into whether the military weaponized ticks with Lyme disease as part of a Cold War experiment gone awry — furthering the spread and intensity of the illness, which has hit New Jerseyans particularly hard. Smith’s Lyme disease amendment, attached to the $900 billion National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 that was signed into law by President Donald Trump Dec. 18, directs the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office to produce a report on the matter. The amendment flew under the media radar, but longtime Wall resident Rich Smith took notice. It’s another chapter in the legacy of his late wife, Pat Smith, who was one of the nation’s leading advocates for Lyme disease patients — in particular those who suffered from chronic or long-term Lyme. Pat Smith died in 2024 at age 78. “I think she would think it’s way past due and a very positive step in tracing the history of Lyme — one more step in the process of beating back this disease,” Rich Smith told the Asbury Park Press. “She’s smiling from above,” Chris Smith said. “She’s the pioneer.” U.S. Rep. Chris Smith R-N.J., is shown with Pat Smith, Lyme Disease Association President, before a panel discussion about Lyme disease held at the Wall Township Municipal building Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Thomas P. Costello/Asbury Park Press The challenge for Lyme patients In the 1980s, Lyme disease afflicted two of Pat and Rich Smith’s daughters, one of whom missed four years of school. Pat founded the nonprofit Lyme Disease Association and traveled the country to raise awareness. “She’s the one who got me into Lyme,” Chris Smith said. “She came to a town meeting in Wall in 1992 and said, ‘What are you doing about Lyme disease?’ I said ‘Nothing.’ We had lunch, and I’ve been working on it ever since.” Lyme disease affects nearly 500,000 people a year in the U.S., and New Jersey ha… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415211 | Patch article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'For The 2nd Time, Trump Pauses All Offshore Wind Farms, Including Empire Wind 19 Miles Off The Jersey Shore' | 2025-12-22 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Carly Baldwin Published Monday, December 22, 2025 at 4:11 PM ET LONG BRANCH, NJ — For the second time this year, President Donald Trump's administration put a pause on all offshore wind farm development in the United States, and Empire Wind — currently being built 19 miles off Long Branch — is affected. On Monday, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced here he is pausing the leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects under construction in the U.S. His decision temporarily shuts down existing wind farms that have been in operation for years, including Vineyard Wind off Martha's Vineyard and Sunrise Wind off Rhode Island. It also stops all work on wind farms in development, including Empire Wind, which started installing monopiles into the Atlantic Ocean floor and was 40 percent complete as of August. Empire Wind is owned by Norwegian renewable energy company Equinor, the majority shareholder of which is the Kingdom of Norway. Clean Ocean Action took these photos July 30 of Empire Wind being built off Long Branch. That's a monopile, at right, being pushed into the sea floor. (Clean Ocean Action) Burgum said he made his decision due to national security risks identified by the Department of War. Burgum cited reports from the Dept. of War that said the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers can create radar interference called “clutter.” That radar interference can obscure legitimate moving targets and generates false targets near wind farms. "This pause will give the Department, along with the Department of War and other relevant government agencies, time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects," the Department of the Interior said Monday. These are the five existing or planned wind farms off the United States affected by the new order: Vineyard Wind 1 (OCS-A 0501) - off Marth's Vineyard, Massachusetts Revolution Wind (OCS-A 0486) - off Rhode Islan… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415213 | New York Post article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'Trump admin scraps 5 offshore wind farms — including New York projects — citing "national security risks"' | 2025-12-22 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Josh Christenson Published December 22, 2025 WASHINGTON — The US Interior Department announced Monday that it was immediately pausing leases for five offshore wind farms — including two in New York — “due to national security risks identified by the Department of War in recently completed classified reports.” The renewable energy projects included the Massachusetts and Rhode Island-headquartered Vineyard Wind 1 and Revolution Wind, a commercial wind farm in Virginia and New York’s Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind — several of which had gotten either funding or regulatory boosts from the Biden administration. Unclassified reports have previously cited radar interference, also known as “clutter,” prompting false alarms due to “the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers” of the wind farms,” the Interior Department noted in a press release. The projects were scrapped due to unspecified national security risks. Empire Wind / Vestas Wind Systems A/S Trump speaks before delivering remarks at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania on Dec. 9, 2025.AFP via Getty Images In some cases, radar would also “miss actual targets.” “The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. “Today’s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers,” he added. “The Trump administration will always prioritize the security of the American people.” Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), whose brothers are both pilots, told The Post Monday that has been advocating against the offshore wind farms for years based on their potential to disrupt both aircraft and ships’ radar — for both civilians and military service members. “Camp Evans is located in my district, and that’s where the radars were created for World War II,” he explained, “and we kne… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415215 | Save Jersey article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'Citing national security concerns, Trump pauses all U.S. offshore wind construction' | 2025-12-22 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Matt Rooney Published December 22, 2025 This has been a long time in coming, Save Jerseyans. The negative impact of offshore wind development on tourism and marine life is well established. Back in early 2023, I wrote about the building body of evidence suggesting that giant, radar-confusing turbines off of the East Coast also posed a threat to navigation and national security. “Although the base of the tower is stationary, the nominal area of the turbine to the radar is dynamic since the machine is constantly tracking the wind,” explained Wind Systems Magazine way back in 2010. “Wind turbines are made of highly reflective materials—steel, fiberglass, and carbon fiber composite—and can scatter and return a significant amount of the energy. The turbine tower is the most reflective component, but since it is constantly stationary the rotor is the largest problem to the radar. In most cases the signature can be quite large and can affect the radars/operator’s ability to differentiate the wind farm from flying aircraft and weather storms. The Doppler effect is due to the moving rotor and can affect the moving target indicator of a radar.” “Anyone who has been paying close attention to the shoddy and reckless approval process for these offshore wind projects will not be fooled by this after-the-fact proposal—which is far too little and far too late,” added Congressman Chris Smith (R, NJ-04) in October 2024. “For years, we have been pointing out the lack of serious scrutiny and proper vetting for these projects—especially and including the likely dire impacts on national security and military readiness—but the Biden-Harris Administration has ignored our concerns,” Smith added. “In fact, the implementation of this agreement so late in the process begs the question of what national security threats have been downplayed or neglected by BOEM over the past few years during its reckless, fast-track approval process.” On Monday, the Trump Administration relied upon the clear threat to our homeland to issue a general … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415201 | Jimmy Lai’s son, Sebastien, testified at CECC hearingRep. Smith on the shameful conviction of Hong Kong businessman and democracy/free speech champion, Jimmy Lai | 2025-12-19 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued the below statement following a Hong Kong court’s unjust conviction of Jimmy Lai—the founder of newspaper Apple Daily and an outspoken advocate for democracy and free speech—on fraudulent, politically motivated national security and sedition charges: “Jimmy Lai’s ‘guilty’ verdict by a Hong Kong court—clearly orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party—is an affront to justice everywhere. Promoting democratic ideals and free speech is not, and should not be, a crime. “In addition to Jimmy’s leadership as an advocate for democracy and free speech, he is a model of Christian conscience and a hero of the Catholic Faith. Though an evil regime seeks to crush him, his witness to Truth—and to Jesus as the Truth—will outlive and outshine his oppressors. “Right now, Jimmy has been deprived of medical care, and his health is declining due to harsh prison conditions. We call upon Hong Kong authorities to release Jimmy on simple humanitarian grounds, as a humane gesture to him and his family.” At a Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) hearing chaired by Smith in 2023, entitled “One City, Two Legal Systems: Political Prisoners and the Erosion of the Rule of Law in Hong Kong,” Jimmy’s son, Sebastien, gave compelling testimony about how his father has been vilified and targeted by the CCP and Hong Kong authorities: “My father has never advocated for violence. He is a man of peace. His only so-called ‘crime’ is to disagree and condemn the actions of the CCP and the Hong Kong authorities that seek to silence critical voices. For that, he faces the rest of his life in prison. “My father is a victim of an autocratic State which will not tolerate dissent or criticism. It is clear that there is no longer ‘One Country, Two Systems’ but that Beijing is now controlling Hong Kong. The [National Security Law] spells that out. His treatment is grossly unfair.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415202 | Smith authored the laws that created the position and elevated it to AmbassadorSmith commends Senate confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism | 2025-12-19 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, today welcomed the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. “I am glad to see that the U.S. Senate has finally confirmed Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun to serve as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, who I am confident will be an extraordinarily effective and formidable force in the global fight against antisemitism,” said Smith, who, in 2004, wrote the amendment (PL 108-332) that created the State Department’s Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. In 2020, Smith authored the law—the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act—to elevate the Office of the Special Envoy to the high-level position of ambassador (PL 116-326). “When I first authored the legislative provisions to create the position back in 2004, Rabbi Kaploun was exactly the type of leader I had in mind: incredibly strong, remarkably productive, and wholly committed to countering the escalating threats and acts of violence against Jews,” continued Smith. “As acts of antisemitic violence and hate continue to rise—including the horrific December 14th terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Australia—President Trump’s nomination of Rabbi Kaploun sends a strong message to the international community: the United States will never tolerate, excuse, or accept antisemitism within its borders—and anywhere else in the world,” stated Smith, who has chaired 18 congressional hearings on global antisemitism. “I am grateful to President Trump for nominating such an impressive and accomplished candidate to serve as the Special Envoy, and I wish Rabbi Kaploun every success in his new position. “I look forward to working alongside Rabbi Kaploun and his Office of the Special Envoy to eradicate the spiritual cancer of antisemitism that metastasizes around the world,” concluded Smith. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415208 | Utility Dive article on Harris-Smith-Van Drew SPEED Act amendment'House passes permitting reform bill with anti-offshore wind amendment' | 2025-12-19 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Diana DiGangi Published December 19, 2025 The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed permitting reform legislation, the SPEED Act, with an amendment that prevents the bill from applying to offshore wind projects. The SPEED Act would amend the National Environmental Policy Act to ease and speed the permitting of energy projects. It introduces new deadlines for opposition to projects – opponents would have to make a claim against a project no later than 150 days after final agency action is made public, for instance. It also mandates that “not later than 30 days after completing an environmental impact statement or an environmental assessment for the proposed agency action, the lead agency, and any cooperating agency, shall issue a final agency action.” Getty Images The offshore wind carveout applies to “the issuance, modification, approval, or administration of any lease, easement, right-of-way, site assessment plan, construction and operations plan, or any other authorization for an offshore wind energy project,” the amendment says. The amendment was proposed by two New Jersey representatives, Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., along with Maryland’s lone Republican representative, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md. Smith said in a Thursday release that the amendment was “absolutely critical for preserving the Trump administration’s ability to continue its much-need reviews of ocean wind projects off of the Atlantic Coast due to overwhelming safety and national defense concerns.” He said that the amendment was designed to avoid nullifying the Trump administration’s actions against offshore wind, including a halt on offshore wind permitting which a federal judge struck down as illegal in a Dec. 8 ruling. In his own release, Harris said he “was engaged in deliberations with the House Natural Resources Committee for months to ensure the inclusion of this language, guided by a single principle: my constituents in Ocean City and communities across the Atlantic Coastline are not for sale.”… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415209 | CatholicVote article on PLC statement on CMS Section 1303 guidance'Pro-life caucus praises CMS guidance barring states from redirecting unused abortion funds' | 2025-12-19 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Elise Winland Published on December 19, 2025 Lawmakers in the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus welcomed new guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Dec. 18 that clarifies that leftover abortion-related funds collected under Obamacare cannot be redirected to support state-level abortion programs. The statement was released by the caucus’ co-chairs: Republican Reps. Chris Smith of New Jersey, Andy Harris of Maryland, Bob Onder of Missouri, Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, and Kat Cammack of Florida. The CMS guidance, released Dec. 9, centers on Section 1303 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare, which requires qualified health plans that cover elective abortions to collect a separate payment from enrollees for abortion-related services. The law mandates that those funds be kept segregated from federal subsidies. According to the caucus’ statement, the new CMS guidance clarifies that any unused money from the segregated account must be returned to the health plan issuers at year’s end, rather than being reallocated by states for broader abortion programs. “We applaud CMS’s clear guidance that leftover money collected by qualified health plans (QHPs) to fund on-demand abortions, in compliance with Section 1303 of the PPACA, are returned to the QHP issuers,” the lawmakers said. “Leftover funds do not become available to states seeking to bankroll extreme abortion agendas.” The guidance addresses previous concerns that some state legislatures could seize unspent funds for state-run grant programs, effectively “blurring the line between federal taxpayer dollars and individual contributions,” according to the statement. The caucus also credited CMS leadership under Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz for “preventing violations of Section 1303” and reiterated their commitment to upholding the Hyde Amendment’s longstanding prohibition on using federal taxpayer dollars for elective abortions. In the statement, lawmakers argued that the PPACA conflic… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415198 | Congressional Pro-Life Caucus statement on CMS Section 1303 guidance | 2025-12-18 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Today, the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus—Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ), Andy Harris (R-MD), Bob Onder (R-MO), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), and Kat Cammack (R-FL)—issued the following statement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) releasedguidance on the use of segregated funds, obtained in accordance with Section 1303 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA): “We applaud CMS’s clear guidance that leftover money collected by qualified health plans (QHPs) to fund on-demand abortions, in compliance with Section 1303 of the PPACA, are returned to the QHP issuers. Leftover funds do not become available to states seeking to bankroll extreme abortion agendas. “The CMS guidance clarifies that no funds reallocated from Section 1303 separate accounts at the end of the year may be used to pay for elective abortion. “Previously, it was suggested that state legislatures could seize unspent Section 1303 funds and use the money for state-run grant programs, blurring the line between federal taxpayer dollars and individual contributions. “We are thankful for CMS’s steadfast leadership, under Dr. Mehmet Oz, in preventing violations of Section 1303. “The Pro-Life Caucus remains committed to preventing taxpayer dollars from being used for elective abortions and protecting Hyde’s longstanding, lifesaving legacy.” The Hyde Amendment, which has passed annually with bipartisan support for nearly 50 years, protects federal taxpayer dollars from paying for elective abortion or health plans that cover elective abortion. The PPACA violated the Hyde Amendment by expressly allowing funding for plans that covered elective abortion. Although President Obama issued an executive order claiming that the PPACA would comply with the Hyde Amendment, it instead required health plans that chose to cover elective abortion to keep elective abortion funding completely separate from federal dollars. These plans must collect abortion-related funds in a separate account that is paid for only w… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415200 | House adopts key amendment to preserve Trump administration review of offshore wind projects as part of SPEED Act | 2025-12-18 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | During debate on HR 4776, the SPEED Act, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted Amendment #4, offered by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) and cosponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), which is absolutely critical for preserving the Trump administration’s ability to continue its much-need reviews of ocean wind projects off of the Atlantic Coast due to overwhelming safety and national defense concerns. The amendment was drafted following a December 5th letter to President Trump, led by Smith and cosigned by Harris and Van Drew, which raised concerns over the legislation’s potential to undermine the Trump administration’s ability to review offshore wind industrialization, should the bill be enacted. With the adoption of the Harris/Smith/Van Drew amendment, the provisions of the SPEED Act will no longer nullify the administrative actions undertaken by the Trump administration prior to the bill’s enactment. This amendment preserves vital tools for President Trump to deliver on his promise to end the ill-conceived ocean wind industrialization experiment off the New Jersey coast. The SPEED Act and the critical Harris/Smith/Van Drew amendment passed the House on Thursday, December 18th and is now pending in the Senate. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415195 | Lakewood Alerts article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'Congressman Smith Joins RFK Jr. for Lyme Disease Roundtable' | 2025-12-17 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Lakewood Alerts Published December 17, 2025 Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), co-chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, joined U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday for a roundtable discussion focused on advancing diagnostics, treatment options, and long-term care for Lyme disease patients. The discussion, convened by Kennedy at HHS, brought together senior federal officials, lawmakers, medical experts, and patients. Participants included Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), and specialists in Lyme and tick-borne diseases. Smith, who has authored multiple laws aimed at increasing federal investment in Lyme disease research, said the meeting addressed both current gaps and future opportunities in diagnosing and treating the illness. “This chronic, life-altering disease—which continues to rise throughout the United States, including and especially in my home state of New Jersey—deserves the federal government’s undivided attention and assistance,” Smith said. During the roundtable, Kennedy announced several initiatives intended to strengthen federal efforts on Lyme disease. Among them was the renewal of the $10 million LymeX Innovation Accelerator, a public-private partnership supported by the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation that focuses on developing improved diagnostic tools. Smith has previously advocated for federal funding to sustain the program. Kennedy also said CMS will expand its Chronic Care Management program to include individuals with Lyme disease and related conditions. The move is intended to increase access to coordinated medical care and reduce financial barriers for patients with long-term or persistent symptoms. “One of the reasons we wanted to host this meeting is to announce to the world that the gaslighting of Lyme patients is over,” Kennedy said. He added that HHS aims to ensure physicians nationwide are better equ… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-announces-2025-congressional-app-challenge-winners | Kean Announces 2025 Congressional App Challenge Winners | 2025-12-17 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (December 17, 2025) LEBANON BOROUGH, NJ — Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) announced the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District. The winning team, Maxwell Brohm of Califon and Zander Leon of Kinnelon, are students at the Morris County School of Technology. Their winning app, ChronoIQ, is designed to enhance students’ time management skills, promoting greater efficiency while minimizing stress and academic pressure. The Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is a district-wide competition for middle and high school students that encourages coding and inspires student interest in computer science and other STEM fields. This year, the CAC received more than 4,600 applications nationwide and it has become the most prestigious competition in computer science for students, as well as the largest competition of its kind in the country. “I am excited to announce Maxwell Brohm and Zander Leon as the winners of this year’s Congressional App Challenge for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District,” said Congressman Kean. “Today’s students are balancing demanding academic schedules alongside extracurricular activities and personal commitments, and ChronoIQ offers a smart, practical solution to help them manage their time more effectively. Maxwell and Zander's app reflects the remarkable talent, creativity, and problem-solving skills we have in NJ-07. I would also like to commend every student who participated in this year's competition and thank the judges for their time and dedication.” Reflecting on what inspired their app, Brohm and Leon said, “Our inspiration for ChronoIQ came from our own struggles with time management. We both have struggled with procrastination, which causes a lot of stress during school and at home. Staying up late to finish assignments has even affected our health. That’s why we created ChronoIQ, to help students stay organized, lower stress, and live healthier lives.” As winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge, the students are e… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415190 | New diagnostics, effective treatmentsRFK Jr., Smith push solutions to tick-borne disease pandemic | 2025-12-16 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith and Sec. Kennedy at the HHS' Lyme Disease Roundtable on December 15, 2025. Yesterday, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, joined U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for a “game changing” discussion about new and improved diagnostics, therapeutics, and prognoses for Lyme disease patients. The HHS’ Lyme Disease Roundtable discussion, convened by Sec. Kennedy, was also attended by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Lyme disease experts, and patients. “As Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, I was honored to join Secretary Kennedy and other distinguished stakeholders, such as my fellow members of Congress, experts, and patients, in discussing the present state and future possibilities of Lyme disease diagnostics, treatments, and therapies,” said Smith, the author of numerous laws to enhance federal funding for Lyme disease research. “This chronic, life-altering disease—which continues to rise throughout the United States, including and especially in my home state of New Jersey—deserves the federal government’s undivided attention and assistance,” stated the longtime advocate for Lyme patients. “I want to thank, first of all, Congressman Chris Smith, who is the Chair of the Lyme Caucus and who has been responsible for getting some of the funding that we need to make sure that this works,” said Sec. Kennedy. “One of the reasons we wanted to host this meeting is to announce to the world that the gaslighting of Lyme patients is over. “We want to make sure that every physician in the country can recognize the symptoms of Lyme disease and test for it and then direct patients to the best possible treatments,” continued Sec. Kennedy. Throughout the roundtable discussion, Sec. Kennedy—who described the personal impact of Lyme disease on his family—announced numerous, sign… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415193 | Thanks to President Trump for direct engagementChris Smith on the release of Belarusian political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski; announces January hearing on remaining prisoners | 2025-12-16 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), a longtime champion of human rights and democracy in Belarus and author of landmark U.S. legislation—the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004—welcomed the December 13th release of 123 political prisoners by the government of Belarus—a release made possible through the energetic efforts of President Trump. “I rejoice with everyone released and their families—today, they are free, and God willing, the remaining prisoners in Belarus will be free one day as well,” said Smith. Among those freed were Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, prominent opposition figures Maria Kolesnikova and Viktar Babaryka, and one American citizen. Thanks to President Trump’s direct engagement, more than 200 political prisoners have now been released, including several U.S. citizens. “As the prime author of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 and multiple reauthorizations, as well as the current Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2025 (HR 3225), I have worked for decades to hold the Lukashenko regime accountable and secure freedom for Belarus’s political prisoners,” stated Smith, who co-chairs the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. “Full credit should be given to President Trump for this remarkable achievement—his bold diplomacy and personal engagement have delivered life-saving results for 123 innocent people, who were languishing in brutal detention. Now, they are with their families. I have had the privilege of meeting some of the released prisoners, and their stories of courage amid unimaginable hardship are deeply inspiring,” continued Smith. “We must not forget the more than 1,000 political prisoners who remain behind bars in harsh and often life-threatening conditions. Their immediate and unconditional release is clearly a top priority for President Trump. In order to build on the President’s momentum, I plan to hold a congressional hearing in January focused on the remaining prisoners.” Smith has led U.S. legislative efforts on Belarus for over two decades, authoring the original… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415194 | The Lakewood Scoop article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'RFK Jr., Smith Push Solutions to Tick-borne Disease Pandemic' | 2025-12-16 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By The Lakewood Scoop Published December 16, 2025 at 7:45 PM Congressman Chris Smith, the longtime Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, joined Kennedy this week at a high-level Lyme Disease Roundtable convened by HHS to address what both leaders described as a growing public health crisis. The discussion brought together federal health officials, members of Congress, medical experts, and Lyme disease patients to explore new diagnostics, therapies, and long-term care options. Lyme disease cases continue to rise throughout the country, with New Jersey among the hardest-hit states. Smith, who has authored and championed numerous laws to increase federal funding for Lyme research, said the disease has been ignored for far too long. Kennedy credited Smith with securing critical funding and helping elevate the issue nationally, stating that federal agencies are now committed to ending what he described as the “gaslighting” of Lyme disease patients. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that physicians nationwide can recognize symptoms, properly test for Lyme, and guide patients to effective treatment. During the roundtable, Kennedy announced several significant initiatives, including the renewal of the $10 million LymeX Innovation Accelerator, which will support the development of improved diagnostic tools through a public-private partnership, and the expansion of Medicare’s Chronic Care Management program to include Lyme disease patients, reducing financial barriers and improving coordinated care for those suffering from chronic symptoms. Smith praised the announcements as a turning point, calling the discussions “beacons of hope” for patients who have long struggled to obtain answers and proper treatment. He said stronger diagnostic standards and improved therapies are critical steps toward finally addressing what many patients describe as an invisible yet debilitating illness. The meeting follows another major development in federal Lyme research efforts: the recent House passa… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415197 | Jewish Insider article on letter from co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism'After Sydney Hanukkah massacre, House lawmakers urge Australia to act to protect Jewish community' | 2025-12-16 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Marc Rod Published December 16, 2025 The co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism are urging Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to act more forcefully to protect Australia’s Jewish community and implement months-old recommendations from the country’s antisemitism envoy. In a letter to Albanese sent Monday, the ten lawmakers said that the attack, which killed at least 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration, “comes in the wake of the Australian Jewish community repeatedly raising the alarm and urging swift action to counter the spread of unchecked antisemitic rhetoric and demonstrations occurring in Australia for far too long.” The lawmakers said that there have been repeated “warning signs,” including firebombings of synagogues, graffiti, assaults and threats of violence, which “have now led to a tragic reality.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during a press conference in Canberra on August 11, 2025. They noted that Jillian Segal, the Australian special envoy to combat antisemitism, released 49 recommendations to be implemented across a range of institutions in July, and questioned what the Australian government has done to enact that plan and how it will protect the Jewish community going forward. The lawmakers called on Albanese to “move swiftly and decisively” to implement those recommendations. “While we appreciate Australia joining the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism led by the United States, we urge your government to implement and actively utilize this document and its recommendations within,” the letter continues. “We also encourage you to further insulate Australia from malign foreign influence, like that of Iran and possibly others, which has been found to be supporting antisemitic attacks in Australia.” The letter states that Australia’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp as a terrorist organization “is an important first step, but it cannot be the last step if Australia is to address the antisemitism brewi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-delivers-500000-federal-grants-support-local-fire-departments | Kean Delivers $500,000 in Federal Grants to Support Local Fire Departments | 2025-12-16 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (December 16, 2025) LEBANON BOROUGH, NJ – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) announced that $510,531 in federal grant funding will be delivered to six fire departments in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District to support their public safety missions. The funding was provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Fiscal Year 2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program. Congressman Kean played a key role in securing these funds for local fire departments. In February 2024, he hosted a webinar to explain the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program and assist departments in navigating the application process. Congressman Kean also submitted letters of support for fire departments that requested assistance. The funding was made possible through Congressman Kean’s legislation, the Fire Grants and Safety Act, which provided critical federal resources to support many fire departments across New Jersey and over 1,000 other departments nationwide. His bill, which was signed into law in July 2024, reauthorized for five years the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program, the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program. “I am thrilled to announce that we brought home over $500,000 in federal dollars to support six fire departments in New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. “Every day, our firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our families and neighbors, and these grants will help departments purchase essential equipment, enhance training, and strengthen readiness to keep communities safe. I remain committed to supporting our first responders and I encourage other departments in the district to apply for these grants. My office stands ready to assist throughout the process.” “We are grateful for this $75,000 AFG grant and for Congressman Kean’s support in securing these funds for Summit,” said Summit Mayor Eli… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415188 | Daily Mail article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'US military under investigation over claims it weaponized ticks to spread insidious disease' | 2025-12-15 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Stacy Liberatore, US Science & Technology Editor Published 11:01 EST, 15 December 2025 Scientists have long debated a chilling question: Did the US military weaponize ticks during the Cold War? Now, Congress is demanding answers with a newly filed amendment that directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate whether federal agencies experimented with pathogen-laden ticks as tools of war. The provision, authored by New Jersey Representative Chris Smith and filed on Friday, calls for a review of military, National Institutes of Health and US Department of Agriculture projects conducted between 1945 and 1972 involving Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales, two families of bacteria linked to tick-borne illnesses. Smith, who co-chairs the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, said the effort is driven by New Jersey's unusually high infection rates and concerns for civilians and military personnel stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. 'The hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans suffering from Lyme disease deserve to know the truth about the origins of their illness,' Smith said. Smith is not the first public official to raise such questions, as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has previously suggested that Lyme disease may have emerged from a failed US bioweapons program in the 1970s, allegedly involving research at Plum Island, New York. Scientists, however, have repeatedly rejected those claims, calling them a debunked conspiracy and pointing to evidence that Lyme-causing bacteria existed in North America long before the 20th century. Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is reported in 30,000 to 40,000 cases annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though the agency estimates that as many as 476,000 infections may occur each year and go undiagnosed. Congress is demanding answers with a newly filed amendment that directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate whether federal agencies expe… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415189 | TAPinto Gold Coast article on Smith's statement condemning antisemitic violence'Congressman Smith Condemns Deadly Antisemitic Attack at Hanukkah Event in Australia' | 2025-12-15 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Jim Lonergan Published December 15, 2025 at 9:10 AM WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., condemned a deadly antisemitic terrorist attack this weekend at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, where gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more, including children and elderly attendees. The attack occurred during a public Hanukkah gathering near the beach, where families and community members had assembled to celebrate the holiday. Authorities have described the shooting as a targeted act of antisemitic terrorism. Multiple attackers were involved, and police said the rapid intervention of bystanders and first responders prevented an even higher death toll. The incident has sent shockwaves through Australia and prompted heightened security around Jewish institutions nationwide. In a statement, Smith expressed condolences to the victims and the Australian Jewish community, calling the attack a stark example of the global rise in antisemitic violence. “My heart breaks for the victims, their families, and the entire Australian Jewish community enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” Smith said. “The savagery and cruelty of this attack on Jewish families echoes the worst antisemitic violence we have seen since the October 7 Hamas atrocity.” Smith also praised the actions of a bystander who intervened during the attack, tackling and disarming one of the gunmen. He said the individual’s actions likely saved many lives. A longtime advocate for combating antisemitism, Smith is the author of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2021. He used the moment to renew calls for stronger international efforts to confront antisemitism and hold perpetrators accountable. Under the law, President Trump nominated Yehuda Kaploun in April to serve as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, with the rank of ambassador. Smith noted that nearly nine months later, the nomination is still awaiting final Senate confirmation. The delay … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415185 | Calls on U.S. Senate to confirm Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat AntisemitismSmith condemns antisemitic terror attack targeting Jewish community during Hanukkah in Australia | 2025-12-14 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | The author of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2021— Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)—condemned the horrific, antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. The attackers opened fire on a peaceful Hanukkah celebration, killing at least 15 innocent people—including children and the elderly—and injuring dozens more. “My heart breaks for the victims, their families, and the entire Australian Jewish community enduring this unimaginable tragedy, and my wife, Marie, and I pray for the swift recovery of the wounded. The savagery and cruelty of this attack on Jewish families echoes the worst antisemitic violence we’ve seen since the October 7th Hamas atrocity. It is a stark reminder of the truly dark nature of the spiritual cancer of antisemitism that metastasizes around the world,” said Smith, who, in 2004, wrote the amendment that created the State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, now known as the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. “I commend the extraordinary courage of the bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen—he saved many lives.” Smith, a longtime advocate for combating antisemitism through legislation and congressional hearings, called for immediate international action to root out this hatred. Pursuant to Smith’s law, last April, President Trump nominated Yehuda Kaploun to serve as the Special Envoy with the rank of Ambassador to “serve as the primary advisor to, and coordinate efforts across, the United States Government relating to monitoring and combating anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement that occur in foreign countries…” Smith said, “Nearly nine months later, the U.S. Senate may finally confirm Yehuda Kaploun.” In April, President Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I am proud to nominate Yehuda Kaploun as the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Ambassador-at-Large. “Yehuda is a successful businessman, and staunch advocate for the Jewish Faith and the Rights of his peopl… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415180 | Export Compliance Daily article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Sudan'House Lawmaker Seeks Terror Label for Sudan's RSF' | 2025-12-12 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Marc Selinger Published December 12, 2025 Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, said Dec. 11 the U.S. should designate Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia a Foreign Terrorist Organization. At a hearing on Sudan’s civil war, which pits the militia against the Sudanese Armed Forces, Smith accused the RSF of a host of crimes, including a recent deadly attack on a kindergarten. His comments came about six weeks after a bipartisan group of six senators said the U.S. should consider designating the RSF an FTO or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (see 2511040018). Also at the subcommittee hearing, Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., the panel's ranking member, urged the Trump administration to sanction entities in the United Arab Emirates that back the RSF. She also called for blocking weapons sales to the UAE until it stops providing material support to the RSF. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., tried unsuccessfully last month to force a Senate vote on a bill to suspend arms sales to the UAE (see 2511210036). | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415184 | Fox News article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Sudan'As world fixates on other wars, Sudan sees 12 million forcibly displaced in devastating conflict' | 2025-12-12 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Chris Massaro Published December 12, 2025 at 10:18 AM EST While the world’s attention has focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, Sudan remains the world’s largest displacement crisis, with some 12 million people driven out of their homes. "Sudan is under the darkest of clouds, a catastrophe that has, for far too long, been met with paralysis by the international community," Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., chair of the House Foreign Affairs Africa subcommittee, said during his opening statements during a December 11 hearing on crimes against humanity in Sudan. Smith said the hearing was a global call to action and that there must be an immediate cessation of hostilities between the warring factions. Smoke rises as clashes continue in the Sudanese capital on April 16, 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The death toll in ongoing clashes between Sudan's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has reached 56, while the injured is 595. (Photo by Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) "Crimes against humanity — particularly by the Rapid Support Forces — including mass rape, ethnic targeting and systematic looting, must be investigated, and perpetrators held accountable," Smith added. The conflict in Sudan has received renewed attention after President Donald Trump vowed to secure a peace deal in the African nation following his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in November. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, recently said repeated drone strikes on Dec. 4 in Sudan’s South Kordofan region struck a kindergarten and nearby hospital, killing 114 people, including 63 children. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa subcommittee, held a hearing on Sudan’s devastating civil war on Thursday. (Rep. Chris Smith's Office) "Disturbingly, paramedics and responders came under attack as they tried to move the injured from the ki… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-amo-introduce-bill-promote-drone-and-aviation-safety-advance-research | Kean, Amo Introduce Bill to Promote Drone and Aviation Safety, Advance Research & Development | 2025-12-12 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (December 12, 2025) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) and Gabe Amo (RI-01) announced the introduction of the Drone Safety Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation designed to advance research on drones and support the future of advanced air mobility. The bill strengthens federal research and development (R&D) efforts focused on drone safety and autonomous aviation within the national airspace system. It also directly supports ongoing work at federal aviation laboratories—including the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace located in New Jersey—to ensure safe, efficient, and modern evolution of aviation technology. “As technology rapidly advances and drones become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it is critical that air traffic for these systems is managed safely and transparently,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. “I introduced the Drone Safety Enhancement Act with Representative Amo to direct the research needed to modernize our national airspace and support responsible integration of emerging technologies. Continued R&D in autonomous aviation is vital to America’s competitiveness and to guaranteeing our airspace remains safe, efficient, and prepared for the future.” “I’m proud to help introduce the bipartisan Drone Safety Enhancement Act with Congressman Tom Kean to ensure the federal government is collaborating across agencies and with leaders in academia and industry to enhance our understanding of drones and advanced air mobility,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “We must harness emerging technologies for good.” Specifically, the bill would: Require the NASA Administrator, the FAA Administrator, and leaders of other relevant federal agencies to collaborate on research related to unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility. This includes research on unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) and autonomous aviation capabilities. Require congressional briefings on the progress of this research 18 months after the bill’s enactment… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415165 | Lakewood Alerts article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'Is Lyme Disease a U.S.-Made Biological Weapon? Rep. Chris Smith Triggers Federal Probe' | 2025-12-11 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Lakewood Alerts Published December 11, 2025 A long-debated question about the origins of Lyme disease is poised for federal scrutiny after Congress approved an amendment requiring an investigation into whether the U.S. military once weaponized ticks. The provision, authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and now awaits the President’s signature. Smith’s amendment, now Sec. 1068 of the defense bill, directs the Government Accountability Office to examine Cold War-era biological weapons research and determine whether federal agencies used ticks as delivery mechanisms for pathogens. The review will encompass military, NIH, and USDA projects from 1945 to 1972 involving Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales, two families of bacteria linked to tick-borne illnesses. Smith, who co-chairs the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, said the push is rooted in New Jersey’s unusually high infection rates and concerns for both civilians and military personnel stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. “The hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans suffering from Lyme disease deserve to know the truth about the origins of their illness,” he said. The amendment follows two similar efforts Smith advanced in 2019 and 2021, which cleared the House but were blocked in the Senate. His renewed push has drawn attention in part because of claims featured in Kris Newby’s book Bitten, which cites interviews and files from Dr. Willy Burgdorfer, the scientist credited with discovering Lyme disease. Burgdorfer, according to the book, said he and other researchers experimented with pathogen-loaded ticks for potential battlefield use. Smith said the GAO probe could either confirm or definitively dispel theories about government involvement in the spread of Lyme disease. “If the investigation concludes that our bioweapons program was not involved, we turn the page,” he said. “But we need answers.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415166 | Opening statement of Chairman Smith at hearing on SudanStopping the Bloodshed: U.S. Response to Crimes Against Humanity in Sudan | 2025-12-11 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | The following are excerpts of Chairman Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) opening statement at the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee’s December 11th hearing—his seventeenth hearing chaired exclusively on Sudan—entitled “Stopping the Bloodshed: U.S. Response to Crimes Against Humanity in Sudan”: Last week, I had the honor of attending President Trump’s convening of two African leaders to bring an end to decades of bloodshed and war in eastern Congo. It is through the President’s leadership, and the tireless efforts of his staff, that the leaders were able to sign an historic accord—the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity—the gravity of which, we hope, will result in a lasting peace between Rwanda and the DRC. The President is a man of peace—peace through strength—and I am encouraged by his focus and engagement on Sudan. Sudan is under the darkest of clouds, a catastrophe that has, for far too long, been met with paralysis by the international community. The people of Sudan have been subjected to unbearable pain, suffering, and loss of life—even slavery—for decades. Three decades ago, I chaired a hearing in 1996 on the scourge of slavery in Sudan and Mauritania, where we heard testimony that chilled the soul. I went to Khartoum in August of 2005 and met with President Omar al Bashir and other government officials to press for an end to the genocide in Darfur. The meeting was necessarily contentious. Bashir denied any wrongdoing or complicity in the Darfur genocide. In 2009, however, Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, and in 2010, he was the first person ever charged for the crime of genocide. After meetings with Bashir and other government officials, my staff director, Greg Simkins, and I visited two refugee camps in Darfur—Kalma camp and stayed overnight at another, Mukjar—an experience that profoundly motivated me to do more to end the mass violence. When our helicopter landed at the remote Mukjar camp, thousands of women an… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415176 | WATCH: Rep. Chris Smith highlights House hearing on Sudanese Civil War and religious liberty concerns there | 2025-12-11 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, sat down with Tony Perkins on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins to discuss religious persecution throughout the globe, the violence perpetrated by Hamas and other radical Islamist groups, and his recent House hearing on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. The full interview can be viewed by clicking here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415178 | The National article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Sudan'US politicians condemn RSF and SAF over human rights abuses in Sudan' | 2025-12-11 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By The National Published December 11, 2025 Members of the US Congress on Thursday called for accountability in the civil war in Sudan, urging both sides to declare a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands. The Africa Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee met to discuss the US response to the humanitarian crisis. "There will never be peace in Sudan unless there's accountability for the atrocities committed by Gen [Abdel Fatah] Al Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and [Gen] Mohamed Dagalo … of the Rapid Support Forces, the RSF," Representative Chris Smith said. "These two have savaged Sudan with impunity." The war between the armed forces and the RSF erupted in April 2023, when simmering tension between the military and the paramilitary group broke into open conflict. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced almost 13 million and pushed some regions into famine. "From our perspective, there are no good actors in this conflict," Vincent Spera, deputy assistant secretary at the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs. The armed forces and RSF have been accused of war crimes and human rights abuses. The US has imposed sanctions on Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo, as well as people and entities involved in human rights violations. Mr. Spera pointed to the army being placed under sanctions in May for its use of chemical weapons in 2024. The UAE embassy in Washington issued a statement on Sudan, condemning attacks on civilians and lamenting the humanitarian crisis in the East African nation. The embassy said the UAE has consistently called for an arms embargo across Sudan and said there is no substantiated evidence that it has provided any support to the RSF or any warring parties. "Claims suggesting otherwise are an attempt to misrepresent the facts and distract from the urgent need for a ceasefire and for accountability among those perpetrating violence on the ground," the statement said. Congressman Gregory Meeks condemned the RSF and the Sudanese milit… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415161 | The Epoch Times article on the CECC's 2025 Annual Report'CCP's History of "Broken Promises," Human Rights Abuses Harms US, World: Congressional Commission' | 2025-12-10 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Catherine Yang Published December 10, 2025 China has regressed with respect to rule of law, according to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s (CECC) 2025 annual report, released Dec. 10, which highlights the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) long history of breaking promises. The commission was created in 2000 to monitor human rights and rule of law in China. “Broken promises are not an exception; they are a feature of how the CCP deals with the world and with its own people,” commission co-chairs Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) said in a statement in the report. “These broken promises affect Americans,” they stated. For example, Americans traveling to China for work or study can become subject to exit bans and arbitrary detention, Chinese forced labor becomes intertwined with U.S. supply chains, national security laws grant the regime “sweeping access” to American data, and the regime carries out its human rights abuses extraterritorially through transnational repression such as overseas police stations. The annual report includes dozens of recommendations aimed at curbing longstanding CCP practices that harm the United States and international community, including several bills that lawmakers have introduced this year. Officers of China's military and police arrive for the third plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 12, 2019. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images The chairs called on the United States and free world allies to reject Beijing’s attempts to incentivize and divide, because otherwise “Americans pay the price—in security, in prosperity, and in credibility.” “Upholding human dignity helps keep markets fairer, travel safer, technology freer, and alliances stronger. It reduces the leverage authoritarian states—led by a totalitarian [People’s Republic of China]—wield over people and partners,” the chairs stated. In addition to producing an annual report, the CECC maintains the Political Prisoner Database, which contained 11,262 record… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415162 | Major 2026 defense bill includes Smith amendment to combat LymeSmith amendment to probe whether the U.S. military weaponized ticks with Lyme disease passes House | 2025-12-10 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | A critical amendment authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to investigate whether the U.S. military weaponized ticks with Lyme disease has been included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26 NDAA) (S. 1071), which has cleared the U.S. House of Representatives, headed to the Senate, and is expected to be signed by President Trump upon its final passage. Smith’s amendment—now Sec. 1068 of the bill—directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—the Congressional “watchdog”—to investigate the Cold War-era Department of Defense (Department of War) bioweapons program and determine whether they ever used ticks as hosts or delivery mechanisms for biological warfare agents. “New Jersey has one of the highest Lyme rates in the United States—the disease is present in all 21 counties,” noted Smith, Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus. “The pervasive presence of Lyme disease in New Jersey not only carries concerns for civilians, but also for the military personnel stationed in the state—especially and including those serving at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, part of which is located within my congressional district.” Specifically, Smith’s amendment in the NDAA compels the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct an exhaustive review of research conducted by the military, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal agencies between the period of January 1, 1945 and December 31, 1972, regarding experiments involving Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales—two forms of tick-borne bacteria. “Now that this vital provision has advanced out of the House, we are one step closer to finally determining whether the U.S. government’s bioweapons program contributed to the proliferation of Lyme disease,” stated Smith. “If the GAO investigation concludes that our government’s bioweapons program was not involved, we turn the page. “The hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans suffering from Lyme disease—in additio… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415163 | Catholic News Agency article on Smith's work to promote religious freedom'Trump to create sanctions plan for Nigeria, congressman says' | 2025-12-10 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Madalaine Elhabbal Published December 10, 2025 at 15:30 PM U.S. President Donald Trump is crafting a sanctions plan to increase pressure on the Nigerian government amid ongoing Christian persecution, according to a leading member of Congress. President Trump “is in the process of crafting a comprehensive action plan including sanctions to pursue reform,” according to Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, who described Nigeria as “ground zero,” and the “focal point of the most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world today.” Smith, a Catholic who chairs the house Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, mentioned the plan during his Dec. 9 speech at “The Emergency Summit on Crimes Against Christians,” organized by For the Martyrs, a nonprofit that aids persecuted Christians. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, and Rep. Marlin Stuzman, R-Indiana, also spoke at the event. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, speaks about a sanctions plan to increase pressure on the Nigerian government amid ongoing Christian persecution on Dec. 9, 2025. | Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNA The veteran New Jersey congressman praised Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and affirmed that “Religious freedom will now be at the forefront of the U.S.-Nigeria bilateral relationship.” The president can choose from a menu of sanctions for a CPC-designated country under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), ranging from diplomatic measures to economic sanctions. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment. During his remarks, Senator Josh Hawley said Nigeria “has recently drawn global attention and has drawn the attention of our own president.” “I applaud President Trump for standing up for persecuted Christians. I applaud the president for putting Nigeria back on the watch list where it belongs,” Hawley said. The Missouri senator quoted the Book of Revelation while praising Christians persecuted around the world, saying: “They love not their lives, … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415170 | SeafoodSource article on the CECC's 2025 Annual Report'US commission on China calls on Congress to do more to curtail forced labor in seafood supply chain' | 2025-12-10 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Chris Chase Published December 10, 2025 The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s (CECC) latest annual report – released to coincide with International Human Rights Day – features seafood prominently as it calls on Congress and the U.S. government as a whole to do more to combat forced labor. Seafood from China has been under scrutiny by the U.S. government, in part thanks to a report released by The Outlaw Ocean Project which released findings of a multi-month investigation into the global seafood supply chain. That investigation found extensive evidence of forced labor in processing facilities operated by multiple Chinese companies connected to the U.S. supply chain and U.S. companies. A later report revealed further evidence of Uyghur and forced labor being used by the Chinese processing industry, and Outlaw Ocean followed that report up with one in 2024 on the presence of North Korean laborers, the abuses they suffer, and the seafood produced by them present in the U.S. supply chain. The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China is calling for more action to tackle the presence of forced labor in China's seafood supply chain | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China Since that time, the U.S. government has placed an increased focus on Chinese seafood and removing seafood linked to forced labor from the supply chain. The CECC first called for an investigation into allegations from the first Outlaw Ocean report on Uyghur labor and later called on the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden to collaborate across departments to determine whether seafood processed in China using North Korean labor was making its way into the U.S. Those efforts have continued in 2025, as U.S. lawmakers demanded the elimination of Chinese-sourced seafood from its military, called for harsh sanctions against Chinese seafood over human rights violations, and recently the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the Stop Illegal Fishing Act which would impose s… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-votes-fy2026-national-defense-authorization-act-supports-pay-raise | Kean Votes for FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act, Supports Pay Raise for Servicemembers and Picatinny Arsenal Mission | 2025-12-10 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | December 10, 2025 (December 10, 2025) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) released the following statement after voting yes on the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act: “Tonight, I voted in support of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to strengthen our national security, promote peace through strength, and deliver real improvements for our servicemembers. “This year's NDAA makes major strides in protecting our homeland. It provides critical resources to ensure continued security at our southern border, counters growing threats from foreign adversaries like China, and strengthens counterterrorism efforts. The SAFER SKIES Act, which is included in the bill, empowers authorities with the necessary tools to defeat drones when they present a threat to the public. Our bill also advances America’s military dominance by revitalizing the defense industrial base and investing in key priorities like missile defense, autonomous systems, and new warships. “For the state of New Jersey, the final NDAA includes a version of my amendment to bolster ammunition capabilities, which will support the critical work being done at Picatinny Arsenal. To support our servicemembers and their families, the bill provides a 3.8% troop pay raise, expands access to childcare and healthcare, and improves housing. These improvements will ensure that those who serve our country can focus on their mission without worrying about the well-being of their loved ones. “I look forward to seeing this legislation, which puts our national security and servicemembers first, head to the President’s desk for signing.” ### Issues:National Defense | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415160 | CatholicVote article on Smith's upcoming House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Sudan'Rep. Chris Smith calls attention to bloodshed in Sudan' | 2025-12-09 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Elise Winland Published December 9, 2025 Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., is spotlighting Sudan’s deepening civil war and the mounting atrocities against civilians ahead of a new congressional hearing on the conflict. Smith, a Catholic who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, will lead his 17th congressional hearing on Sudan Dec. 11. He said the scale of mass violence since the Sudanese Civil War began in 2023 demands urgent action from U.S. officials and the international community. “Since 2023, as many as 18,000 civilian deaths have been committed in Sudan — with estimates as high as 150,000 — and more than 10 million people have been displaced as a direct result of the Sudanese Civil War,” Smith said in a statement. “The catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Sudan — which includes the systemic killings, rapes, abductions, detentions, and child soldier recruitments of innocent civilians — demands our attention.” As CatholicVote previously reported, the war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over a stalled plan to integrate the RSF into the national army. Adobe Stock The upcoming hearing will review the current status of the war, the widespread crimes attributed to the Sudanese government and armed groups, and the deepening humanitarian emergency facing civilians. The first panel will feature Deputy Assistant Secretary Vincent D. Spera of the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs. A second panel will include Samaritan’s Purse Vice President Ken Isaacs, Family Research Council President and U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Vice Chair Tony Perkins, and Human Rights Watch Deputy Washington Director Nicole Widdersheim. Church leaders have also raised alarms over the conflict. In two appeals last month — during his Nov. 2 Angelus address and again in a Nov. 16 social media post — Pope Leo XIV urged prayer for victims of violence in Sudan and highlighted the persecution of Christians there. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415159 | Thurs., December 11: Rep. Chris Smith to chair Foreign Affairs hearing“Stopping the Bloodshed: U.S. Response to Crimes Against Humanity in Sudan” | 2025-12-08 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | On Thursday, December 11th, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, will chair his seventeenth congressional hearing on the civil conflicts in Sudan and the resulting human rights abuses against civilians in the country. “Since 2023, as many as 18,000 civilian deaths have been committed in Sudan—with estimates as high as 150,000—and more than 10 million people have been displaced as a direct result of the Sudanese Civil War,” said Smith. “The catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Sudan—which includes the systemic killings, rapes, abductions, detentions, and child soldier recruitments of innocent civilians—demands our attention.” WHAT: Congressional hearing on the status of the Sudanese Civil War, the widespread atrocity crimes and human rights abuses perpetrated by the Sudanese government against civilians, and the corresponding humanitarian crisis in Sudan. WHEN: Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 12:30 PM WITNESSES: (Partial list) PANEL 1: oThe Honorable Vincent D. Spera, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State PANEL 2: oMr. Ken Isaacs, Vice President, Programs and Government Relations, Samaritan’s Purse oMr. Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council (FRC), Vice Chair of U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom oThe Honorable Samuel Dale Brownback, Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom oMs. Nicole Widdersheim, Deputy Washington Director, Human Rights Watch WHERE: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building WHO: Chairman Chris Smith, other members of the HFAC Africa Subcommittee, and witnesses ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415154 | Rep. Smith on Taiwan's special defense budget announcement | 2025-12-05 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued the following statement, welcoming President Lai Ching-te’s announcement that Taiwan would be investing $40 billion to meet defense needs: “President Lai understands that cutting edge deterrence capabilities are needed to protect Taiwan—a democratic Chinese society free from tyranny, where the people are able to achieve both liberty and wealth. “Free and prosperous Taiwan presents a stark contrast to mainland China, which, under Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party, enjoys neither; people struggle under a forced labor regime and a ‘9-9-6 economy’ to simply make ends meet—while propping up the dictatorship. “I strongly encourage Taiwan’s legislature—and all political parties—to approve President Lai’s proposal and work with the President to advance other key measures to support Taiwan’s military and the men and woman who serve to defend their nation. “Taiwan is America’s frontline in the Pacific, and Taiwan’s security is America’s security. I urge my fellow Americans to stand firmly with Taiwan.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415155 | CatholicVote article on the PROTECT Our Kids Act'House passes bill to prevent China's communist teachings in American schools' | 2025-12-05 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Elise Winland Published December 5, 2025 The House approved legislation Dec. 4 to bar federal funding from any K-12 school that receives money from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as lawmakers sharpen scrutiny of Beijing’s attempts to influence American education. The measure, the PROTECT Our Kids Act (HR 1069), passed by a vote of 247-164, with all 164 opposing votes coming from Democrats. Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Catholic, said the bill, which was introduced by Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., is needed to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “pervasive and insidious influence” in U.S. classrooms. He argued the measure would help shield students from CCP propaganda and bolster national security. “The PROTECT Our Kids Act is a vital tool for helping to stop the spread of the PRC’s lies about communism and the operations of the Chinese government, as well as promote the importance of protecting national security interests in America’s schools,” Smith said. “This legislation helps ensure that American students can no longer be misled and misinformed by foreign governments, such as the PRC, about the empty promises of communism.” Shutterstock The House also advanced a related bill Dec. 3. Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio, introduced the Combatting the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems Act, which passed with 242 votes. Joyce’s bill would bar federally funded schools from accepting money or contracts from the Chinese government or its affiliates and would require schools to disclose any foreign funding to the Department of Education. He said the legislation responds to China’s expanding attempts to shape American classrooms. “The CCP’s attempts to shape narratives in our classrooms threaten the fairness and independence of American education,” he said. “Given China’s growing influence in education worldwide, taking commonsense steps to protect our children and safeguard the integrity of our school systems is essential.” The legislation comes amid heightened concern over what Smit… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415156 | Breitbart article on Smith-Lee letter to OPM'GOP Lawmakers Demand OPM Halt Taxpayer-Funded Abortions for Members of Congress, Staff' | 2025-12-05 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Katherine Hamilton Published December 5, 2025 Two dozen Republican lawmakers say members of Congress and their staff have access to taxpayer-funded healthcare plans that include coverage for elective abortions, in violation of federal law. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) led a bicameral letter on Friday to U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor demanding the agency stop “administering government contributions for Members of Congress and Congressional staff in connection with health insurance plans that cover elective abortion, in violation of the longstanding Smith (NJ) Amendment.” The letter explains that, since 1984, federal laws have prohibited the use of appropriated funds “to pay for an abortion, or the administrative expenses in connection with any health plan under the Federal employees health benefits program which provides any benefits or coverage for abortions” except in cases of rape or incest or if the life of the mother is in danger. Lawmakers said the provisions restrict OPM from administering government contributions in connection with any health plan for federal employees that covers elective abortion. Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Women's March “However, OPM is currently subsidizing plans that cover elective abortion in clear violation of the Smith Amendment,” the letter alleges. “While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) limits Members of Congress and designated Congressional staff to purchasing health plans offered through an Exchange, under a current Obama-era rule in effect since plan year 2014, OPM administers government contributions…for Members of Congress and Congressional staff enrolled in any Gold level health insurance plan offered through the District of Columbia’s Health Exchange Small Business Health Options Program (DC SHOP)—also known as DC Health Link—including plans that cover elective abortion.” The letter points out OPM’s claim on its website that abortion coverage is enabled by segreg… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415158 | SeafoodSource article on the Stop Illegal Fishing Act'US House committee approves Stop Illegal Fishing Act' | 2025-12-05 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Nathan Strout Published December 5, 2025 The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee has approved the Stop Illegal Fishing Act, legislation that authorizes U.S. President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on foreign individuals and vessels that engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU) fishing. The authors of the bill say the measure is necessary to crack down on large foreign fishing fleets that have dodgy records on the environment and human rights – particularly China’s distant-water fleet. “Fleets of illegal fishing vessels are devastating sensitive fish populations, harming food security and local economies around the world. Nearly half of these vessels, 44 percent, originate from China. If Beijing won't hold these exploitive vessels and individuals accountable, the U.S. must. That is why we’ve introduced legislation that would grant the president power to impose sanctions on any individual or entity engaging in IUU fishing,” U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks (D-New York) and U.S. Representative Young Kim (R-California) said in a joint statement. The Stop Illegal Fishing Act would give the president the authority to impose sanctions on individuals who own vessels engaged in IUU fishing, those who hold leadership positions at companies engaged in IUU fishing, and captains and senior crew members on the vessels. Sanctioned individuals could have their U.S.-based assets frozen and their visas revoked. If passed, the legislation would require a report from the president to produce a list of all individuals and vessels sanctioned under the new law within 180 days. U.S. Representative Brian Mast (R-Florida), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was highly critical of China’s distant water fishing practices. “It is a serious threat to coastal nations worldwide,” he said. “What it really is, it's harassment. It is mostly a middle finger from the Chinese Communist Party to neighboring and coastal countries. The Chinese Communist Party oversees the largest illegal fishing fleet. Th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415150 | Combating foreign influence in American K-12 schoolsHouse passes the PROTECT Our Kids Act to prevent the People’s Republic of China’s communist teachings in American schools | 2025-12-04 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | With the strong support and vote of Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), the U.S. House of Representatives passed the PROTECT Our Kids Act (HR 1069), legislation to “prohibit the availability of Federal education funds for elementary and secondary schools that receive direct or indirect support from the Government of the People’s Republic of China” (PRC). “The PRC’s goal in influencing American students is not an altruistic one; they are not seeking to merely ‘enlighten’ American children and expand their worldviews,” said Smith. “The purpose of these so-called ‘Confucius Classrooms’ is to undermine and subvert American business, national security, and civic interests by manipulating malleable students into perceiving China favorably on the global stage. “For many years, I have been sounding the alarm on the PRC’s pervasive and insidious influence on American students in our colleges and universities,” continued Smith, the author of legislation to require Confucius Institutes, think tanks, academic programs, or nongovernmental organizations funded by the PRC to register under section 2 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 612). “Students in our elementary and secondary schools are especially vulnerable to the PRC’s fabrications—we must immediately end these pernicious programs. “The PROTECT Our Kids Act is a vital tool for helping to stop the spread of the PRC’s lies about communism and the operations of the Chinese government, as well as promote the importance of protecting national security interests in America’s schools,” noted the China policy expert. “This legislation helps ensure that American students can no longer be misled and misinformed by foreign governments, such as the PRC, about the empty promises of communism. “China, led by the dictator thug General Secretary Xi Jinping, has been a standalone leader in perpetrating mass human rights abuses; a foreign government, especially of this nature, should have absolutely zero… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415151 | Signifying an end to decades of conflict and killingsPresident Trump’s historic peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) | 2025-12-04 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Today, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, joined President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other high-ranking U.S. officials and foreign leaders at the historic peace deal signing ceremony between DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda President Paul Kagame at the Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace. “Skillfully and brilliantly brokered by President Trump, this momentous peace deal—known as the ‘Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity’—signifies an end to the lengthy, bloody, and costly conflict in the region,” said Smith, who, earlier this year, introduced legislation to formally recognize and applaud the President for arranging a peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda. “For decades, the people of the DRC have endured intense conflict, political instability, humanitarian crises, displacement, and human rights violations. “The unstable situation in the DRC has developed into one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises in the world. Under President Trump’s strong leadership, we are now taking the necessary steps to end the violence and agony that has ravaged the region,” stated Smith. During the ceremony, President Trump thanked Smith for his longtime leadership on the issue. In 2008, Smith led a four-day human rights mission to Goma, DRC, with an emphasis on combating human trafficking, child soldiers, and sexual violence, as well as underscoring U.S. commitment to critical peace negotiations. Smith has also chaired 13 congressional hearings on the DRC-Rwanda conflict—one of which, held in 2011, featured the testimony of Ben Affleck, an actor and founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative. Another critical hearing chaired by Smith in 2012, entitled “The Devastating Crisis in Eastern Congo,” examined the humanitarian crisis in the DRC and the role of U.S. policy in bringing an end to the conflict. “I am enduringly grateful to President Trump for his unwavering commitment to promoting and securing peace through… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-colleagues-introduce-bill-protect-patients-high-prescription-drug-costs | Kean, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Patients from High Prescription Drug Costs | 2025-12-04 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (December 4, 2025) WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) reintroduced the Help Ensure Lower Patient (HELP) Copays Act to make life-saving prescription medications more affordable for patients with rare, serious, and chronic conditions. This bipartisan legislation would require insurance companies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to count the value of copay assistance they receive on a patient’s behalf toward cost-sharing requirements. This change ensures that payments, whether they come directly out of a patient’s pocket or with help from non-profit organizations and prescription drug manufacturers, contribute toward a patient's annual deductible and out-of-pocket limit. Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. said, “Copay assistance programs help make costly medications attainable for Americans who rely on them. Yet under current law, insurers and PBMs can pocket this assistance without lowering patients' cost-sharing obligations. Our bipartisan legislation will fix that problem by ensuring those savings are passed on to patients. This solution will protect access to essential prescription drugs, reduce overall healthcare costs for families, and hold these health companies accountable.” Rep. Barragán said, “For patients living with complex and chronic diseases, access to prescription drugs that help them manage their condition saves lives, plain and simple. But too many Americans are unable to afford the medications they need because the out-of-pocket costs are too high. This is unacceptable. Americans work hard every day to make sure they can feed their families and take care of their loved ones. They should not be priced out of receiving the life-saving medications they rely on. That is why I am proud to co-lead, the HELP Copays Act, with Congressman Kean. This bipartisan bill will help working American families afford their prescriptions by putting a st… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-joins-bipartisan-group-35-house-members-announcing-new-health-care | Kean Joins Bipartisan Group of 35 House Members Announcing New Health Care Framework | 2025-12-04 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, December 4, 2025, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) joined a bipartisan group of 35 total House Members, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), announcing a new health care framework, CommonGround 2025. The bipartisan framework includes a two-year extension of health insurance premium savings for American families, including a year of the enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs), with targeted modifications, to be voted on by December 18, 2025, in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The Members backing the framework have also co-signed a letter urging House and Senate leadership to meet with them to discuss the framework and a constructive pathway forward in both chambers. “Today, I joined both Democrats and Republicans to advance a new, bipartisan framework to make healthcare more affordable for New Jersey families,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. “Our CommonGround 2025 plan responsibly extends Premium Tax Credits and pairs them with targeted modifications, including PBM reform, guardrails against fraud, greater transparency, and other critical improvements. “We need to reduce health insurance premiums for every family and we need to hold accountable drug-pricing middlemen and fraudsters who are abusing our health care system,” Kean continued. “Through bipartisan action, I am fighting for the people of New Jersey and driving forward a solution that Congress can deliver now.” The framework and letter, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), are also co-signed by Reps. Adam Gray (CA-13), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Maria Salazar (FL-27), Darren Soto (FL-9), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Jim Costa (CA-21), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-2), Josh Riley (NY-19), Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-7), Susie Lee (NV-3), Jeff Hurd (CO-3), Jared Golden (ME-2), David Valadao (CA-22), Chris Pappas (NH-1), Ryan MacKenzie (PA-7), Ed Case (HI-1), Carlos Gimenez (FL-28), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Robert Bresna… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415146 | Smith-cosponsored bill combats forced labor on Chinese shipsStop Illegal Fishing Act heads to House floor | 2025-12-03 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Comprehensive legislation cosponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)—the bipartisan Stop Illegal Fishing Act (HR 6338)—was today approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee during their markup session and is now headed to the full House for its consideration. The bill, introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), would impose sanctions upon foreign vessels or individuals that engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing). During the markup, Smith—who, in 2023, chaired a Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) hearing entitled “From Bait to Plate—How Forced Labor in China Taints America's Seafood Supply Chain”—spoke in favor of the legislation, describing how China utilizes forced labor on their ships to cheaply and quickly process and package large volumes of seafood for international distribution—including and especially to the United States. Citing expert testimony from the hearing, Smith recalled Ian Urbina’s four-year investigation, which revealed that 357 of the 751 Chinese squid fleets studied—nearly half—had serious concerns tied to forced labor. “China’s fleet is filled to overflowing with forced labor,” said Smith, who has chaired more than 108 congressional hearings on human rights abuses in China. “On the fishing boats, as well as in the processing plants, China uses forced labor to undersell competitors. They have very, very small amounts of cost associated with the people around the ships. “On the open seas, cut off from contact with the land, harsh and very cruel punishment is meted out to laborers, who are treated as slaves—wages are withheld. Captive peoples, especially the Uyghurs, are often conscripted onto these boats,” continued the China policy expert. Smith then went on to discuss how North Korea exploits its women by forcing them to process the fish caught on Chinese fleets. The North Korean government receives significant compensation from China for these “services,” which is then used to fund their military machine. Disturbingly, Smith noted, the Unite… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-johnson-introduce-bill-protect-american-ai-chips-strengthening-export | Kean, Johnson Introduce Bill to Protect American AI Chips, Strengthening Export Control Enforcement | 2025-12-03 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (December 3, 2025) WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) and Julie Johnson (D-TX) announced the introduction of theStop Stealing Our Chips Act, bipartisan legislation designed to prevent the smuggling of American-made artificial intelligence (AI) chips and other sensitive technologies into China. The bill would establish a whistleblower incentive program at the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), thereby strengthening U.S. export control enforcement and encouraging reporting of export control violations. The legislation is cosponsored by Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on China, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI), and Representative Josh Harder (D-CA). Congressman Kean said, “China and other foreign adversaries are actively working to circumvent U.S. export control laws and illegally obtain advanced American chips and other sensitive technologies. I introduced the Stop Stealing Our Chips Act to help authorities identify and mitigate those threats. By offering robust protections and meaningful financial incentives for whistleblowers with credible information, we can strengthen enforcement, prevent violations before they occur, and protect our national security.” Congresswoman Johnson said, “America’s technological leadership is one of our greatest strategic advantages — and we cannot allow foreign adversaries to steal it, risking our national security. This is especially important in my district, home to Texas Instruments headquarters — one of the top semiconductor companies in the world — as well as Qorvo, which produces critical components for F-35s and other key defense technologies, and many more. The Stop Stealing Our Chips Act is a commonsense, bipartisan step to protect our most sensitive supply chains and ensure that the innovations powering our economy and safety stay in American hands.” Chairman Moolenaar said, “Artificial intelligence is the defining technology of the new Cold… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415142 | Supreme Court hears arguments in First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. PlatkinSmith urges Supreme Court to protect pregnancy centers from 'unconscionable abuse of power' by NJ Governor and Attorney General | 2025-12-02 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | After the Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, issued the following statement on behalf of pro-life pregnancy centers that have been unjustly targeted by the state of New Jersey: Rep. Smith, Dean of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, said, “Pregnancy care centers are an oasis of love and support for mothers and their precious children—according to a recent report, in 2024 alone, 2,775 pregnancy centers nationwide provided over $452 million in medical care, support and education services, and material goods. “Yet, in an unconscionable abuse of power, NJ Governor Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin have gone to great lengths to strip women of life-affirming support, simply because pregnancy centers refrain from promoting or participating in the killing of unborn children by abortion. “I urge the Supreme Court to uphold the pregnancy centers’ constitutionally protected freedoms against the bullying and discrimination of the state of New Jersey.” Background: First Choice, a faith-based pregnancy center network located in New Jersey, is challenging an unwarranted subpoena issued by the New Jersey Attorney General on the grounds that the subpoena violates the organization’s first amendment rights and that they have been viciously targeted because of their life-affirming mission and religious speech. Smith, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), and 30 other members of the House and Senate filed an amicus brief supporting the pregnancy center. Authored by Chris Murray of the law firm First & Fourteenth, the brief argues that Congress has given First Choice the right to seek immediate redress in federal court, instead of being forced to defend its constitutional rights before a hostile state court. It says that “states may not deprive citizens of their right to freely associate and then force those citizens to try to vindicate their rights in hostile state forums before they can darken the door… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415143 | Strengthening survivor-centered protectionsHouse passes the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act | 2025-12-02 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) and four additional comprehensive laws to combat human trafficking, issued the below statement following the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (HR 4323): “HR 4323—legislation I have cosponsored—provides a critical pathway for vacating or expunging certain non-violent criminal convictions for offenses that trafficking victims—mostly women and children—were forced to commit by their traffickers. “Largely due to the criminal records tied to their exploitation, many survivors face lifelong barriers to employment, housing, education, and stability. This bill ensures that survivors can no longer be punished for crimes that were the direct result of coercion and control. “Survivors should not have to constantly relive the trauma of their trafficking experiences through the unabating reminder of an indelible criminal record—all for actions they were forced to commit against their will. This legislation helps to ensure that survivors have a real chance to rebuild their lives and experience a future free of exploitation. “The passage of HR 4323 builds upon the quarter-century of anti-trafficking progress in the United States, initiated through our enactment of the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000 and its subsequent reauthorizations. With this new bill, we will continue to strengthen survivor-centered protections. HR 4323 is another crucial step towards procuring justice and long-overdue relief.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415145 | House Committee on Appropriations press release'Appropriators, Lawmakers Investigate Religious Persecution of Nigerians with Joint Briefing' | 2025-12-02 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Press Release by the House Committee on Appropriations Published Tuesday, December 2, 2025 Washington, D.C. – House Appropriations Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL)—alongside Appropriators Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV)—led a joint briefing with the House Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss the escalating violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria with religious freedom and foreign relations experts. This roundtable follows President Donald J. Trump’s October 31st directive to the House Appropriations Committee to investigate the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria and report back with their findings. Participants included: Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), House Appropriations Committee Vice Chair and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chairman and Values Action Team (VAT) Chair Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV), House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee Vice Chair and leading religious liberty advocate Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee Chairman Honorable Vicky Hartzler, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Sean Nelson, Alliance Defending Freedom International Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, Council on Foreign Relations Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) Subcommittee Chairman Díaz-Balart said, "No one should live in fear because of how they worship. Defending religious liberty worldwide is both a moral duty and a vital American interest. As Chairman of the subcommittee that funds U.S. national security interests and foreign policy priorities, I remain committed to advancing policies that protect the freedom to live according to one’s faith without fear of violence and retribution. I address this issue in my FY26 funding bill, and I intend to strengthen these ef… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415147 | Channels Television article on House Appropriations-Foreign Affairs joint briefing re: Nigeria'Insecurity: US Lawmakers Accuse Nigerian Govt Of Failing To Stop Killings' | 2025-12-02 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Emmanuel Egobiambu Published December 2, 2025 US lawmakers have accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to address the rising insecurity and killings in the country. The lawmakers spoke on Tuesday during the United States House Appropriations Committee joint congressional briefing on the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria. At the event, the lawmakers took turns to address the situation in the wake of President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern and his threat of military action. “The Nigerian government has a fundamental, constitutional obligation to protect its citizens; however, the perpetrators of this persecution operate with complete impunity,” Congressman Chris Smith told the gathering. According to the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, the US will hold the Nigerian government to account over the killings. “The Nigerian government is trying to run out the clock; we cannot allow this to happen. We must act quickly and decisively to save more lives,” he said. The lawmakers took turns to address the situation in the wake of President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern and his threat of military action. Rep. Brian Mast echoed a similar sentiment, backing President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a country of particular concern. He said the US “must demand that the Nigerian government disarm these militias, return displaced families to their homes, and bring the perpetrators to justice.” At the event, Riley Moore, the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee Vice Chair and leading religious liberty advocate, doubled down on his allegation of persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The Congressman alleged: “The world will no longer turn a blind eye to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.” Lawmakers were not the only ones at the briefing. The Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Vicky Hartzler, said that despite early… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-kean-joins-secretary-driscoll-latest-picatinny-arsenal-visit | Congressman Kean Joins Secretary Driscoll at Latest Picatinny Arsenal Visit | 2025-12-01 | 2025 | 2025-12 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (December 1, 2025) PICATINNY ARSENAL, NJ – Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) accompanied U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll during his most recent visit to Picatinny Arsenal. While in Morris County, the two leaders received detailed briefings on the installation’s contributions to Army modernization and discussed its growing role in strengthening America’s warfighting capabilities. Throughout the visit, Secretary Driscoll and Congressman Kean observed Picatinny's latest advancements in counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) technology and next-generation munitions. Members of the base demonstrated a range of emerging capabilities, including net-based drone capture, enhanced explosives, and electromagnetic tools synced to defense systems. Secretary Driscoll and Picatinny’s top commander, Major General John Reim, also had a productive discussion on the Army’s efforts to accelerate drone acquisition and production. Secretary Driscoll personally recognized the Arsenal's military and civilian workforce during the visit. Taking the time to praise their exemplary work, the Secretary presented challenge coins to numerous members at the Arsenal. He also discussed opportunities for continued Army investment at the installation. “I want to thank Secretary Driscoll for his leadership and commitment to strengthening America’s security,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. “During our visit to Picatinny Arsenal, we met with the installation’s exceptional workforce whose innovation ensures our military remains the envy of the world. Picatinny continues to step up, delivering groundbreaking technology that directly supports our servicemembers on the battlefield. The talent and expertise here cannot be overstated, and I will always support Picatinny, its workforce, and its mission." On October 31, 2025, Congressman Kean and Representative Elise Stefanik (NY-21) sent a joint letter to Secretary Driscoll expressing their strong support of the U.S. Army’s proposal to establish a Close Combat Innovation Cell (CCIC) in partnership with… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:09:11Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415134 | LifeSiteNews article on Smith-Harshbarger letter to Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary'170+ Republican members of Congress urge Trump admin to immediately ban mailing abortion pills' | 2025-11-26 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Calvin Freiburger Published Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 3:25 PM EST WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — More than 170 congressional Republicans have signed a new letter calling on the Trump administration to immediately restore the requirement that abortion pills be dispensed in-person and pick up the pace of its promised review of the data on the drugs’ dangers. Under the Biden administration, health officials eliminated the requirement that abortion pills be dispensed in person, and the Biden Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel declared that a provision of the 1873 Comstock Act making it illegal for the United States Postal Service to deliver any “article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing which is advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing abortion,” did not mean what it said, and abortion pills could be freely mailed, delivered, and received “where the sender lacks the intent that the recipient of the drugs will use them unlawfully,” with unlawful intent essentially declared unknowable. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to that decision on standing grounds, and the Trump campaign declared that President Donald Trump would not restore Comstock if elected. After returning to office, Trump took a number of pro-life actions that caused pro-lifers to relax, primarily in the area of taxpayer funding. Pro-lifers hoped that a strengthening of his abortion pill position would eventually follow, bolstered by promises from U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (another formerly pro-abortion figure who “moderated” during his own presidential bid) promised in May a “complete review” of the medical risks of abortion pills, though no conclusions or timetable have yet been announced. The November 20 letter, led by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Diana Harshbarger, (R-TN) and addressed to Kennedy and U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary, asks that the “deleterious and grossl… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415135 | Catholic Standard article on Smith-Harshbarger letter to Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary'175 lawmakers demand "robust" investigation on risks of abortion pill' | 2025-11-26 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Our Sunday Visitor Published November 26, 2025 Congressional Republicans are demanding a “robust” investigation of federal safety standards and health risks connected to mifepristone, a pill commonly, but not exclusively, used for early abortion. The letter, dated Nov. 20 and co-signed by 175 Republican lawmakers, asks Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary to investigate the “deleterious and grossly underreported effects” of mifepristone on women, prohibit mail shipment of the drug, and immediately “reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement.” Released Nov. 24, the letter also condemned the Biden administration’s “egregious action to remove critical safeguards that once applied to abortion drugs.” In addition to urging an end to the mailing of the drugs, the letter objected to “the FDA’s approval” in September of a new generic form of mifepristone and urged the Trump administration to provide more information about that approval. A box containing a mifepristone tablet is pictured Feb. 28, 2023. In November 2025, more than 170 Republican lawmakers, including the entire House GOP leadership, released a new letter to the HHS secretary and FDA commissioner urging “robust FDA investigation and review” of the safety standards and health risks associated with mifepristone as used in chemical abortions. (OSV News photo/Callaghan O’Hare, via Reuters) Signers of the letter include House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana; Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota; and Rep. Lisa C. McClain, R-Mich, Republican Conference chairwoman. “The Biden-Harris administration’s blatant disregard for the innumerable health risks and complications caused by mifepristone – the baby poison pill – has been the status quo for far too long,” Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, said in a statement accompanying release of the letter. “The carelessness of Biden’s FDA has taken and… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-introduces-bill-protect-children-online-adding-new-parental-controls | Kean Introduces Bill to Protect Children Online, Adding New Parental Controls to Video Games | 2025-11-26 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (November 26, 2025) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) announced the introduction of the Safer GAMING Act, legislation that would require online video game providers to embed safeguards that help parents better protect minors from harmful interactions on gaming platforms. The Safer GAMING Act sets new requirements for interactive online video games, which are defined as games that connect to the internet and allow users to communicate with others across the platform. It requires video game creators to offer parents tools to disable communication between a minor and other users of the game. The bill applies to video games accessible through websites, mobile applications, or other online means, and tasks the Federal Trade Commission with carrying out enforcement. “Many parents are highly cognizant of the fact that online video games can open the door to inappropriate content and malicious actors targeting children,” said Congressman Kean. "Without video game creators embedding protective tools, it can be challenging for families to manage these risks and safeguard their children. My new bill would add critical parental controls, giving parents the option to turn off chat functions and prevent unsafe interactions with adults and strangers.” Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will hold a hearing entitled “Legislative Solutions to Protect Children and Teens Online” on December 2, 2025. The hearing will examine several proposed measures, including the Safer GAMING Act, focused on improving online safety and reducing risk for adolescents interacting with social media, video games, chatbots, and more. A copy of the bill text is available HERE. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415127 | CBN article on the religious persecution of Christians in Nigeria'"They're Killing the Christians": Trump Demands Nigeria End Atrocities, Hundreds of Kids Hostage' | 2025-11-25 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By George Thomas Published November 25, 2025 The Trump Administration is promoting efforts to work with Nigeria's government to stop violence against Christians after the President had threatened to send in the U.S. military against Islamic militants. Right now, 253 children and 12 teachers are still being held after they were taken last week from a Catholic school in eastern Nigeria. A total of 303 students were initially abducted, but 50 managed to escape. Earlier in the week, another 25 children, most of them Muslim, were kidnapped in a separate attack in eastern Nigeria. Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians. Open Doors reports 69 percent of all Christians killed for their faith around the world last year were murdered in that country. The dormitories where gunmen kidnapped schoolgirls is seen in Kebbi, Nigeria, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Deeni Jibo) "Today we speak of blood," warned Mike Waltz, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. "We speak of the blood that still cries from Nigerian soil." Just last week, Waltz joined recording artist Nicki Minaj and faith leaders to spotlight the escalating violence. "In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes, and killed," said Minaj. "Churches have been burned. Families have been torn apart. And entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray." The U.S. gives Nigeria about one billion dollars in aid each year. President Trump has threatened to cut that aid and impose sanctions, accusing the government of failing to stop "horrible atrocities." "They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen," Trump said during an interview on Air Force One earlier this month. "The conditionality will say, 'You really make serious effort to mitigate and end this horrific slaughter, or you lose that aid,'" said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415126 | Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) report found serious adverse events from mifepristone—the abortion pill—are approximately 22 times more frequent than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently recognizes175 members of Congress urge Trump administration to investigate underreported serious harm to women from abortion pill | 2025-11-24 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Diana Harshbarger, Pharm.D. (R-TN), and more than 170 Republican lawmakers, including the entirety of House GOP leadership, released a new letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Martin Makary, MD, urging a robust FDA investigation and review of the safety standards and health risks associated with the popular chemical abortion pill, mifepristone. The November 20th letter, co-signed by 175 Republican lawmakers, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa C. McClain, requests that Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary aggressively investigate the “deleterious and grossly underreported effects on women of the drug,” as well as immediately “reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone.” The letter notes that President Trump “has done more to advance a culture of life and the protection of women and children from the violence of abortion than any president before him” and condemns the Biden-Harris administration’s “egregious action to remove critical safeguards that once applied to abortion drugs,” including ending the in-person dispensing rule for mifepristone and implementing a no-contact, mail-in abortion process, as well as “the FDA’s approval of a new abortion drug generic in September 2025.” Rep. Chris Smith, Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, said: “The Biden-Harris administration’s blatant disregard for the innumerable health risks and complications caused by mifepristone—the baby poison pill—has been the status quo for far too long. The carelessness of Biden’s FDA has taken and harmed thousands of lives, the unborn and their mothers alike. Now that President Trump—the most pro-life president in U.S. history—has taken the executive helm, we are confident that his effective and life-affirming administration will work to undo the Biden-Harris adminis… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415122 | Washington Examiner article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Nigeria'Portion of Catholic students kidnapped in Nigeria escape as country grapples with anti-Christian violence' | 2025-11-23 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Emily Hallas Published November 23, 2025 at 5:41 PM A fraction of over 300 students who were recently abducted from a Catholic school by Nigerian militants have escaped to freedom, the Catholic Church and Christian Association of Nigeria announced on Sunday. Gunmen kidnapped students and teachers from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger state, on Friday, marking the latest episode in a spate of attacks against Christians from radicalized Islamist terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsmen. The Trump administration has voiced increasing concern that the violence, which has been ongoing for years, amounts to a “genocide” against Christians. The latest mass kidnapping prompted the Nigerian government to close all schools in Niger state, and triggered pleas from Pope Leo for the “immediate release” of those who had been taken hostage. Around 50 of those kidnapped have escaped thus far. But around 253 of the kidnapped children, along with 12 staff members and teachers, are still being held hostage, said CAN Chairman Bulus Yohanna, a Catholic Bishop who is also the proprietor of the school. This photo released by the Christian Association of Nigeria shows the dormitories of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community in Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP) During a congressional hearing on Nigeria last week, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) warned that “shockingly brutal” attacks against Christians are spreading from Muslim majority areas to locations where they had previously enjoyed a higher degree of safety. “More believers are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world … particularly men, while women are often kidnapped and targeted for what sexual violence, rape, and other abuse,” Smith said. “These militants also destroy homes, churches, and livelihoods.” Around 5 million Christians have been displaced and “forced into internally displaced persons camps within Nigeria an… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415128 | WATCH: 'CPC Tag On Nigeria Done In Good Faith, Tinubu Must Address Insecurity — US Congressman Chris Smith' - Channels Television | 2025-11-23 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, sat down with host Laolu Akande on Channels Television’s “Inside Sources with Laolu Akande” to discuss the U.S. foreign policy implications of President Trump’s “Country of Particular Concern” redesignation of Nigeria. Smith also described the outcome of his meeting with a delegation of high-ranking Nigerian government officials, as well as the current state of religious persecution against Christians and moderate Muslims in Nigeria. Rep. Smith’s full interview with Laolu Akande can be viewed by clicking here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415116 | WATCH: Smith joins FOX's "The Big Weekend Show" to discuss religious persecution and violence in Nigeria, the Russia-Ukraine war, and more | 2025-11-22 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, joined Fox News Channel’s “The Big Weekend Show” on Saturday, November 22 to discuss the worsening religious persecution and violence against Christians and moderate Muslims in Nigeria. Alongside hosts David Webb, Tomi Lahren, Jason Chaffetz, and Taylor Riggs, Rep. Smith also discussed the Russia-Ukraine war and prospects for peace, as well as congressional news of the day. Congressman Smith’s full interview can be viewed by clicking here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415111 | The Southern Examiner article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Nigeria'Lawmakers sound alarm on "deadliest place on earth to be a Christian" as Nigeria violence escalates' | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Godswill Udoh Published Friday, November 21, 2025 The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Representative Chris Smith, opened a hearing on Thursday with a stark warning about what he described as rapidly escalating, religion-driven violence in Nigeria, calling President Donald J. Trump’s recent redesignation of the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” a necessary and overdue alarm bell. Mr. Smith, a New Jersey Republican who has spent decades spotlighting abuses in Africa, framed the session as part of a long-running effort in Congress to draw attention to what he called the “most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world today.” It was his 12th hearing focused exclusively on Nigeria. “Nigeria is ground zero,” Mr. Smith said, arguing that extremist groups—including Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa and radicalized Fulani militants—have waged a sustained campaign of killing, abduction and village destruction, often with religious motives. He added that moderate Muslims who refuse to align with extremist factions have also been targeted. Rep. Smith | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415113 | Rep. Smith on the horrific attack and abduction of students and staff at St. Mary’s Catholic Schools in Nigeria | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement in response to the gruesome attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Niger state, Nigeria, wherein gunmen assaulted and abducted staff and approximately 52 students: “My wife, Marie, and I are absolutely appalled to hear of the monstrous attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Schools in Nigeria, which took place early this morning. So far, this vicious assault has resulted in the injuries and kidnappings of numerous staff members and approximately 52 students. “Religiously motivated violence against predominantly Christian communities, as well as moderate Muslims, in Nigeria is real—and unfortunately, only getting worse. “It would be a gross understatement and a blatant denial to refer to serious and sustained attacks against religious communities in Nigeria of this magnitude as anything but acts of religious persecution. “While we pray for the immediate release and safe return of the abducted staff and schoolchildren, we also demand that the Nigerian government use all the tools at its disposal to thoroughly investigate this crime, swiftly identify and punish the perpetrators, and steadfastly work towards preventing these types of religiously motivated attacks from occurring in the first place. “I also strongly call upon Nigerian authorities to ensure that all threats made against those who speak out about the ongoing persecution of Christians and moderate Muslims in Nigeria—including the witnesses and individuals associated with yesterday’s hearing—are taken seriously and appropriately addressed without delay. “The protection and safety of these courageous individuals must be paramount to both U.S. and Nigerian authorities—acts of violence, such as this, disincentivize Nigerians from speaking out about these atrocities and terrify them into silence.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415115 | The Daily Wire article on Smith, Harshbarger-led letter'"Reverse This Wrong": Republicans Push RFK To Fix Biden's Abortion Drug Mistakes' | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Mary Margaret Olohan Published November 21, 2025 WASHINGTON—Republicans are calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to take “immediate action” to reinstate safety requirements on abortion drugs, highlighting a growing body of evidence showing that the drugs are causing severe and underreported harm to women. In a letter first obtained by The Daily Wire, New Jersey Rep. Christopher Smith and Tennessee Rep. Diana Harshbarger call on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to “at a minimum, reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone.” Until 2023, the FDA required abortion drugs to be administered to women under a doctor’s supervision. “The need for urgent investigation and review of this drug comes in the wake of the Biden-Harris administration’s egregious action to remove critical safeguards that once applied to abortion drugs, and the FDA’s approval of a new abortion drug generic in September 2025,” write the 175 lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN). “Under your leadership, HHS and FDA can reverse this wrong,” they conclude. “We urge you to immediately reinstate the REMS requiring in-person dispensing of mifepristone and to expedite the promised review by the FDA into the dangers of abortion drugs.” The move is significant since President Joe Biden’s administration green-lit the removal of safety standards on the drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing women to easily obtain the drugs at home. Pro-life advocates have long argued that women are being put in danger simply from taking the abortion drugs, but they are even more anxious about women taking the drugs on their own. New studies are showing that complications are “astonishingly higher than what is reported on the drug’s label,” the lawmakers say: “Even the current Obama FDA-approved label for mifepristone — which the data show understates the dangers to women — says… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415117 | WATCH: Smith responds to horrific attack on St. Mary's Catholic Schools in Nigeria, details U.S. response to religious persecution - EWTN News Nightly | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | On Friday, November 21st, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, joined EWTN News Nightly to provide an overview of the ongoing religious persecution crisis in Nigeria and respond to the attack and abduction of students and staff at St. Mary’s Catholic Schools. The full interview can be viewed by clicking here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415118 | WATCH: '"Sick And Perverted": Rep. Smith Examines CCP's Human Rights Abuses' - NTD | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | From torture to mass incarcerations, to forced live organ harvesting—over the last few decades, Congressman Chris Smith has helped shine a light on the deteriorating human rights conditions in mainland China. NTD's Steve Lance sat down with him to talk about the Chinese Communist Party's assault on religious freedom and why it's important to prioritize human rights in trade. The full interview can be viewed by clicking here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415119 | AP article on Smith's CECC hearing on religious freedom in China'Christian pastor's daughter urges US lawmakers to help free her father in China' | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Didi Tang Published November 21, 2025 at 10:02 PM EST WASHINGTON (AP) — The daughter of a detained Chinese Christian pastor is urging U.S. lawmakers to help free her father at a time when President Donald Trump has vowed to “save our Great Christian population” worldwide. Appearing before a congressional panel Thursday, Grace Jin Drexel said her father, Ezra Jin Mingri, was formally charged this week along with 17 other leaders of the prominent underground Zion Church. They were detained in October in one of China’s largest crackdowns on a single church in decades. It is among the largest churches that are unregistered with the Chinese authorities, defying restrictions from the officially atheist Communist Party requiring believers to worship only in registered congregations. “My father started Zion in order to worship freely in a church that put God as the sole head of our church, like many faithful Christians everywhere,” said Jin Drexel, who lives in the United States. Yet, worshippers “were harassed, threatened and interrogated.” As she urged members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China “to use the authority entrusted into your hands and to not forget us,” another hearing was playing out on Capitol Hill where lawmakers praised the Trump administration’s decision to designate Nigeria again as a “country of particular concern” over allegations of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians. Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri leads a class on the basics of Christian beliefs at Zion Church in Beijing, Aug. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) Trump has focused on Nigeria Trump has said on social media that Christianity “is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” from “radical Islamists.” He threatened to go in “guns-a-blazing” to stop the killing of Christians and said he told the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action. Nigeria, where ongoing violence affects both Christians and Muslims, has seen two mass abductions at schools this week. Students were kidnapped from a Catho… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415120 | CatholicVote article on Smith's CECC hearing on religious freedom in China'Catholic congressman: Why China's war on religion matters' | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Elise Winland Published November 21, 2025 Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., opened a Nov. 20 congressional hearing with a stark assessment of Beijing’s campaign against faith: China’s escalating assault on religious believers is both a moral crisis and a direct threat to U.S. national security. Smith began the hearing — titled “China’s War on Religion: The Threat to Religious Freedom and Why It Matters to the United States” — by underscoring the immediacy of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) repression. “As we speak, the Chinese Communist Party, directed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, is engaged in one of the most extensive crackdowns on a Protestant Christian house church in 40 years,” he said, referencing the detention of dozens of Christian leaders of the underground Zion Church. In October, the U.S. State Department condemned Beijing after agents detained roughly 30 Zion Church leaders, including prominent Beijing pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin. His family holds U.S. citizenship, and his daughter attended the congressional hearing. Smith pointed to several families in the room with “loved ones languishing in Chinese prisons,” adding that their suffering “is pressing, and we must act and pray with urgency.” One of those imprisoned is Catholic Chinese dissident Jimmy Lai, who has spent roughly five years in a Hong Kong prison and now awaits sentencing. Smith, a Catholic, framed the conflict as a fundamental struggle over the “right of conscience — what George Washington called ‘that little spark of celestial fire’ — which is the inviolable domain in the heart of every human being.” Religious freedom is not a Western invention, he argued, but a universal right bestowed upon all men by God. He said it is “guaranteed by a sovereign God who created human beings in His own Image and Likeness and imbued them with inalienable dignity and worth, whether they were born in Washington or Wuhan.” Why Beijing fears faith Smith argued that Xi — whom he labeled “the leader of the world’s largest atheistic state” — seeks t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415124 | Catholic News Agency article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Nigeria'Nigerian bishop calls for U.S. military intervention at congressional hearing' | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Madalaine Elhabbal Published November 21, 2025 at 14:40 PM A Nigerian Catholic bishop said U.S. military intervention is warranted at a Nov. 20 hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa. The hearing took place just days after an attack on a Catholic boarding school in western Nigeria in which children were abducted from the school’s hostel. “Nigeria is ground zero” for religious persecution, said the subcommittee’s chair, Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, at the hearing. “Make no mistake, these ongoing attacks are based on religion, and diverting attention from it denies what we have seen with our own eyes.” Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, Benue, Nigeria, told the panel via Zoom that the United States must follow Nigeria’s addition on the watch list with concrete action. Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Nigerian Diocese of Makurdi in Benue state at a breakfast at Capitol Hill organized by Aid to the Church in Need, Jan. 30, 2024. | Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA “Without quick intervention, Christianity risks elimination in parts of northern and Middle Belt Nigeria within a very short time,” the bishop said, noting that while designation as a country of particular concern (CPC) has “brought immense joy, hope, and spiritual resilience to communities under siege in Nigeria,” the Church cannot stop persecution alone. “It requires coordinated political, military, and humanitarian intervention,” the bishop said. “Mr. Chairman and members, the blood of Nigerian Christians cries out to you. We cannot afford to wait any longer.” The hearing highlighted ongoing religious persecution of Christians in Nigeria by groups including Boko Haram and the Muslim extremist Fulani herdsmen, and examined how the U.S. State Department could apply pressure on the Nigerian government to tamp down religious persecution. President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 31 he would place Nigeria on the U.S. religious freedom violation watch list and designate it as a CPC. Under the International Religious F… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415125 | Breitbart article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Nigeria'Nigerian Bishop Thanks Trump, Details Bloody Christian Genocide to Congress' | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Frances Martel Published November 21, 2025 Nigerian Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, of the diocese of Makurdi in Benue state, testified before the House of Representatives on Thursday, detailing the “gory” violence Christians face regularly in the country and thanking President Donald Trump for designating Nigeria a religious freedom danger zone. President Trump announced on October 31 that he would return Nigeria to the State Department’s Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom list, where he had initially placed it in 2020. Former President Joe Biden removed the notorious label for unclear reasons in 2021. In his announcement, Trump described “mass slaughter” in the country by organized jihadists against Christian communities, urging the Nigerian government to act to protect vulnerable Christians. “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he wrote. “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!” Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responded to the designation by denying the existence of any religious discrimination in the country and insisting that general “instability” also affects Muslim Nigerians. LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Bishop Anagbe addressed Congress for a hearing on Christian persecution in Nigeria at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). He extensively listed individual attacks by jihadists, most of them organized Fulani jihadist gangs, in which the terrorists burned down churches, displaced millions of Christians, and killed and abducted large numbers of the local population in the Middle Belt. Nigeria’s population is almost evenly split between Muslims in the north, about 60 percent, and Christians in the south, about 40 percent. The Middle Belt, where the populations meet, has beco… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415153 | Breitbart article on Smith-Harshbarger letter to Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary'175 GOP Lawmakers Call on FDA to Reverse Biden Admin’s "Mail-Order Abortion Scheme"' | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Katherine Hamilton Published November 21, 2025 U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) led 175 House Republicans in a letter demanding the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) undo the Biden administration’s “mail-order abortion scheme” and investigate the potential safety risks of abortion pills. In 2021 under former President Joe Biden, the FDA removed the in-person dispensing requirement for abortion pills and allowed them to be sent via mail. That action, combined with shield laws in blue states, have allowed abortionists to mail abortion pills into red states with laws protecting the unborn. In their letter on Thursday, GOP lawmakers urged HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to reverse course, especially in light of the FDA’s September approval of a generic version of mifepristone — the first drug used in a two-drug medication abortion regimen — and after a study was released in April suggesting abortion pill complications are 22 times higher than previously reported. “As Members of Congress who share in the President’s vision for safeguarding life, protecting the health and wellbeing of American families, and ensuring that federal agencies act responsibly, we write to respectfully ask that the deleterious and grossly underreported effects on women of the drug mifepristone be aggressively investigated and decisive action taken to protect women from harm,” they wrote. “We also urge that immediate action be taken to, at a minimum, reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone,” they continued. AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades Lawmakers said the Biden administration’s actions created a “no-contact, mail-order abortion scheme.” “The need for urgent investigation and review of this drug comes in the wake of the Biden-Harris administration’s egregious action to remove critical safeguards that once applied to abortion drugs, and the FDA’s approval of a new abortion drug generic in Septemb… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415096 | Opening statement of Chairman Smith at hearing on religious persecution in NigeriaPresident Trump’s Redesignation of Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern": A Serious, Well-Founded Wake-Up Call | 2025-11-20 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | The following are excerpts of Chairman Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) opening statement at the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee’s November 20th hearing, entitled “President Trump’s Redesignation of Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’: A Serious, Well-Founded Wake-Up Call”: Welcome to this critical hearing on the systematic and accelerating violence against predominantly Christian communities in Nigeria. This is my 12th hearing focused exclusively on Nigeria—with scores of other hearings on human trafficking, religious freedom, food security and human rights, focused in part on Nigeria. I’ve led three human rights trips to Nigeria. I want to thank our distinguished witnesses for being here today to bring light and scrutiny to this unfolding religious freedom catastrophe and ways to mitigate and end the violence and hate. Nigeria is ground zero, the focal point of the most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world today. Moderate Muslims who speak out against the radical Islamists or refuse to conform with the serial killers are murdered as well. In 2015, our former House colleague and Green Berets officer, and now U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, was deployed to Nigeria as part of a U.S. Special Forces unit to provide training and security assistance to Nigerian Navy SEALs in their fight against Boko Haram. During his time there, more than 300 girls were reported missing because of Boko Haram’s extremist violence. Working alongside his team, Ambassador Waltz supported Nigerian SEAL operations that ultimately helped rescue many of these girls from the oppressive conditions imposed under Sharia law. Yesterday, Ambassador Waltz said at a special seminar on Nigeria that the situation in Nigeria now has only grown more dire. Ambassador Waltz said, “Churches burn; mothers bury their children for the ‘crime’ of singing Amazing Grace, pastors are beheaded for preaching the Sermon on the Mount, and entire villages awaken to gunfire simply for calling Jesus their Lord. Th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415097 | Opening statement of Co-Chairman Smith at hearing on religious freedom in ChinaChina’s War on Religion: The Threat to Religious Freedom and Why it Matters to the United States | 2025-11-20 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | The following are excerpts of Co-Chairman Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) opening statement at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)’s November 20th hearing, entitled “China’s War on Religion: The Threat to Religious Freedom and Why it Matters to the United States”: Thank you, Senator Sullivan, and good morning, everyone. I’m very glad the CECC is holding this hearing, and to be working with you on this critical—and indeed, urgent—issue that is so close to my heart. I say urgent because, as we speak, the Chinese Communist Party, directed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, is engaged in one of the most extensive crackdowns on a Protestant Christian house church in 40 years. I also say urgent because, as I look around in this room, I see friends of many faiths with loved ones languishing in Chinese prisons. Their plight is pressing, and we must act and pray with urgency. At its core, religious freedom is about the right of conscience—what George Washington called “that little spark of celestial fire”—which is the inviolable domain in the heart of every human being. I am proud to say that this is the 14th hearing I have chaired or co-chaired dedicated to religious freedom in China. We say that religious freedom is a universal right, because it is guaranteed by a sovereign God who created human beings in His own Image and Likeness and imbued them with inalienable dignity and worth, whether they were born in Washington or Wuhan. It is thus not a “Western” construct but a universal one. Yet, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, leader of the world’s largest atheistic state, would force his own people to think otherwise. He would have the Chinese people believe that religious freedom is not for them, that religion itself is not for them, because he, and the Party he leads, are terrified of religious faith. They fear any moral or spiritual authority outside the control of the Party; and they punish worship of anyone but Xi Jinping. Instead, the Chinese Communist Party wants total control over… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415106 | Fox News article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Nigeria'Lawmakers sound alarm on "deadliest place on earth to be a Christian" as Nigeria violence escalates' | 2025-11-20 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Efrat Lachter Published November 20, 2025 at 7:09 PM EST The U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa held a hearing Thursday on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria in what subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith, R-N.J., described as the "systematic and accelerating violence against predominantly Christian communities in Nigeria." Members from both parties questioned administration officials and outside experts as witness after witness described the collapse of security, mass killings, kidnappings and the impunity that has turned Africa’s most populous country into what one lawmaker called "the deadliest place on Earth to be a Christian." Smith, who has long been sounding the alarm about the persecution of Christians in the country, described the situation in vivid terms. Christians hold signs as they march on the streets of Abuja during a prayer and penance for peace and security in Nigeria in Abuja on March 1, 2020. - The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria gathered faithfuls as well as other Christians and other people to pray for security and to denounce the barbaric killings of Christians by the Boko Haram insurgents and the incessant cases of kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria. (Photo by KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images) "Nigeria is ground zero, the focal point of the most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world today," he said. He called the session "a very critical hearing," noting it was his 12th such hearing and that he has led three human rights trips to the country. Quoting earlier testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Diocese, Smith cited militants who "kill and boast about it … kidnap and rape and enjoy total impunity from elected officials." He highlighted a June 13 attack in Yola, saying reports showed "278 people — men, women and children — were killed in a manner too gory to describe by people shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ while slaughtering their victims." "This is not random violence. It is deliberate persecution," Smith said. "There may be other factors, but religio… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415107 | The Washington Times article on Smith's CECC hearing on religious freedom in China'Congress warned that China’s crackdown on religious freedom is a national security threat to U.S.' | 2025-11-20 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Jeff Mordock and Mike Glenn Published Thursday, November 20, 2025 China’s crackdown on religious freedom, including recent arrests of Christian church members, represents a national security threat to the U.S. and must be met with a powerful response, a coalition of experts told lawmakers Thursday on Capitol Hill. Former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, who served as ambassador-at-large for religious freedom in the first Trump administration, urged lawmakers to shift from viewing Beijing’s religious crackdown as a human rights issue and start treating it as a national security issue. Calling it a “national security imperative,” he said the atheist Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to eliminate faith are part of its larger ambition to wipe out its enemies. “China is at war with faith, and it is at war with us. We should unequivocally and clearly be on the side of their opponents. China fears religious freedom more than they fear our aircraft carriers or our nuclear weapons,” Mr. Brownback said at a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a joint House-Senate commission. “If the world’s largest authoritarian state can eradicate religious freedom without consequences, it undermines the authority of America’s founding values and global leadership,” he said. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency on Thursday, Oct 23, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in Beijing. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP) In recent weeks, China launched its largest religion eradication effort in nearly seven years. On Tuesday, Chinese authorities arrested 18 leaders of an underground church, the first step toward prosecuting them and potentially sending them to prison for three years. The 18 were members of the Zion Church, an unofficial Christian “house church” not sanctioned by the Chinese government. Last month, Chinese authorities detained nearly 30 staff members and pastors belonging to the Zion Church as part o… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415108 | The Washington Times article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Nigeria'Christians face escalating existential threats from extremist violence, Nigerian bishop warns' | 2025-11-20 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Mike Glenn Published Thursday, November 20, 2025 Nigeria remains the deadliest place on earth to be a practising Christian. More believers are killed there every year than in the rest of the world combined, a Catholic prelate from Nigeria told lawmakers in Congress on Thursday. Bishop Wilfred C. Anagbe said violence against Christians in the West African country is rampant, particularly from Islamist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province. A recent report from the Nigeria-based International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law says jihadists are destroying at least 100 churches every month. At least 7,000 Christians in Nigeria have been killed so far this year, according to their study. On Tuesday, gunmen attacked a church in central Nigeria, killing at least two people and kidnapping the pastor and some church members. The assault, which remains under investigation, comes only days after 25 girls were abducted from a boarding school. A police officer stands guard inside the St. Francis Catholic Church, a day after an attack that targeted worshipers in Owo, Nigeria, on June 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File) Bishop Anagbe said several of his own relatives were killed in May 2025 when jihadists attacked his home village. The attackers sacked the local Catholic parish and a nearby convent, displacing the nuns there. They shot one of his priests and left him to die in a pool of blood while abducting people who were travelling with him. “Although he survived the attack, he is unable to walk freely,” Bishop Anagbe testified during a hearing of the Africa subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “This is the daily experience of many Christians in Nigeria. Violence is spreading southward, displacing millions and destroying farmland, creating a humanitarian crisis compounded by food insecurity.” Although some describe the situation in Nigeria as a genocide or a campaign of ethnic cleansing, officials in the capital city of Abuja view it as a complex crisi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415109 | Save Jersey Op-Ed by Rep. Smith'Op-Ed: Christianity faces an existential threat in Nigeria' | 2025-11-20 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Chris Smith Published November 20, 2025 The following are Congressman Chris Smith’s remarks from Thursday’s congressional hearing. _ Welcome to this critical hearing on the systematic and accelerating violence against predominantly Christian communities in Nigeria. This is my 12th hearing focused exclusively on Nigeria—with scores of other hearings on human trafficking, religious freedom, food security and human rights focused in part on Nigeria. I’ve led three human rights trips to Nigeria. I want to thank our distinguished witnesses for being here today to bring light and scrutiny to this unfolding religious freedom catastrophe and ways to mitigate and end the violence and hate. Nigeria is ground zero, the focal point of the most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world today. Moderate Muslims who speak out against the radical Islamists or refuse to conform with the serial killers are murdered as well. I applaud President Trump’s recent decisive action to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for engaging in and tolerating severe violations of religious freedom. One of our distinguished witnesses today, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, testified in March before this subcommittee: “Militant Fulani herdsman are terrorists. They steal and vandalize, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from the elected officials. None of them have been arrested and brought to justice.” Today, Bishop Anagbe will say: “on 13th March 2025, when I last appeared before this committee, I warned that the situation was dire and demanded urgent attention. Tragically, the past half-year has proven those warnings understated the continued attacks on vulnerable Christian villages by the Fulani ethnic millitia and their counterparts, both in the Middle Belt of Nigeria and elsewhere in the country. In my own diocese of Makurdi, you are all familiar with the massacres of Saturday 13th June in Yelwata, where 278 persons, men, wome… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415092 | Rep. Smith statement in support of the Epstein Files Transparency Act | 2025-11-18 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the author of the United States’ landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) used to arrest Jeffrey Epstein and convict Ghislaine Maxwell, issued the following statement in support of the Epstein Files Transparency Act (HR 4405): “Among the despicable 4,803 human trafficking predators who have been convicted under my federal anti-human trafficking law is Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, who was tried, convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the crime of sex trafficking. “Jeffrey Epstein was also arrested and charged under my law—and likely would have been convicted, had he not died before his case went to trial. “For their pervasive mental and physical abuses of underaged girls, both Epstein and Maxwell were charged with two counts under the statute—sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors (18 U.S.C. § 1591). “To date, $365 million in settlements have been paid out to Epstein’s victims—trafficking survivors—who, under the TVPA, filed for damages against financial institutions who participated in, financially benefited from, or were complicit in Epstein’s sex trafficking operations. “The United States has long been the leading force in defending victims in the global fight against human trafficking—and our indefatigable commitment to advocating for the vulnerable and holding perpetrators accountable cannot and should not be undermined by any real or perceived lack of transparency. “Our whole-of-government approach to fighting trafficking must be open to public scrutiny. The release of records relevant to Epstein’s criminal network will only help us to gain even greater insight to the abusive, exploitive nature of human trafficking enterprises, gaps in our ability to identify and fight trafficking, and what additional steps need to be taken to stop future predators and copy-cat networks from entrapping and trafficking victims. “I have met with hundreds of trafficking survivors—including those abused by… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415094 | CatholicVote article on Smith's upcoming CECC hearing'Rep. Smith to co-chair hearing over China’s war on religion' | 2025-11-18 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Elise Winland Published November 18, 2025 Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Catholic, will co-chair a Nov. 20 congressional hearing examining what lawmakers call the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) escalating “war” on religious believers. In a press release, Smith’s office said the CCP has “intensified its drive for absolute control over religion, insisting that believers subordinate conscience and conviction to the Party and to General Secretary Xi Jinping.” The statement described religious persecution as “a core feature of Party rule,” pointing to sweeping regulations, detentions, surveillance, and harassment targeting Christians and other faith communities. The hearing will focus on four areas: the CCP’s coercive control over religion, its repression of Chinese believers abroad, the national-security implications of Beijing exporting its model of religious persecution, and policy recommendations for a stronger U.S. response. The review comes weeks after the U.S. State Department condemned the CCP after reports emerged that authorities had detained roughly 30 Christian leaders across several major cities. In its latest annual report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said several regimes, including China, have systematically targeted religious believers. The review found that the CCP has imprisoned Christians, imposed forced indoctrination, and restricted worship across the country. One of those imprisoned is Catholic Chinese dissident Jimmy Lai, who has been held in a Hong Kong prison for about five years and now awaits sentencing. The CCP has also continued to justify religious repression through official messaging. As CatholicVote previously reported, an official Chinese outlet said Xi delivered a Sept. 29 speech calling for new steps to force religions in China to “adapt to a socialist society.” This article was published on November 18, 2025 and can be found online at: https://catholicvote.org/rep-smith-to-co-chair-hearing-over-chinas-war-on-religion/ | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415090 | Sunday, Nov. 16th at 8:00 PM ESTWATCH: Rep. Chris Smith joins Mark Levin on FOX’s “Life, Liberty and Levin” to discuss religious persecution of Christians throughout the globe and President Trump’s CPC redesignation of Nigeria | 2025-11-17 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | On Sunday, November 16th, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee and renowned religious freedom advocate, joined Mark Levin on FOX’s “Life, Liberty and Levin” to discuss the ongoing religious persecution of Christians throughout the globe, especially in Nigeria. The internationally recognized human rights lawmaker detailed the worsening religious persecution crisis in Nigeria, including his upcoming hearing on the matter; President Trump’s timely and welcomed redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern; and the need to immobilize and punish radical Islamist groups, such as Boko Haram, Hamas, and Fulani terrorists, for their violence against Christians, Jews, and moderate Muslims. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415091 | Hearing set for Thursday, November 20Rep. Chris Smith to co-chair Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing, “China’s War on Religion: The Threat to Religious Freedom and Why it Matters to the United States” | 2025-11-17 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | On Thursday, November 20th, the co-chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) will hold a public hearing on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing assault against religious freedom and its national security implications for the United States. WHAT: Congressional hearing on the CCP’s efforts to quash religious freedom and oppress diverse religious communities through the means of coercion, intimidation, and transnational repression; and the subsequent implications for U.S. national security and foreign policy priorities. WHEN: Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM WITNESSES: Ambassador Sam Brownback, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (2018-2021), Governor of Kansas (2011-2018), U.S. Senator (1996-2011) Ismail “Ma Ju” Juma, Hui Muslim human rights advocate Bhuchung Tsering, Leader, International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) Research and Monitoring Unit Bob Fu, Founder and President, ChinaAid Grace Jin, Daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin WHERE: Senate Dirksen 106 WHO: Co-chair Chris Smith, Chairman Dan Sullivan, other members of the CECC, and witnesses The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has intensified its drive for absolute control over religion, insisting that believers subordinate conscience and conviction to the Party and to General Secretary Xi Jinping. This is not incidental to the PRC’s domestic agenda or international influence; it is a core feature of Party rule, reflected in sweeping regulations on religion and detentions, surveillance, and harassment targeting believers and groups operating outside official bounds. The hearing will spotlight escalating repression targeting all of China’s diverse religious communities and examine why the CCP’s assault on freedom of religion matters for the United States. The hearing will focus on: (1) CCP policies and tactics for coercive control of religion and their impact on individuals and communities; (2) Transnational repression used to censor and punish diaspora religious communities and individual beli… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-joins-bipartisan-effort-urging-senate-leaders-partner-house-address | Kean Joins Bipartisan Effort Urging Senate Leaders to Partner with House to Address Rising Health Care Costs | 2025-11-17 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (November 17, 2025) WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) joined more than 30 House Republicans and Democrats in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging them to include House members in negotiations ahead of next month's Senate vote on the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. The lawmakers called for a bicameral approach in order to quickly advance a bipartisan solution to protect families from significant premium increases. “Bipartisan engagement across both chambers will be essential to crafting a health care proposal that can pass and be signed into law,” the Members wrote. In the letter, the bipartisan group of lawmakers underscore that families nationwide who rely on the expiring ACA premium tax credits are facing drastic spikes to their health insurance costs. Congressman Kean has consistently advocated for healthcare affordability in New Jersey in recent months. In September 2025, he joined as an original cosponsor of the Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act (H.R.5145), legislation that would extend the ACA premium tax credits to protect New Jersey families and small businesses from steep healthcare premium increases. Further, in October 2025, Congressman Kean joined 12 Republican lawmakers in sending a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson urging the House of Representatives to take immediate action on the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits as soon as the government reopened. Read the full letter sent to Senate leadership HERE. The bipartisan letter, led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), is also signed by Adam Gray (CA-13), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-2), Susie Lee (NV-3), Don Bacon (NE-2), Ed Case (HI-1), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Greg Landsman (OH-1), Jeff Hurd (CO-3), Darren Soto (FL-9), Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA-8), Tom Barrett (MI-7), Debbie Dingell (MI-6), Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-7), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Ryan Mackenzie (PA-7), Henry … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415089 | Thurs., Nov. 20: Rep. Chris Smith to chair Foreign Affairs hearing“President Trump’s Redesignation of Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’: A Serious, Well-Founded Wake-Up Call” | 2025-11-14 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | On Thursday, November 20th, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, will chair his twelfth congressional hearing on the religious persecution of Christians by radical Islamist groups in Nigeria. This hearing follows President Trump’s historic redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” on October 31st. WHAT: Congressional hearing on the ongoing religious persecution of Christians by radical Islamists, such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists, in Nigeria; the wide-reaching implications of President Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a “CPC”; and the course of action the U.S. Department of State should follow in response to the Nigerian government’s complicity in these crimes. WHEN: Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM WITNESSES: (Partial list) PANEL 1: oThe Honorable Jonathan Pratt, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State oMr. Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State PANEL 2: oMs. Nina Shea, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Religious Freedom oBishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Nigeria, Roman Catholic Church oMs. Oge Onubogu, Director and Senior Fellow, Africa Program, Center for Strategic & International Studies WHERE: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building WHO: Chairman Chris Smith, other members of the HFAC Africa Subcommittee, and witnesses ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415087 | SNAP benefits fully funded; Jt. Base receives fed $ for critical updatesRep. Smith statement on last night's budget vote to reopen the government | 2025-11-13 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), former Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and author of more than a dozen laws to help veterans, issued the following statement on the passage of HR 5371, the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act of 2026: “Last night, I voted for—and the House passed—critical legislation to reopen the federal government after the longest shutdown in our nation’s history, caused by Democrats seeking to score political points at the expense of the American people. “Critically, this legislation immediately reopens the government and provides $133.2 billion in full-year funding to the Veterans Administration—including $53 billion to provide healthcare, benefits, and research for veterans exposed to toxins while deployed. “I find it astonishing and deeply disappointing that so many Democrats today voted against fully funding veterans’ healthcare—only one day after Veterans Day. “This bill also fully funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the remainder of the fiscal year at the level of $107.5 billion, as well as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at $8.2 billion, an increase of $603 million compared to last year. “This is extremely welcome news, as just last month, I cosponsored legislation—the Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025 (HR 5822)—to appropriate unallocated federal funds to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of benefits under SNAP during the shutdown. “Additionally, this legislation includes critical funds to upgrade and establish new missions at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the Naval Secure Test Aviation Research Hangar and the Lakehurst Air Traffic Control Tower—projects that I have spearheaded. The Lakehurst portion of the base—one of the largest employers in Ocean County—performs unique missions that provide substantial value and expertise to critical national security missions. “New project funding—$5.6 million in… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-secures-37-million-support-local-police-departments | Kean Secures $3.7 Million to Support Local Police Departments | 2025-11-13 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (November 13, 2025) WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) announced that he secured $3.7 million in federal funding to support police departments in New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District. The funding will provide critical facility upgrades and renovations for police departments in Byram Township, Readington Township, and Holland Township. This funding was made possible through Congressman Kean’s support for the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (H.R.5371), which passed the House on November 12, 2025. The legislation was immediately signed into law later that evening. “As communities grow and demands on local law enforcement increase, it is essential that our police officers have modern, safe, and functional facilities,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. “At a time when others are trying to cut funding for law enforcement, I fought to ensure our officers had the resources they need to protect and serve effectively. I will always stand with the men and women in blue who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our families, neighborhoods, and communities." Congressman Kean submitted the following projects to the FY2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which was enacted as part of H.R. 5371: Byram Township: $1,237,500 to provide renovations and new facilities to the Byram Township Police Department. The Township is in dire need of a new police department headquarters, as they are currently operating out of a set of mobile construction trailers from the 1970s. This funding will allow the police department to move into an existing 4,500 square foot office building and renovate it to be suitable to house their police headquarters. Readington Township: $1,932,287 to provide the expansion and modernization of the Readington Township Police Department. The initiative aims to enhance the operational capacity, efficiency, and community engagement of the department through strategic upgrades and expansion… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415088 | “Electoral fraud or manipulation would be disastrous for the people of Honduras, as well as for American interests”Smith urges Sec. Rubio, Sec. Hegseth to support democracy and rule of law in Honduras | 2025-11-12 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Earlier this week, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in response to widespread concerns about potential electoral fraud or manipulation in Honduras’ upcoming presidential election. In the letter dated November 10th, Smith urged the top U.S. officials to publicly communicate that a productive and beneficial U.S.—Honduran diplomatic relationship depends upon free and fair elections—and that “any effort to subvert the will of the Honduran people will carry serious consequences for bilateral relations and regional stability.” Smith noted that Sec. Rubio and many others in the Trump administration have made it clear that the ruling party in Honduras—the Liberty and Refoundation party (LIBRE)—has an extremely poor record on democracy and the rule of law: “Many Hondurans are concerned about the upcoming election—and they have reason to be,” said Smith, a renowned human rights lawmaker. “The Trump administration, more than any other administration in U.S. history, has a more complete understanding of the numerous challenges facing Latin America—and we really must thank Secretary Rubio for providing a renewed focus on Latin America in U.S. policy, as well as his savvy, principled commitment to human rights. “I am confident that—publicly or privately—the administration will take appropriate action to express U.S. support for free and fair elections in Honduras, and I hope that my proposals can contribute to that effort,” remarked Smith. Smith’s letter proposes the following initiatives for the United States to better support and promote democracy in Honduras: The deployment of an official U.S. delegation to Honduras to observe the election; Constructive engagement with the Honduran Armed Forces, emphasizing their responsibility to uphold the democratic process; and The issuance of public statements in support of free and fair elec… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-introduces-legislation-protect-americans-undisclosed-foreign-influence | Kean Introduces Legislation to Protect Americans from Undisclosed Foreign Influence | 2025-11-12 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (November 12, 2025) WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) introduced the Defending Against Foreign Propaganda Act, legislation that requires clear disclosure on any advertisement paid for by a foreign government or foreign entity that runs in the United States. The bill ensures that Americans know when a message they see or hear is being funded by a foreign government — protecting transparency, national integrity, and trust in U.S. institutions. “In recent months, we have seen foreign governments, including allies like Canada, run ads in the United States aimed at influencing public opinion and policy debates,” said Congressman Kean. “Americans deserve to know when they are being targeted by messaging that originates from a foreign government. It is the American people who are the decision-makers in our policy debates, so we must ensure foreign governments can never hide their attempts to influence them." Under the Defending Against Foreign Propaganda Act, advertisements paid for by a foreign government or foreign person must clearly disclose that sponsorship. The disclosure must appear in both written and audio form, where applicable, ensuring viewers and listeners can easily identify the source of the message. The legislation tasks the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with enforcing these requirements and treating violations as deceptive advertising practices. Congressman Kean serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. A copy of the bill text is available HERE. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-votes-house-bill-end-government-shutdown | Kean Votes for House Bill to End Government Shutdown | 2025-11-12 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (November 12, 2025) WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) issued the following statement after voting for legislation to end the current government shutdown: “DC Democrats made a foolish decision to shut down our government and inflict tremendous harm on our country. I have never supported a government shutdown in any form, and the same has remained true this time. There is no leverage to gain, there is no policy battle to win — there was only damage done to institutions and public services that millions of Americans rely on. "Today, I once again voted to keep the federal government open and get back to doing the people’s business. Every step of the way, Republicans stood on the principles of good government, fiscal discipline, and common-sense. We fought to ensure that critical services from air traffic control to SNAP benefits were maintained. This shutdown was a reckless political ploy by Democrats that achieved nothing but unnecessary hardship for American families. The American people deserve a government that works for them — not one held hostage by partisan games. "Now, it’s time to move forward and focus on what matters: lowering costs, strengthening our economy, and securing America’s future. That is the work the American people sent us here to do, and that is exactly what I will continue to fight for,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. Background: The funding measure includes a continuing resolution to reopen the federal government through January 30, 2026, and provides full-year funding for three annual appropriations bills: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and the Legislative Branch. This legislation will provide certainty to our veterans, farmers, and SNAP recipients and allow Congress to continue working on full-year FY2026 appropriation bills for the remaining federal agencies. The measure now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415085 | Rep. Smith statement on Veterans DayHonoring America's veterans | 2025-11-11 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | "On this Veterans Day, we honor and pay tribute to the extraordinarily brave men and women—and their families—who have made immense sacrifices to ensure that liberty and freedom endure. "It is because of these heroes that America continues to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. "Words are inadequate to convey our deep and profound appreciation to America’s veterans, and we ask that God continue to bless, protect, strengthen—and, when needed, heal—each and every veteran." ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-honors-local-seniors-annual-seniors-distinction-event | Kean Honors Local Seniors with Annual Seniors of Distinction Event | 2025-11-10 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (November 10, 2025) BRIDGEWATER, NJ – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) hosted his third annual Seniors of Distinction event at the Bridgewater Township Senior Center to honor outstanding seniors in the community. This year, Congressman Kean recognized 33 seniors representing all six counties within New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District. Each honoree was nominated by their friends, families, or local officials in recognition of their exceptional service and dedication to others. The Seniors of Distinction were selected for their long history of giving back to their communities and for their ongoing commitment to philanthropic, charitable, and spiritual activities locally and even, statewide. “Our 2025 Seniors of Distinction represent the very best of our communities,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. “Each honoree has dedicated their time, talents, and compassion to uplifting New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District. Whether through leadership, volunteerism, or simple acts of kindness, they all share the same spirit of generosity and an unwavering commitment to serve others. I am honored to recognize these remarkable individuals and thank them for all they do to keep our communities strong, connected, and vibrant.” “Bridgewater was proud to host Congressman Tom Kean’s ‘Seniors of Distinction’ event right here at our Senior Center,” said Bridgewater Mayor Matthew Moench. “It was an honor to welcome so many inspiring residents from across the district and to celebrate the remarkable contributions our seniors continue to make in their communities every day.” “Thank you, Congressman Kean, for the honor of being considered as a Senior of Distinction,” said Paul Corcoran of Sparta. “It is an honor to be able to represent all the other seniors that are of distinction as well in our communities. I love the program, and I hope it continues and that others are inspired by the respective seniors that are here.” “I am honored that the Borough thought I was a Senior of Distinction,” said Patricia Serrano of… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415081 | Military.com article on Smith's legislation to address religious persecution in Nigeria'New Bill Calls For Stronger US Response to Religious Persecution in Nigeria' | 2025-11-07 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Nick Mordowanec Published November 7, 2025 at 4:53 PM ET A Washington lawmaker has sponsored legislation calling on the U.S. State Department to advance religious freedom and protect persecuted Christians in Nigeria, telling Military.com that the situation has “gotten significantly worse within the past year.” President Donald Trump threatened this week to "do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about" and "go into that now-disgraced country guns-a-blazing” to counter what he and the administration have described as the targeting of Christians by Islamic militants in Africa’s most populous nation. Trump has called Nigeria a "disgraced country” with a government that "continues to allow the killing of Christians.” On Thursday, the State Department said in a post on X that 80,000 visas belonging to Nigerians and other foreign nationals have been revoked since January. A man sells tomatoes and peppers at the market in Kaduna, Nigeria, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced H.R. 860, which he said updates and expands H.R. 220—legislation he introduced earlier this year to under law provide congressional guidance “that the State Department can and must take to advance religious freedom and protect persecuted Christians in Nigeria.” No action was taken with the previous resolution introduced in March and referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. A vendor sells local newspapers with headlines referring to US President Donald Trump's comments about Nigeria, on the street of Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) "The legislation supports President Trump’s initiative in combating Christian persecution overseas and provides congressional input for the State Department’s legally authorized actions, such as sanctions, to be used to persuade the Nigerian government to do the right thing,” Smith told Military.com. “It also puts Nigeria on watch, sending a forceful message that the United States will not tolerate or e… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415082 | CatholicVote article on Smith's legislation to address religious persecution in Nigeria'Rep. Chris Smith unveils plan to defend persecuted Christians in Nigeria' | 2025-11-07 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Elise Winland Published November 7, 2025 Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., introduced new legislation detailing how the U.S. should respond to the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria, following President Donald Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). In a Nov. 5 press release, Smith, a Catholic, said that Christians in Nigeria live “under the constant threat of murder, kidnapping, rape, and torture by radical Islamists, such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists.” The resolution, H. Res. 860, commends Trump’s actions and directs the U.S. State Department to adopt a series of measures — including sanctions and new conditions on foreign aid — to pressure Nigeria’s government to protect Christians. It calls for immediate humanitarian aid to faith-based groups in Nigeria, coordination with the Treasury Department to impose sanctions and visa bans on perpetrators, and conditions on U.S. assistance tied to religious freedom protections. The resolution also reaffirms America’s commitment to defending human rights worldwide. “It is well past time that the United States holds the Nigerian government responsible for its inability — or unwillingness — to fully confront and combat the unchecked, widespread religious persecution occurring within its borders,” Smith said. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415084 | SSBCrack News article on Smith's legislation to address religious persecution in Nigeria'Lawmaker Pushes for U.S. Action to Protect Persecuted Christians in Nigeria Amid Growing Concerns' | 2025-11-07 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By News Desk Published November 7, 2025 A Washington lawmaker is pushing for new legislation that urges the U.S. State Department to take stronger actions to promote religious freedom and protect persecuted Christians in Nigeria. This comes amid growing concerns about escalating violence against Christians in the country, which the lawmaker describes as having “gotten significantly worse within the past year.” President Donald Trump recently made headlines with remarks stating that the U.S. might take severe measures against Nigeria, whom he labeled a “disgraced country” for allowing what his administration has characterized as systematic targeting of Christians by Islamic militants. Trump has expressed discontent over the Nigerian government’s handling of religious violence, specifically calling out the killing of Christians. In response to these issues, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced H.R. 860, legislation intended to build upon a previous bill aimed at providing congressional support for State Department actions related to religious freedom. Smith emphasized that the new legislation aims to send a strong message to Nigeria, reinforcing that the U.S. will not condone or facilitate the persecution of Christians or other religious minorities. The new bill has garnered bipartisan support with co-sponsorship from Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL). Smith explained that the legislation would reinforce President Trump’s initiative against the persecution of Christians abroad and provide actionable congressional input for the State Department, including the possibility of imposing sanctions. With threats of sanctions looming, Smith and his co-sponsors highlighted potential actions the State Department could take. These include providing humanitarian aid to faith-based organizations in Nigeria, conditioning U.S. foreign assistance on compliance with religious freedom standards, and collaborating with the Treasury Department on targeted sanctions against those resp… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-kean-advances-veterans-access-care-launch-new-lyons-va-shuttle | Congressman Kean Advances Veterans’ Access to Care with Launch of New Lyons VA Shuttle Service and Legislative Action | 2025-11-07 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (November 7, 2025) BERNARDS TOWNSHIP, NJ – Yesterday, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) participated in the Lyons VA Shuttle kick-off ceremony at the Lyons Train Station. Hosted by Somerset County, the ceremony celebrated the launch of a new, fare-free shuttle service connecting veterans to the Lyons VA Medical Center from the Lyons Train Station. After hearing from constituents and local veteran advocates about accessibility barriers to the Lyons VA Medical Center, Congressman Kean met with NJ TRANSIT CEO Kris Kolluri in April 2025 and advocated for a dedicated shuttle to bridge the train station with the medical center. The shuttle service relies on federal funds administered through the State of New Jersey and was made possible through a cooperative partnership between Somerset County, the Lyons VA Medical Center, NJ TRANSIT, and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA). “For too long, New Jersey veterans with disabilities have faced challenges accessing reliable transportation to the Lyons VA Medical Center. That changes with the launch of the Lyons VA Shuttle Service,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07). "This milestone demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together across all levels of government. On the federal level, I am also pleased to build on this progress by introducing legislation to ensure this service remains a sustained, long-term solution. With Veterans Day just around the corner, this launch could not be more timely — it will improve lives, ease burdens, and honor those who have served our nation.” During the ceremony, Congressman Kean announced his new bill to unlock federal funds and ensure the Lyons VA Shuttle Service remains a lasting solution. The Connecting Veterans to Care Act of 2025 would provide greater flexibility in using federal funds to support the operation of public transportation services that serve Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities. The proposed legislation would be a key step towards providing the Lyons VA Shuttle with … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415076 | Smith, who called for ‘CPC’ designation, pushes for sanctions on perpetrators and humanitarian aid to victimsNew legislation commends President Trump for Nigeria ‘CPC’ designation and paves a path forward for religious freedom in Nigeria | 2025-11-05 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, introduced new legislation commending President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and outlining the course of action the U.S. Department of State should follow in response to the Nigerian government’s complicity in the religious persecution of Christians. Smith’s new bill, H.Res.860, is cosponsored by Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL). The bill updates and expands legislation (H.Res.220) Smith introduced earlier this year, which all current cosponsors supported. Smith’s previous bill urged the President to designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and called for a robust State Department response to Nigerian officials who have failed to address the mass murders, torture, religious freedom violations, and human rights abuses perpetrated against Christians—and Muslims—in their country. Smith, for more than a decade, has consistently introduced legislation and chaired congressional hearings on the crisis in Nigeria—the most recent of which was held in March. “To be a Christian living in Nigeria means to be living under the constant threat of murder, kidnapping, rape, and torture by radical Islamists, such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists,” stated Smith, who has led numerous human rights trips to Nigeria. “My new legislation commends President Trump’s decisive action to redesignate Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’—reversing an incredibly ill-advised decision by the Biden Administration—and lays out a detailed roadmap for the State Department’s future diplomatic dealings with the Nigerian government—urging sanctions and new conditions on U.S. foreign assistance.” Rep. Huizenga, a cosponsor of H.Res.860 and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee, said, “The slaughter of innocent Christians in Nigeria demands a strong response from the United States. Congressman Chris Smith and I… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415077 | CatholicVote article on Smith's work to advance religious freedom throughout the globe'Harrowing stories of persecution turned Congressman Smith into a religious freedom champion' | 2025-11-05 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Elise Winland Published November 5, 2025 Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., recently recalled what sparked his lifelong mission to defend religious freedom: reading “Tortured for Christ,” Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand’s account of underground Christians tortured under dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. “I was moved to tears. And challenged to act,” he said during remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) Christian Persecution Summit Oct. 30. A Catholic and longtime human rights advocate, Smith said the encounter 45 years ago shaped his decades-long focus on defending the persecuted and advancing religious freedom worldwide. “Religious persecution is festering and exploding around the world. What has been unconscionable for decades, centuries, has gotten worse,” he warned. He later added, “We must act. In Nigeria. In China. In scores of nations where the believer is unwelcome.” Citing data from the Open Doors 2025 World Watch List, Smith noted that more than 380 million Christians around the world “suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.” The Catholic congressman recounted meeting persecuted Christians across the world — from underground pastors in Moscow to survivors of terrorist attacks in Nigeria. He described his 1982 visit with the “Siberian Seven,” Pentecostal Christians who lived inside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for five years, and his later encounter with Habila Adamu, a Nigerian Christian who survived a Boko Haram execution attempt. “Dragged from his home by Boko Haram terrorists, [Habila] was ordered to renounce his faith,” Smith recalled. “With an AK-47 pressed to his face, he was asked, ‘Are you ready to die as a Christian?’ With amazing courage, Habila answered, ‘Yes, I am ready to die as a Christian.’” “The terrorist pulled the trigger. A bullet ripped through Habila’s face. He crumpled to the ground, left for dead,” Smith continued. “By some miracle, he survived.” Smith said Habila later traveled to Washington, D.C., to testify at a congressio… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415078 | Ocean County Leader article on Smith's legislation to address religious persecution in Nigeria'Smith introduces resolution urging stronger US response on religious persecution in Nigeria' | 2025-11-05 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Ocean County Leader Published November 5, 2025 Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, has introduced new legislation commending President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) and detailing steps for the U.S. State Department in response to religious persecution in Nigeria. The bill, H.Res.860, is cosponsored by Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL). It updates earlier legislation, H.Res.220, which also addressed religious freedom violations in Nigeria. Smith has previously called for Nigeria to be designated as a CPC and urged action against Nigerian officials over human rights abuses affecting Christians and Muslims. He has worked on this issue for more than a decade, introducing related legislation and leading congressional hearings, most recently in March. “To be a Christian living in Nigeria means to be living under the constant threat of murder, kidnapping, rape, and torture by radical Islamists, such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists,” said Smith. “My new legislation commends President Trump’s decisive action to redesignate Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’—reversing an incredibly ill-advised decision by the Biden Administration—and lays out a detailed roadmap for the State Department’s future diplomatic dealings with the Nigerian government—urging sanctions and new conditions on U.S. foreign assistance.” Rep. Huizenga commented on his support for H.Res.860: “The slaughter of innocent Christians in Nigeria demands a strong response from the United States. Congressman Chris Smith and I are leading the charge in Congress to stop these heinous killings. “H.Res.860 commends the Trump Administration for designating Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern,’ while calling for the Administration to enact sanctions against individuals and entities in Nigeria who are supporting this horrific violence. Additionally, this measure calls for setting verifiab… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415072 | TAPinto Gold Coast article on the 25th anniversary of Smith's TVPA'From Washington to Monmouth County, Leaders Are Taking Action to Fight Human Trafficking' | 2025-11-03 | 2025 | 2025-11 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Jim Lonergan Published November 3, 2025 at 11:10 AM FREEHOLD, N.J. — As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) — landmark federal legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) — Monmouth County officials are joining the fight locally by backing a New Jersey bill that would require rideshare drivers to complete anti-human trafficking training. “Since becoming New Jersey’s statewide provider for human trafficking victim services in October 2020, Covenant House New Jersey has provided comprehensive care to more than 450 identified victims of human trafficking — including survivors from right here in Monmouth County,” said CEO Julia Einbond. “Human trafficking continues to be one of the most hidden crimes in our state. Strengthening our ability to recognize victims and connect them with critical services is essential to breaking the cycle of exploitation.” Together, these initiatives reflect a growing push to close gaps in transportation safety, improve victim identification, and strengthen both prevention and prosecution efforts against what experts call one of the most hidden crimes in modern society. Federal Momentum: Smith Marks 25 years of the TVPA: Rep. Smith — long recognized as a global leader in anti-human trafficking policy — is urging Congress to pass his new Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPA) of 2025 (H.R. 1144). Smith’s original TVPA, enacted in 2000, established the framework for the “three Ps” approach: prevention, protection, and prosecution. Over the past 25 years, it has helped convict more than 2,200 traffickers, created victim-assistance programs, and inspired over 180 countries to adopt similar anti-trafficking laws. “When I first introduced the TVPA, people thought trafficking meant drugs or weapons, not human beings,” Smith said. “But with bipartisan support, we changed that. The TVPA built a whole-of-government strategy to protect victims, prosecute traffickers, and … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:52:45Z |
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