url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400818,Statement on Election in Liberia,2017-12-22,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), chairman of the Africa Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives, gave the following statement in advance of Liberias presidential run-off election next week:
  Liberia again faces many challenges as their voters headto the polls on December 26, 2017 for its Presidential run-off election. The Government of Liberia must ensure that this vote is free, fair and transparent. Given Americas historic ties to Liberia and the role played by Americo-Liberians in that nations development, as well as the important contributions made by Liberian-Americans in many communities in the United States, we take special interest in the process and are hopeful for a just and fairoutcome.  

  In the US Congress, we have closely watched the developments in Liberia. Earlier this year, I chaired a hearing The Future of Democracy and Governance in Liberia in advance of the first round of elections where we examined the need for reform and the hope for a new leadership to bring the country into a peaceful and prosperous future. 
  In light of the elections proximity to Christmas, we especially pray that peace, tranquility and justice prevail.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-s-legislation-help-sandy-victims-passes-house,Congressman MacArthurs Legislation to Help Sandy Victims Passes House,2017-12-22,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Congressman Tom MacArthur announced that his bill, The Disaster Assistance Fairness and Accountability Act of 2017 was included in the hurricane supplemental bill and passed the House with bipartisan support. This bill sets a statute of limitations of three years for disaster recoupment preventing FEMA from trying to recoup money from innocent disaster victims.
Im grateful that members from both parties supported this critical piece of bipartisan legislation that will bring common sense reform to FEMA, said Congressman MacArthur. Since I first came to Congress, Ive been willing to work with anyone to help natural disaster victims, like those impacted by Superstorm Sandy, who have been treated unfairly by FEMA. This bill ensures natural disaster victims wont have to pay for the federal governments mistakes.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400814,"Houses of Worship, Other Disaster Victims Can Get Needed Relief Under House-Passed Bill",2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"A provision to give houses of worship access to critical federal disaster relief, and another provision allowing disaster victims to be eligible for both federal grants and federal loans for disaster assistance, were passed Thursday by the House as part of the third supplemental disaster relief bill. Both provisions reflect legislation originally authored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
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        A provision to give houses of worship access to critical federal disaster relief, and another provision allowing disaster victims to be eligible for both federal grants and federal loans for disaster assistance, were passed Thursday by the House as part of the third supplemental disaster relief bill. Both provisions reflect legislation originally authored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
  After Superstorm Sandy, I and others saw how leaders and volunteers at churches, synagogues, and other religious centers help feed, clothe, and shelter tens of thousands of victimsyet they were left out and left behind when it came to repairs of their own facilities, said Smith, the author of the original bill the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Actto provide equity and fairness to churches and synagogues damaged in federal disasters on the House Floor on Thursday.  

  I want to thank the chairman for including provisions from my legislation in this larger package to help ensure that houses of worship, churches, and synagogues get the kind of help they need on an equal basis, with other non-profits, Smith said.  

  The supplemental bill also includes language that does away with the duplication of benefits penalty clause that penalized many NJ Sandy victims who acted quickly and responsibly after the storm only to learn that if you apply for a federal loan (which is normally available first) you will be boxed out of applying for federal grants, which are normally made available much later in the recovery process.  

  Imagine this Smith said during the debate on the House floor men and women who were victimized by Sandy or any other storm, they go to FEMA, theyre admonished to take out a loanSBA loanthen a little later in the recovery time, theyre told that there is a HUD grant available, but they are precluded from applying for a grant because they pursued the loanat the behest of the federal government. They cant even get the grant to pay off the loan, Smith said.  

  To help correct this unfairness, Smith has authored the Equity for Disaster Victims Act of 2017, which allowed for recipients of the Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans to repay the principal and interest on those loans with federal grants.  The provision in the new bill allows people to apply for both a loan and a grant so long as the assistance is used for the purposes of recovery in a declared disaster. To view excerpts of Smiths remarks on the House Floor in favor of the supplemental bill, click here.  

  Houses of Worship: Churches and Synagogues  

  Smith introduced the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act in 2013 in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which caused $70 billion in destruction to the Northeast including serious damage to churches, synagogues and mosques. Those houses of worship and other religious organizations and centers could not receive federal disaster relief that they could have used to rebuild, because of their religious statusa policy that has no basis in law.  

  That bill passed the House with overwhelming support in 2013, but was ultimately held up in the Senate. Smith re-introduced the bill in 2015 and again in 2017.  

  This past fall, after the hurricane season inflicted severe damage along the Gulf Coast, Smith led a letter by members of Congress to the Administration asking for a change to the policy to allow for religious groups and churches to receive disaster relief. In November, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Mick Mulvaney asked House Speaker Paul Ryan to include this policy change in a supplemental disaster relief bill that the Administration was requesting. The supplemental bill was passed by the House on Thursday. Read Smiths letter here.  

  A consortium of faith-based entities, including the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Republican Jewish Coalition, Christian Legal Society, Agudath Israel of America, and the International Conference of Evangelical Christian Endorsers have come out in support of Smiths policy proposal.  

  The FEMA policy wasand isunfair, unjustified, and discriminatory, Smith said.  

  The bill which incorporates these two provisions is now pending in the Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-urges-phil-murphy-call-nj-house-dems-fund-chip,Congressman MacArthur  Urges Phil Murphy to Call on NJ House Dems to Fund CHIP,2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Congressman Tom MacArthur urged Governor-Elect Phil Murphy to call on New Jerseys Democratic Members of Congress to fund the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Today, I will vote for the third time this year to fund the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), while most Democrats will vote against it for the third time, said Congressman MacArthur. Given Governor-Elect Murphys recent concern about federal issues, I am urging him to advocate for New Jerseys children and call on my Democrat colleagues in the House from New Jersey to reach across the aisle to join me in voting to fund the Childrens Health Insurance Program.
On Background:
This is the THIRD time Republicans will vote to fund CHIP and the THIRD time most Democrats will vote AGAINST funding this program. 
 CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act (HR 3922) on 11/3/17
	HJ Res 123 on 12/7/17
 Additionally, The Washington Post has thoroughly debunked the idea that Congress sacrificed CHIP to deal with taxes, which is in direct contradiction with this December 7 tweet from Governor-Elect Murphy: It is unconscionable that Congress has failed to reauthorize health insurance for Americas children while passing a tax bill that hurts their families. Hundreds of thousands of NJ kids who rely on CHIP need this now. The bill is there & must be passed.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400804,OSCE Adopts Child Trafficking Ministerial Decision Modeled After Smith's Initiative,2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"On December 8, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) concluded its annual meeting of the Foreign Ministers of 57 OSCE participating States by adopting a ministerial decision on combatting child traffickingmodeled on OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA)resolutionsadopted in 2016 and 2017, authored by Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). Rep. Smith is the Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues in the OSCE PA.
  Entitled Strengthening Efforts to Combat All Forms of Child Trafficking, Including for Sexual Exploitation, as well as Other Forms of Sexual Exploitation of Children, the decision provides practical steps for participating States to protect children from traveling sex offenders, and from misuse of the internet for child trafficking and other sexual exploitation.
  Traveling sex offenders rely on secrecy and anonymity to commit crimes against children; the new decision will deter the sexual exploitation of children at home and abroad, and aid in the prosecution of child sex traffickers, said Smith.
  The decision calls on each of the OSCE participating States to keep a register of individuals who have committed sex offenses against a child, and to share that information with the law enforcement in destination countrieswhich would give the United States warning of foreign sex offenders entering U.S. borders. The decision also calls on OSCE participating States to enact extra-territorial jurisdiction in order to prosecute their citizens for serious sexual crimes against children, even if these crimes are committed in another country.
  Some believe the laws of a destination country allow sexual exploitation of a child, or rely on the fact that the judicial system in the destination country is weak, Smith continued. The Ministerial decision underscores the universal human rights of the child to be protected from sexual exploitation and calls for participating States to put all abusers on noticethey will be prosecuted when they return home.
  In addition, the Ministerial decision echoes the Parliamentary Assembly resolutions by calling for accountability of those who misuse the Internet to knowingly or recklessly facilitate access to children for sexual exploitation or child traffickingsuch as by advertising children on websiteshighlighting that such individuals should be prosecuted as traffickers.
  With this binding decision, the foreign ministries of the 57 OSCE participating States stand united with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to protect children from trafficking and other sexual exploitation across the OSCE region, said Smith.
  Smith first raised the issue of human trafficking at the 1999 OSCE PA Annual Session in St. Petersburg, the first time it appeared on the OSCE agenda. Since then, he has introduced or cosponsored a supplementary item and/or amendments on trafficking at each annual session of the OSCE PA, including on issues such as sex tourism prevention, training of the transportation sector in victim identification and reporting, corporate responsibility for trafficking in supply chains, and special protections for vulnerable populations.
  In addition to authoring the 2016International Megans Lawto Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders, he authored the landmark U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and its 2003 and 2005 reauthorizations. Chairman Smith co-chairs the United States Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400803,"Statement on H.R.1, the Tax Bill",2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Chris Smith issued the following statement after the House voted on H.R.1, the tax bill:  
    
  Today I voted no on H.R. 1 because while I believe that Americans are overtaxed and need relief, this bill would not provide that relief for New Jersey residents; it would, in fact, be detrimental for many of them. 
  The bill rolls back or even eliminates certain itemized deductions, and almost half47%of the taxpayers in my district itemize, claiming an average of $31,981 in deductions. These deductions are used by many New Jersey taxpayers, and thus their modification or elimination is seriously problematic for me.  

  Foremost among these changes that I opposed was the partial elimination of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction for income, sales, and property taxes, capping this deduction from federal taxes at $10,000. New Jersey has one of the highest rates of tax filers using the SALT deduction, with over four in ten taxpayers (42%) using it; the average SALT deduction in my district is $18,355. Many New Jersey taxpayers, including homeowners who pay some of the highest property tax rates of any state, could see their taxes go up.  

  New Jersey residents already pay one of the highest tax rates per household to the federal government, but see one of the lowest returns on federal spending of any state. We need tax relief, but we must have relief that is not comparatively unfair to the taxpayers of New Jersey.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=1552,Statement of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen in opposition to H.R. 1,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"The people of New Jersey already carry an extremely heavy tax burden. They need and deserve tax cuts. Unfortunately, H.R. 1 caps the federal deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) which will lead to tax increases for far too many hardworking New Jersey families. This legislation will also damage our states housing market and business environment.  I had hoped to be able to vote for a pro-growth tax bill. However, H.R. 1 forces New Jersey residents to pay for tax cuts for residents in other states. I voted No!  -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-statement-on-tax-reform-vote,Lance Statement on Tax Reform Vote,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) released the following statement on the tax reform bill that passed in the U.S. House.
I voted against the tax bill today because it significantly reduces the ability of New Jerseyans to deduct state and local taxes, a provision that has been in the code since 1913. Also, as a deficit hawk, I do not favor adding $1.5 trillion to the national debt. I was pleased, however, that the Conference Committee improved the bill in several ways, including provisions for extraordinary medical expenses and student debt and graduate tuition.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-s-statement-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act,Congressman MacArthurs Statement on The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, Congressman Tom MacArthur released the following statement after The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed the House:
This is good news for the overburdened taxpayers in South Jersey. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides real relief for families and businessesby simplifying the tax code, lowering rates, doubling the standard deduction, providing tax credits for childcare and care of adult dependents; all while preserving the deductibility of property and state income taxes.
I came to Washington to fight for my constituents and solve the tough problems that impact their lives. During this process, I urged the White House and House Leadership to preserve the deductibility of property and state income taxes, restore the medical expense deduction for seniors and those with high medical costs and protect the educator expense deduction for our dedicated teachers. I didnt back down from this fight and Im grateful my colleagues listened and preserved these critical provisions.
In the end, this legislation will provide a vast majority of my constituents with a much needed tax cut and allow them to keep more of their hard-earned money.
###
This legislation will benefit NJ-3 taxpayers in multiple ways including:

 More than half of NJ-3 constituents take the standard deduction, which doubles in this legislation.
 
 All NJ-3 taxpayers will benefit from Rep. MacArthurs fight to include a deduction on their property and state income taxes in line with New Jersey state law.
 
 Over 48,000 NJ-3 families currently claim the child tax credit. Under this legislation, the child tax credit will double to $2,000 per child. Plus, many more middle class families will be able to take full advantage of this credit, instead of it phasing out at alower income as it does today.
 
 NJ-3 families caring for an elderly parent or a child enrolled in college, would be provided with an extra $500 with the creation of the non-child dependent tax credit.
 
 Provides relief for NJ-3 seniors and residents with high medical bills by expanding the medical expense deduction for medical expenses exceeding 7.5 percent, which Congressman MacArthur successfully advocated for.
 
 Protects the educator expense deduction for NJ-3 teachers, that Congressman MacArthur urgedHouse Leadership to include.
 
 Gives small businesses the lowest tax rate since World War II, which will help Main Street businesses from Toms River to Willingboro.
 
 Lower tax rates, which will enable his constituents to keep more of their hard-earned money.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-statement-house-senate-conference-report-tax-reform,LoBiondo Statement on House-Senate Conference Report for Tax Reform,2017-12-18,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"LoBiondo Statement on House-Senate Conference Report for Tax Reform                                           
              Dec 18, 2017      		        	    
      	            
                    
                                            
          
        
        
          
  
    
    
    WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today issued the following statement regarding this weeks planned vote on the House-Senate Conference Report on tax reform:
When the tax reform debate began, I made clear what I could and could not support in a final bill. Hard-working South Jersey residents already face excessive taxes from Trenton, thus preserving key deductions at the federal level would be critical to garner my support. While improvements have been made from the House-passed version to retain deductions for medical and educational expenses, the $10,000 collective cap on state and local income tax and property tax deductions will be detrimental in my high-tax state of New Jersey. I will be voting NO as it is in the best interest of my South Jersey constituents.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-bill-names-raritan-post-office-for-john-basilone,Lance Bill Names Raritan Post Office for John Basilone,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today secured passage in the U.S. House of his legislation, H.R. 2815, that would designate the U.S. Post Office at 30 East Street in Raritan, New Jersey, as the ""Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone Post Office.""  In a speech before colleagues in the House of Representatives, Lance recounted the many honors Basilone earned in service to the country and asked the House to support his measure so as to inspire future service in Basilone’s tradition.  
“Gunnery Sergeant Basilone is an exemplar of brave service in our Armed Forces and a member of the greatest generation whose collective bravery and selflessness won World War II and liberated millions from oppression,” Lance told his colleagues on the House Floor.  “In Congress, there are many actions we take to honor and remember those who serve our Nation.  These commendations matter.  Younger generations ask whose name is inscribed in monuments, at flag posts or on federal properties.  And in retelling these stories we inspire young Americans to appreciate the generations that came before in public service.  And Gunnery Sergeant Basilone indeed has a tremendous story.”     
Lance then recounted details from Basilone’s life.  Lance told the story of Basilone’s decision first to enlist in the Army and later his enlistment in the Marine Corps.  Lance recited the details of Operation Watchtower, where Basilone and his fellow Marines sought to regain territory in Guadalcanal in the Pacific Theater.  And Lance recounted the specific citations that earned Basilone the Medal of Honor.
Said Lance, “In a moment of selfless service to his fellow Marines, Gunnery Sergeant Basilone endured brutal enemy fire during the assault to assist nearby machine gunners in trouble.  Seeing the immediate danger, Gunnery Sergeant Basilone killed eight encroaching Japanese soldiers and quickly provided aid and equipment to the pinned Marines.  He saved many lives that day and in later testimony his fellow Marines credited Gunnery Sergeant Basilone’s gallantry and heroic conduct for saving their lives – actions that would earn him the Medal of Honor in recognition of his actions at Guadalcanal.”
Lance also spoke of the tour of duty where Basilone lost his life and posthumously earned the Navy Cross.  “Gunnery Sergeant Basilone and his men stormed the shores of Iwo Jima with the first wave of Marines on February 19, 1945.  The Japanese returned heavy fire.  Gunnery Sergeant Basilone ran toward one of the blockhouses- the source of Japanese fire- and quickly destroyed it with grenades and demolitions.  After this, he scrambled to rescue an American tank that was trapped in a minefield.  But in a moment that will forever live on in our hearts, Gunnery Sergeant Basilone and a handful of his fellow Marines were then hit by heavy mortar fire.  He died alongside the brave men who stepped forward to serve this country and the men who he wanted to return to battle to protect and defend.”
Basilone was the only Marine of World War II to receive both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.
Joining Lance for the debate on the bill was Kim Van Note, Basilone’s niece and a leader in the Basilone Foundation.  Van Note said, “I would like to thank everyone who was involved in the process of renaming the Raritan Post Office after my uncle, Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone. The renaming of this Post Office will stand as a testament, and as a monument to the ultimate sacrifice my uncle and so many other American soldiers have made. I am grateful that so many were involved, especially Congressman Lance, with honoring and recognizing the service of my uncle to his country, it is my hope that others will look upon the newly renamed Raritan Post Office and be inspired to serve their country as loyally and faithfully as my uncle, Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone.”
The measure now heads to the U.S. Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-s-leads-letter-urging-congress-restore-medical,Congressman MacArthurs Leads Letter Urging Congress to Restore the Medical Expense Deduction,2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman MacArthur urged House and Senate Leadership to restore the medical expense deduction in the tax reform legislation on behalf of the over 140,000 seniors who live in New Jersey’s Third Congressional District. 
“For months, I've negotiated to improve this bill for my constituents and was able to successfully restore the property tax deduction—but my fight is not over,” said Congressman Tom MacArthur. “I’m urging House and Senate Leadership to restore the medical expense deduction that will benefit over 140,000 seniors in my district and other constituents with high medical bills.  This deduction can represent a meaningful source of relief during the uncertainty and difficulty that medical conditions can bring, and should be restored.”
Full text of the letter:
Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader McConnell, Chairman Brady, and Chairman Hatch: 
As you work to finalize and pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we urge you to maintain the deductibility of medical expenses.   
The House version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act achieves many worthy goals, including eliminating a myriad of special interest loopholes.  Each of us supported it.  Both the House and the Senate retain some credits and deductions that foster critical, broad-based public policy objectives, such as supporting families, home ownership and charities.  We urge you to maintain the Medical Expense Deduction in this same spirit, as the Senate version has already done.
Nine million American households claim the Medical Expense Deduction, and for these families, this deduction can represent a meaningful source of relief during the uncertainty and difficulty that medical conditions can bring.  Some of the unfortunate outcomes of Obamacare have been higher medical costs, higher insurance premiums, higher deductibles, higher copays – these costs hit families hard, especially seniors.   On behalf of our constituents, who badly need the tax relief that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will provide, and especially on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of senior citizens who live in the districts we represent, we urge you to maintain the Medical Expense Deduction, and to send us a final version swiftly so we can deliver the relief we promised the American people.
Congressman MacArthur was joined by Congressman David Joyce and Congressman Rod Blum in this request.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-urges-congress-protect-and-expand-teacher-expense,Congressman MacArthur Urges Congress to Protect and Expand the Teacher Expense Deduction,2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman MacArthur urged Congress to protect and expand the educator expense deduction to $500 from $250.  Under current law, educators can receive a deduction for supplies they purchase for the benefit of their students, instead of paying out-of-pocket. After successfully fighting to preserve the property tax deduction for his constituents, Congressman MacArthur continues to work to improve this bill on behalf of South Jersey residents. 
“Two of my grandparents were school teachers and then superintendents, and my mother was a librarian so I have a deep respect for educators and our public school system,” said Congressman MacArthur. “Almost all teachers use some amount of their own money to buy supplies for their classrooms and they bear this expense out of dedication and love for their students.  The tax code should reward this dedication and protect and expand this provision that supports teachers, and helps improve schools in New Jersey, and across the country.”
Full Text of Letter:
Dear Conferees,
In the wake of the passage of historic, comprehensive tax reform, we write to you in order to highlight one issue that we believe should be addressed in the conference process. As supporters of H.R. 1, we write to express our concerns about the provision within the bill that would eliminate the tax deduction for school supplies paid for by educators. This important tax provision supports teachers, enhances students’ learning experiences, and improves schools across our country. We strongly support the Senate’s plan for expanding the educator expense deduction in support of our nation’s hard working teachers.
Our nation’s teachers not only support America’s bright young minds with their time and care, they are also asked to subsidize our children’s education by purchasing supplies and materials for the classroom that are not reimbursed by their school. Virtually all teachers use some amount of their own money to buy supplies for their classrooms, and the average teacher spends $485 per year. This out-of-pocket cost is one that they bear out of dedication and love for their students.
Under current law, educators can receive a deduction of $250 per year for supplies they purchased for the benefit of their students. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as passed by the House, eliminated this provision. However, the Senate version of the tax reform bill included an expansion of the educator expense deduction, to $500 per year. While we value the goal of simplifying the tax code, certain specifically-targeted deductions have benefits that make them worthy of preservation. We believe that the educator expense deduction is one of these provisions whose benefits outweigh their financial cost. The final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act should include the Senate’s expansion of the educator expense deduction to $500 per year.
American teachers go above and beyond the call of duty for their students every single day, and the personal expenses they incur for classroom supplies are just one example of this. The tax code should reward their dedication and help them recoup at least some of that cost. As we complete the process of overhauling our nation’s tax code, we ask that you increase the crucial educator expense deduction.
Representative MacArthur joined Representatives Bilirakis, Bost, Costello, Farenthold, Granger, Messer, Ros-Lehtinen in this request.
 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400799,Smith Bill to Name Belmar Post Office After Local Hero Passes House,2017-12-12,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Legislation introduced by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) naming the U.S. post office in Belmar, NJ in honor of Dr. Walter S. McAfee, a distinguished local scientist who helped with the development of radar transmissions into space, passed the House today. 
    “I am thankful that today we are able to honor such a great man and I urge my fellow colleagues to support this bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1300 Main Street in Belmar, New Jersey, as the ‘Dr. Walter S. McAfee Post Office Building,’” Smith said on the Floor of the House during consideration of the legislation.  

    “Dr. McAfee was instrumental in the success of Project Diana at U.S. Army Camp Evans, which resulted in the successful transmission of high-frequency radio signals out of the atmosphere, helping to pave the way for the Space Age,” said Smith, who represents Belmar and surrounding towns serviced by the post office on Main Street.  

    Smith said that later on, at Fort Monmouth, McAfee worked to develop sensors used to track enemy movements during the Vietnam War. During the Cold War, he also directed a NATO study on surveillance and target acquisition.  

    “He was also the first African-American to be promoted to GS-16 ‘super grade’ civilian status at the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), and was later inducted into the AMC Hall of Fame,” Smith added.  

    “Throughout his lifetime, his achievements were recognized through the dozens of awards and honors he received for his contributions to science and to the defense of the U.S. and our allies,” Smith said of McAfee.  

    “Dr. McAfee passed away in 1995 in Belmar, New Jersey. He and his wife, Viola, were married for close to 54 years and are survived by their daughters Diane Mercedes McAfee and Marsha Bera-Morris,” Smith said.  

    “He was known for his love of learning, high ethical standards, and good sense of humor,” Smith said. To read excerpts of Smith’s remarks on the House Floor, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400800,"U.S. Must Do More to Protect North Korean Refugees, Former Defectors Testify",2017-12-12,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"China is complicit in North Korea’s human rights abuses through forcibly repatriating the citizens who escape, and it must be held accountable, proclaimed two panels of expert witnesses at a Capitol Hill hearing today on “Protecting North Korean Refugees” by the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations. 
    “Amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, we cannot forget those suffering under the North Korean regime and those North Korean refugees who are in China,” said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.  

    “North Korean asylum seekers are at imminent risk of repatriation, torture, sexual violence, forced abortions, hard labor and even execution,” Smith stated. “The Chinese government has a lot to answer for. It is no wonder that the UN Commission on Inquiry for North Korea Human Rights concluded that the Government of the People's Republic of China is aiding and abetting in crimes against humanity by forcibly repatriating North Korean refugees.” Click here to read Chairman Smith’s opening statement. 
    Entitled “Protecting North Korean Refugees,” the hearing examined numerous occasions in recent decades where North Koreans fleeing the human rights abuses of the regimes of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un were trafficked in China for labor or sex, or were detained and repatriated to North Korea where they face the prospect of severe punishment by the state.  

    The Administration could use policies created by Congress to hold North Korea, China and individuals and businesses within China accountable for the repatriation of North Korean refugees and the sex and labor trafficking of vulnerable refugees within China, Smith said. These actions could include sanctions under the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act, the Global Magnitsky Act, or from China’s Tier 3 status under the Trafficking in Persons Report.  

    “The situation facing North Korean refugees in China is worse than ever because of Xi Jinping’s illegal and inhuman repatriation policy,” Suzanne Scholte, President of the Defense Forum Foundation and Chairwoman of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, stated. To read Scholte’s full testimony, click here.  

    “As evidenced by their forcible repatriation, China denies many North Koreans the ability to apply for asylum or have safe passage to the Republic of Korea or other countries,” Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK), stated at the hearing. “China claims that North Koreans in need of protection are illegal economic migrants. But in reality they are victims fleeing persecution, who face a wellfounded fear of persecution if forcibly returned to North Korea,” Scarlatoiu stated. To read his full testimony, click here.  

    Two North Korean defectors testified at Tuesday’s hearing, and shared their own accounts of escaping the North Korean dictatorship into China, and eventually to freedom.  

    Hyeona Ji, Co-chairperson of the Worldwide Coalition to Stop Genocide in North Korea, said that between February 1998 and 2007, she escaped North Korea four times and was repatriated three times. For escaping the country, she was punished with torture and served time in North Korea’s horrific prison camps, where she witnessed harsh labor even for pregnant women, starvation, beatings, and forced abortions, including suffering her own forced abortion. She was separated from her family for years and has not seen her father in 19 years.  

    “Right now, I miss my father terribly,” she said. “This longing is not unique. It is the longing of all North Korean defectors. The running of the recently defected North Korean soldier across the Joint Security Area represents a dash toward freedom that is the dream of 25 million North Koreans. North Korea is a terrifying prison, and it takes a miracle to survive there. But the Chinese government sends North Koreans seeking freedom back to this prison.” To read her full testimony, click here.  

    Ms. Han Ga Hee, a North Korean defector testifying under an alias, said that she “was a victim of human trafficking” while in China. “When the traffickers sold me to a Chinese man, and threatened me with a knife as I resisted, I still could have hope and survive to get to the land of freedom, and I believe it was because I would not worship and pledge my allegiance to the Kim Regime in North Korea and sought my freedom in God,” she said. To read her full testimony, click here.  

    “I sincerely hope that the US government and US Congress can help North Korean defector organizations, who are at the frontier of sending in information to North Korea, and who are working vigorously in order to bring freedom to North Koreans and end the oppression they live under because of the Kim dictatorship,” she said.  

    The U.S. must do more to help protect vulnerable North Korean refugees, other witnesses stated.  

    “Indications of Congressional support for these refugees—such as through the reauthorization of the North Korea Human Rights Act—are important, and I urge approval of that legislation. It has already been adopted by the House and is awaiting action in the Senate,” Ambassador Robert R. King, Senior Advisor to the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the former U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Human Rights Issues, stated. To read King’s full testimony, click here.  

    The hearing also featured discussion of the U.S. helping to promote the influx of outside information into North Korea, via radio broadcast and other media.  

    “Efforts to get information into North Korea must be expanded dramatically,” Smith said. “Washington should be leading this covert effort, working primarily with North Korea defectors groups in South Korea and with other human rights organizations.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400798,Congressional Hearing to Explore How to Protect North Korean Defectors,2017-12-11,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"On Tuesday, December 12, at 2 p.m., the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations will hold a hearing on “Protecting North Korean Refugees,” to examine what more the U.S. can do to push China to protect North Korean defectors and grant them international protection.
    “As the Congress continues to look at ways to best apply maximum diplomatic and financial press on the regime of Kim Jong-un, this hearing will explore the strategic relevance of further pressing the Chinese government to protect North Korean refugees and evaluate the impact of surging outside information into North Korea,” Smith said.
 
Who:               Chairman Smith (NJ-04), Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations; other members of the Committee
 
Witnesses:           Panel I
 
Ms. Hyeona Ji  
North Korean Defector  
Co-Chairperson  
Worldwide Coalition to Stop Genocide in North Korea
Ms. Han Ga Hee (alias)  
North Korean Defector  
Announcer and Sound Engineer  
Free North Korea Radio
 
Panel II
 
Mr. Greg Scarlatoiu  
Executive Director  
The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
 
The Honorable Robert King  
Senior Adviser, Korea Chair  
Center for Strategic and International Studies  
Former U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues
 
Ms. Suzanne Scholte  
President  
Defense Forum Foundation  
Chairwoman  
North Korea Freedom Coalition
 
What:              House hearing on protecting North Korean defectors
 
When:             Tuesday, December 12, 2017 2:00 PM
 
Where:            Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2200 (second floor)
 
    In July and August of 2017, 41 people fleeing human rights abuses in North Korea were detained in China, the group Human Rights Watch reported. This continues a decades-long trend of China detaining North Koreans fleeing the dictatorship and repatriating them, where they face the prospect of severe punishment by the state, when they should instead be granted protection as refugees.  
      
    North Korea is known as one of the worst human rights abusers. In 2014, a report by the UN Commission on Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea found that “systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations” had been committed by the dictatorship, and that “in many instances, the violations found entailed crimes against humanity based on State policies.”  

    These abuses, the UN Commission found, included “extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence, persecution on political, religious, racial and gender grounds, the forcible transfer of populations, the enforced disappearance of persons and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation.”     “This hearing will explore the current situation facing North Korean asylum seekers and assess both China’s obligation to protect refugees and global efforts to stop what the UN Commission on Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea called crimes against humanity experienced by refugees,” Smith, Chairman of the subcommittee, stated.  

    North Korean citizens caught leaving the country illegally could face severe punishment including interrogation, torture, and a sentence in the country’s forced labor camp system. Yet among those who do escape the abuses of the Kim Jong-un regime, China has maintained a “rigorous policy of forcibly repatriating citizens of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea who cross the border illegally,” the UN Commission report said, despite the fact that these people should be treated as refugees and given “international protection.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/event/second-session-115th-congress-begins,Second Session of 115th Congress Begins,2017-12-11,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Second Session of 115th Congress Begins                        
         	  Start: 
         	  January 3, 2018 12:00 pm
         	  End: 
         	    January 3, 2018 12:00 pm
         	   
         	           	    Location: 
         	      U.S. Capitol,  Washington, DC
         	    
         	           	
                                          
              Dec 11, 2017",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-issues-challenge-murphy-menendez-booker,"Congressman MacArthur Issues Challenge to Murphy, Menendez, & Booker",2017-12-11,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom MacArthur sent the below letter to Governor-Elect Phil Murphy and Senators Menendez and Booker, after their continued partisan attacks.
December 11, 2017
Dear Governor-Elect Murphy, Senator Menendez, and Senator Booker,
Instead of working to deliver real tax relief to New Jerseyans who deserve it, you have all decided to embark on a dishonest campaign intended to mischaracterize the tax reform legislation working its way through Congress for partisan political gain. 
Our shared constituents deserve better.  They deserve the truth.
New Jersey is among the highest-taxed states in the nation and a recent study ranked us as the worst state in America for out-migration.  Retirees, millennials and families are leaving New Jersey in droves because they can't afford to stay.  That crisis has zero to do with a federal tax reform bill that hasn't become law yet. 
Worse, it has become abundantly clear that you have not done any real analysis of this plan, outside of parroting partisan talking points. So, allow me to educate you about why the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is good for the constituents of New Jersey’s Third Congressional District.
Right off the bat, more than half of my constituents take the standard deduction, which doubles in the legislation I supported. Nearly 70% of taxpayers across the country use the standard deduction, while high-income earners are more likely to itemize.
Furthermore, the median family with two kids in NJ-03 makes $110,620. Under current law, this family pays $7,469.94.  Under the House bill, they’d pay $6,460.26 – a tax cut of $1,000. This doesn’t even include the other benefits they may experience if they run or work at a small business, or if they work at a company that will now invest more in the New Jersey instead of overseas.
Here are some other benefits of this bill:
-        An increase in the child tax credit. Over 48,000 families in my district currently claim the child tax credit. Under this legislation, each of these families would receive an additional $600 per child, plus more families would be eligible for this credit.
-        The creation of a non-child dependent tax credit. This would provide families who are caring for an elderly parent with more money in their pocket.
-        Giving small businesses the lowest tax rate since World War II, which will help Main Street businesses from Toms River to Willingboro.
-        Lower tax rates, which will enable our shared constituents to keep more of their hard-earned money.
As for the $10,000 property tax deduction, months ago some in my own party wanted to eliminate it entirely.  Instead of bloviating in press releases and grandstanding at press conferences, I negotiated with The White House and House Leadership, and successfully restored the property tax deduction, which will benefit all New Jersey property owners to the tune of $3.6 billion per year.
I find it interesting that you oppose my efforts, yet New Jersey has the same cap and I haven’t heard any of you say a word about changing it. 
My district voted for Barack Obama in 2012, Donald Trump in 2016, and Kim Guadagno in 2017.  Donald Trump won Ocean County by 90,000 votes, while Hillary Clinton won Burlington County.  Despite its “swing district” status, I have won two races by double digit margins here because I consistently work across the aisle to fix the tough problems facing our nation. The Lugar Center ranked me among the top 15% most bipartisan Members of Congress, while Senators Menendez and Booker are found in the bottom third.
So, when Barack Obama had a plan in place to close military bases like Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, which would have devastated our economy and military readiness, I stood up and won for South Jersey. When Donald Trump proposed major budget cuts to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which would have hurt our efforts to combat addiction, I stood up and won for South Jersey.
I invite you to come explain to the middle-class family in Toms River, who would see a $1,000 tax cut, why you believe the government deserves their money more than they do. You criticize Republicans for fear-mongering, divisiveness, and spreading mistruths, yet you are engaging in the same exact behavior as it relates to tax reform. It’s not right when Republicans do it, and it’s not right when you do it either.   
Sincerely,
Tom MacArthur",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400797,On the Deadly Attack Against U.N. Peacekeepers In the Democratic Republic of the Congo,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the following statement after an attack on U.N. peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday killed 14 and injured dozens of others:  
              
            “In what is being described as the worst attack on United Nations peacekeepers in recent history, at least 14 ‘blue helmets’ were killed and many more injured yesterday.  The attack occurred at the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) operating base at Semuliki in North Kivu when elements believed to be part of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group that has adopted increasingly radical Islamist views, fired upon the UN base,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, stated. 
            ""The DRC army has launched three major offensives against the ADF since 2005, but the group’s leadership reportedly remains intact, and it has continued to operate in at least two areas of eastern DRC – sometimes in association with DRC militia groups.  

            ""This new outbreak of violence threatens the peace hoped to be established in eastern DRC prior to scheduled elections next year.  Along with the recent violence in the DRC’s central Kasai region and potential violence from groups and individuals opposing the extension of DRC President Joseph Kabila’s term in office, the long-awaited national elections even now must be considered in danger of yet another postponement.  Those elections were originally supposed to be held in November 2016, and then by the end of this month before the DRC government announced it could not fulfill the agreement on the election date.  

            ""The Administration, in collaboration with the UN and others in the international community, must continue to support MONSUCO’s mission to protect civilians and help implement plans to conduct elections by the current December 23, 2018, target date.  To back up this effort, I intend to introduce a bill next week that, among other provisions, seeks to punish those individuals blocking democracy and good governance in the DRC.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-help-adolescents,Congressman MacArthur Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Adolescents Struggling with Addiction,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Republican Chairman of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force Congressman Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) and Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) introduced the College Loan Deferment for Recovery Act. This bill would allow borrowers enrolled in a substance abuse treatment program to defer payments on public student loans, while actively receiving treatment without interest accruing during the deferment period.
 
“The opioid epidemic continues to destroy communities across the United States, and in many cases, young Americans transitioning to adulthood are the most heavily impacted by this crisis,” said Congressman MacArthur. “This bipartisan bill will allow young adults to focus on treatment and overcoming addiction without having to worry about the financial burden of student loans. Young Americans, who are on the road to recovery, should have financial peace of mind while receiving life-saving treatment for addiction.” 
 
“Families shouldn’t have to choose between seeking treatment for their loved ones struggling with opioid addiction and paying the bills,” Congresswomen Esty said. “The pain of helping a family member seek treatment and recover is difficult enough; no one should have to tell their son or daughter that the family can’t afford to treat their child. By allowing Americans to defer student loan payments while receiving state-approved treatment, this bill will be a small step forward in our efforts to combat the opioid crisis and repair families. Like Congressman MacArthur, I’m committed to working across party lines to ensure that we heal everyone we can.”
 
 “Congressman MacArthur should be commended for his wanting to help persons in recovery in a very meaningful & measurable way,” said James P. Curtin, President  & Chief Executive Officer of Daytop New Jersey. “All too often financial pressure can act as a relapse trigger. This relief, while someone is actively engaged in treatment, will go a long way in supporting someone’s path to recovery.”
 
“One in ten.  The percentage of people suffering with a substance use disorder who get the treatment they so desperately need is nothing short of tragic.  The legislation proposed by Representatives Esty and MacArthur removes a substantial barrier to that treatment.  Fully committing to an effective recovery program optimizes the chance that a young person can change the trajectory of their life -  the lasting outcomes to that investment are enormous,” said Maria Coutant Skinner from the McCall Center for Behavioral Health in Torrington, CT.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400820,"<span class =""kicker"">Religion News Service Article***</span>Six Congressional members urge stronger action to protect religious liberty''",2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Six members of Congress stressed the need for the U.S. government to take a more vigorously active role in protecting endangered Christians in the Holy Lands and the Middle East.
Four representatives and two senators spoke Tuesday at the Third International Conference on Religious Freedom in the nations capital, sponsored by the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The speakers were Representatives Chris Smith, R-New Jersey; Jeff Fortenberry, R-Nebraska; Carolyn Maloney, D-New York; Gus Bilirakis, R-Florida, and Senators Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, and James Lankford, R-Oklahoma. The sessions were held in the U.S. Senate Caucus Room and Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium.
More than ever before, vigorous U.S. leadership and diplomacy are needed to address religious freedom violations in the region (Middle East and Holy Lands) and globally, Rep. Smith said.
He also urged enhanced religious freedom training for the Foreign Service including ambassadors and integrating religious freedom into every aspect of U.S. foreign policy.
Smith recommended a timely designation of a country of particular concern as well as designation of an entity of concern, such as a terrorist group. He also urged the meting out of sanctions on designated countries and holding not just countries but also individuals accountable.
Rep. Maloney emphasized that religious persecution is happening all over the world, adding that there is a need to create a system to accurately track everything happening to Christian minorities and other religions.
We need to put more meat in legislation, she added, such as no aid to Egypt unless they let Christians rebuild their churches.
Maloney has advocated for reform in Turkey such as the reopening of Halki  the Greek Orthodox Christian theological school the Turkish government closed in 1971.
Look at countries that respect minorities, religion and women  they dont have terrorism, Maloney added.
Rep. Biilirakis emphasized the need to speak out. Our darkest moments have come when those who know better stood still. We must fight to protect Christians all over the world.
He said the United States must stand up to our so-called allies, recommending this country appoint an ambassador-at-large for international religion freedom.
Rep. Fortenberry said that attacks on Christians are not only a loss of life, but are a disabling factor in the Middle East.
What has happened is genocide, he emphasized. What needs to be done is resurrection, revitalization and repatriation
Sen. Cardin stressed the need to protect religious targets because what we see in the Middle East is unacceptable. If we dont take any action, we condone that activity. The United States must take the leadership. Those committing atrocities should not get a pass.
The senator pledged his commitment to protect Christian minorities in the Middle East and elsewhere. You have my word, he said.
Sen. Lankford urged that we speak out clearly for those who are unjustly attacked.
More and more places in the world have less freedom, he noted. Blasphemy laws are being adopted in the world. We should not freely trade with a country that doesnt recognize religious liberty.
While emphasizing that there is much work to be done, the senator also urged that we dont lose hope.
The members of Congress were not the only participants to urge work on behalf of embattled Christians worldwide.
Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, attacked the crime of killing someone in the name of religion. There is not a bigger atrocity than that.
And Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, national commander of the Archons in America, said, Lets hope our work spreads the light of religious freedom around the world. Our discussions are to bring the light of truth and expose the darkness.
For more information: conference.archons.org
Texts and video of addresses at: bit.ly/religious-freedom-media
Photos:https://www.flickr.com/photos/orderstandrew/albums/72157689275845591
# # #
This article was orginally published by Religion News Service on Dec. 6, 2017 and can be found online at:http://religionnews.com/2017/12/06/six-congressional-members-urge-stronger-action-to-protect-religious-liberty/",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400795,On President Trumps Recognizing Jerusalem as Capital of Israel,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"“Today, President Trump took a decisive and historic step toward restoring American leadership in the world,"" said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today. ""By rightfully recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the United States has chosen to lead on principle. Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people and has been for three millennia. The Jewish State has waited 70 years for international recognition of this fact and for 40 years has ensured religious liberty in all of Jerusalem, including international access to the city’s religious and cultural heritage.
    “With this recognition, our country boldly confirms the unshakeable ties that bind us in friendship and common purpose to our indispensable ally, the State of Israel.  

    “I stand prepared to use my voice and vote in the House of Representatives to support the President’s commitment to comply with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 and relocate the United States Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem as soon as possible. I co-sponsored the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998–which passed Congress–that set aside funding of the construction of a U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
    “I support President Trump’s new approach to achieving a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his call for all regional leaders to break from the past and chart a new path toward enduring peace.   

    “Just yesterday, the House voted to pass the Taylor Force Act, which would bar U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority unless they immediately stop paying huge amounts of money directly to Palestinian terrorists and their families–‘pay to slay’–who murder American and Israeli citizens.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400796,Congressional Hearing Highlights Need to Promote Religious Freedom to Counter Extremism,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Promoting religious freedom must be an integral part of U.S. diplomacy to protect against the spread of religious extremism and terrorism, expert witnesses stated at a hearing on “Advancing Human Rights to Combat Extremism” on Wednesday, held by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.  
    “Advancing freedom of religion, both as an end in of itself and as means to achieve peace, stability and human flourishing, should be a core objective of U.S. foreign policy,” Chairman Smith stated at the hearing.  

    “Religious liberty is opposed, however, by extremists who seek to impose their vision of an ideal society upon all,” Smith said. “This clash manifests itself in numerous parts of the world, in varying degrees of intensity, but is particularly acute in certain Muslim-dominated regions, where groups such as ISIS, al-Nusra, Boko Haram and al-Shabaab seek to bring all under their sway.  

    “To combat these extremists, the ideological battlefield is just as important as the territorial one.  By emphasizing human rights principles, we counter extremist messaging, support moderate voices and promote the popular aspirations of people around the world who simply want to live in peace and freedom,” Smith said.  

    The hearing highlighted strategies for advancing human rights and religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy as a means to counter violent extremism.  

    “For almost twenty years U.S. religious freedom diplomacy has been led by smart men and women, and staffed by some of the best minds in our diplomatic service. But they have been hamstrung by a lack of imagination and vision within the State Department,” said Dr. Tom Farr, president of the Religious Freedom Institute and director of the Religious Freedom Research Project at Georgetown University. “Fortunately, that deficit has begun to diminish, in large part because of the work of the current staff and the most recent Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, David Saperstein.”  

    Former Kansas Governor Sam Brownback was nominated for the position of Ambassador at-Large for International Religious Freedom in July, but the Senate has yet to confirm him. This confirmation must be made immediately, Farr said.  

    “People around the world are suffering vile religious persecution. Religion-related terror is spreading. We need Ambassador Brownback on the job,” Farr said.  

    Smith’s bill, The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, which was signed into law in December of 2016, upgraded this ambassador position within the State Department, along with providing specific tools and resources for the agency to implement religious freedom into U.S. diplomacy and all aspects of foreign policy, helping to counter violent extremism abroad. That law built upon existing law, the landmark International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.  

    The 2016 law required religious freedom training for all Foreign Service Officers; allowed the President to designate “violent non-state actors” for particularly severe violations of religious freedom, and sanction individuals for those abuses; strengthened the investigations into and monitoring of religious persecution; created a “Designated Persons List” for violators of religious freedom who have been sanctioned for their abuses; strengthened the Special Advisor for religious freedom position at the National Security Council; set up a comprehensive religious prisoners list of persons detained, imprisoned, tortured, and subject to forced renunciation of faith; required that the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom report directly to the Secretary of State; elevated the position of ambassador within the department; and set up a “Special Watch List” in the existing “Countries of Particular Concern” list.  

    The original legislation was key to the struggle to promote religious freedom abroad, Sayyid M. Syeed, senior advisor to the Islamic Society of North America, stated to members of the subcommittee at Wednesday’s hearing.  

    “This past October marked the 19th anniversary of the landmark International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which upholds religious freedom as a core American value and a universal human right,” Syeed said. “This institutional landmark Act is very important not just for us as Americans but for us as humanity. Nearly two decades after the law’s passage, freedom of religion or belief is unfortunately an unrealized ideal in too many parts of the world.”  

    The U.S must invest more in understanding the ideological nature of extremism, rather than only fighting it militarily, Dr. John Lenczowski, founder and President of The Institute of World Politics, stated.  

    “The United States has spent trillions of dollars mostly fighting two wars to destroy terrorism-supporting regimes, seeking out terrorists, and killing them. In doing so we have treated terrorism as principally a military and intelligence problem with little reference to what inspires it in the first place,” Lenczowski said.  

    “This is not principally a military matter, but a problem of politics, propaganda, ideology, culture, and religious doctrines. What we are up against is a totalitarian effort to establish a temporal state (the Caliphate) by mobilizing Jihadists via an extremist interpretation of the Islamic religion,” he said. “To solve this problem necessitates fighting a war of ideas. The problem is that we have virtually no ideological warriors in this war.”    “National counterterrorism measures that are not rooted in respect for human rights risk being counterproductive,” Neil Hicks, director of human rights promotion at Human Rights First, stated. “When governments stifle peaceful dissent, muzzle the media, and prevent the legitimate activities of non-violent civil society organizations, they are not countering extremism; they are fomenting it.” Click here for Hicks’ testimony.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-jerusalem-is-the-eternal-capital-of-the-jewish-state,Lance: Jerusalem is the Eternal Capital of the Jewish State,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07), chair of the Republican Israel Caucus, today issued a statement supporting recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  
“Today is a historic day in the long-standing and enduring friendship between the United States and Israel. Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish State.  Our diplomatic efforts and our embassy should be based in the true capital of the State of Israel.  The United States is sending a message to the world and to the Jewish people that we stand with our great ally.
“Now is also the time to affirm our strong support for a two-state solution in the Middle East and I call for peace from both sides.  I commend the Trump Administration for renewing the U.S.’s involvement in these talks and I hope a solution can be reached expeditiously.  I will work in Congress in support of peace and security.”
In January, Lance introduced the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act that would facilitate the relocation of the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.  The U.S. House and U.S. Senate have voted on three separate occasions to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
·  The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995
·  H. Con Res. 152 in 1997, which passed unanimously out of the House
·  And most recently, S.Res. 176, where Republicans and Democrats in the Senate voted unanimously just this past June in favor of the decision President Trump announced today.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-s-statement-concealed-carry-reciprocity-act,Congressman MacArthurs Statement on the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman MacArthur released the following statement after the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act passed the House of Representatives:
 
I’ve had multiple opportunities to listen to Shaneen Allen’s story and speak with her about the importance of protecting legal gun owners.  Shaneen is a law-abiding single mother who was facing years in prison because her concealed-carry permit was considered illegal once she crossed from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. This legislation will ensure that what happened to Shaneen does not happen to any other law-abiding gun owners by requiring states to recognize each other’s gun carry permits, while recognizing states’ rights to create their own firearms laws.
 
Opponents of this bill will argue that this legislation will enable dangerous people to obtain firearms. This is completely false. This bill, will allow a law-abiding citizen to carry concealed gun only if they are not federally prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm. Additionally, this bill has nothing to do with gun purchases. Every person who wants to buy a firearm would still have to go through a thorough federal background check and in fact, this bill beefs up the Federal Instant Background Check system. This legislation will ensure legal gun owners, like Shaneen Allen, won’t have to fear arrest when they cross state lines.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400794,Bill Co-sponsored by Smith Against Female Genital Mutilation Passes House,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The House today passed legislation by Rep. Dave Trott (R-MI) and co-sponsored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) that increases the penalties for female genital mutilation (FGM) in the U.S., a practice that the World Health Organization regards as a human rights violation and one that Smith has spoken out against in the past. 
    Seventeen years ago, Smith’s landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, P.L. 106-386, highlighted female genital mutilation as a crime targeting immigrant women and children, and underscored that these victims “must be able to report these crimes to law enforcement and fully participate in the investigation of the crimes committed against them and the prosecution of the perpetrators of such crimes.”  

    “Despite current federal law prohibiting this practice, an estimated 500,000 young girls in the U.S. have been victims of female genital mutilation or are in danger of being subjected to this abuse,” Rep. Smith, Chairman of the House panel on global human rights, stated. “This forced mutilation is painful, carries long-term health risks, and serves no positive health benefits. We must do more to protect our young girls from this harmful and fundamentally misguided practice.”  

    The Stopping Abusive Female Exploitation (SAFE) Act (HR 3317) would triple penalties for performing female genital mutilation from 5 to 15 years in prison, and it would call on states to have reporting requirements for suspected cases of mutilation.  

    The practice of female genital mutilation—defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as including “procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons”— is “a violation of the human rights of girls and women,” according to WHO. It has been illegal in the United States since 1997.  

    Yet over 200 million women have been mutilated in 30 countries in Africa and Asia, and including in the United States, where an estimated 500,000 girls under the age of 13 have had the procedure or who are in danger of being mutilated.  

    Smith also co-sponsored HR 941, the Federal Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act of 1995, which prohibited and penalized the practice of FGM except in cases where it was performed by a medical professional for the health of the patient, and directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate the number of cases of FGM in the U.S. and conduct outreach and education to communities where it is practiced.  

    Because of Smith’s efforts in the 1990s, USAID in 2000 made the abandonment of the practice part of its development agenda and education to counter FGM worldwide was implemented into USAID training; the agency has also worked to stop the practice of FGM in African communities in its health and education programs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/macarthur-urges-congress-find-permanent-solution-daca,MacArthur urges Congress to find a permanent solution to DACA,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.-Today, Congressman MacArthur urged House Speaker Paul Ryan to pass legislation this year that creates a permanent legislative solution to the expiring Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
MacArthur was joined by 34 House Republicans in this request.
“I’ve always been a strong supporter of the DACA program and voted against eliminating this program during my first term in Congress,” said Congressman Tom MacArthur “Our immigration system is in need of reform, but this process should not start by hurting the most innocent and vulnerable population.  I’m urging both parties to come together and find a solution that will protect DACA recipients before the end of the year.”
Full text of letter below:
Dear Speaker Ryan,
We write in support of passing of a permanent legislative solution for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients before the end of the year. DACA recipients – young people brought to America through no fault of their own – are contributing members of our communities and our economy. For many, this is the only country they have ever known. They are American in every way except their immigration status.
Since DACA’s inception, the federal government has approved approximately 795,000 initial DACA applications and 924,000 renewals. Since being approved for DACA status, an overwhelming majority of these individuals have enrolled in school, found employment, or have served in the military. Studies have shown that passing legislation to permanently protect these individuals would add hundreds of billions to our country’s gross domestic product (GDP). That is why the business community, universities, and civic leaders alike support a permanent legislative solution.
We agree with President Trump that executive action was not the appropriate process for solving this issue, as was done under the previous administration, and we believe Congress should act. We are compelled to act immediately because many DACA recipients are about to lose or have already lost their permits in the wake of the program’s rescission. Not acting is creating understandable uncertainty and anxiety amongst immigrant communities.
While we firmly believe Congress must work to address other issues within our broken immigration system, it is imperative that Republicans and Democrats come together to solve this problem now and not wait until next year. We all agree that our border must be enforced, our national security defended, and our broken immigration system reformed, but in this moment, we must address the urgent matter before us in a balanced approach that does not harm valuable sectors of our economy nor the lives of these hard-working young people.  We must pass legislation that protects DACA recipients from deportation and gives them the opportunity to apply for a more secured status in our country as soon as possible. Reaching across the aisle to protect DACA recipients before the holidays is the right thing to do.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-applauds-team-veterans-memorial-middle-school-vineland-winning-2017,LoBiondo Applauds Team from Veterans Memorial Middle School in Vineland for Winning 2017 Congressional App Challenge,2017-12-04,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"MAYS LANDING, N.J. – U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today applauded the 3-person team from Veterans Memorial Middle School in Vineland for winning the 2017 Congressional App Challenge. Their submission - “Eating Green” - is a mobile application designed to help consumers navigate the Food &amp; Drug Administration (FDA) recall notices on food products as well as health ratings of local restaurants. “Congratulations to Ljakadja, Hannah and Nishi for their innovative and informative app. It is clear they were looking to assist Americans’ desire to eat healthy and know the latest recall notices for unsafe foods. I was impressed by the substantial thought and execution displayed in this app,” said LoBiondo.  “I applaud all of the students who participated in this year’s Congressional App Challenge and encourage you and your classmates to continue creating forward-looking technology.” The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide competition aimed at encouraging middle and high school students to learn how to code by creating their own applications for mobile devices. The Challenge seeks to highlight the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education while spurring friendly competition between competing teams. This is the first year middle school students were invited to compete. Seventeen (17) teams comprised of fifty (50) students across South Jersey competed in the fourth annual challenge. This is the fourth year of the Congressional App Challenge and the fourth year LoBiondo’s office has hosted the competition for South Jersey students. Information about the Congressional App Challenge can be found at www.congressionalappchallenge.us For the 2nd Congressional district, the submitted apps were reviewed by the following judges: Videos of the 17 apps designed by South Jersey students as well as members of each team are as follows:
Name of App
Students
School
School To-Do List
Thomas Castaldi
Cape May County Technical High School
Quack
Daisy Siedlecki, Jessenia Rivera
Cumberland County Technical Education Center
Help!
Hamed Faruqui, Amir Stephens, Fatima Bouchouar, Elijah Gonzalez
Atlantic County Institute of Technology
SafeStamp
Josh Sessions, James Kinsey, Erik Angulo
Atlantic County Institute of Technology
All in One Yoga
Nicholas Hartranft, Amadeous Co, Brandon Orengo, Justin Couchoud
Atlantic County Institute of Technology
Vineland City App
Rodrick-Josh Zapanta, Ammel Benson
Veterans Memorial Middle School
VMS Extra
Cole Keller, Natalia Acosta, Jasleen Jaswal
Veterans Memorial Middle School
Vineland EMS
Micem, Mackenzie Nash, Isabella Amberths, Brianna Brown
Veterans Memorial Middle School
Eating Green
Liakadja Whitesell, Hannah Tamagni, Nishi Gupta
Veterans Memorial Middle School
Iconomics
Jenna Carlson, Anaya Troy, La'Jourah King, Josh Goldsborough
Veterans Memorial Middle School
V.P.D. Connect
Gabriel Castro, Preston Koerkel, Brielle Davis
Veterans Memorial Middle School
Embellish a Bin
Andrew Mastro, John Zhang
Veterans Memorial Middle School
Inspira Instant
Jose Gabriel Castro, Connor Molloy
Veterans Memorial Middle School
Healthcare Near Me
Ruth Elahi
Veterans Memorial Middle School
Fix N Go
Thalia Alicea, Irem Kayis, and Edward Rada
Veterans Memorial Middle School
LS Notes
Vraj Patel, Hanna Sharkey, Logan Willis, Jon Stewart
Cumberland Regional High School
Family Finder
Vincent Ermilio, Melanie Ridgway, Michael Roman, Dylan Scull
Cumberland Regional High School",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400789,Winners in NJ-04 2017 Congressional App Challenge,2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced Thursday the winners of the Fourth Congressional District’s 2017 Congressional App Challenge (CAC), a competition for students of all ages from across the nation. The announcement comes in anticipation of Computer Science Education Week, December 4-10, 2017.
     “The Congressional App Challenge was launched to give school students in STEM fields, computer science and programming a venue to showcase their software applications achievements,” said Smith. “The App Challenge is intended to foster creativity and promote teamwork. At the same time, it prepares them for the high-tech jobs of the future.”
    The winning app was designed by students of Point Pleasant Borough High School’s advanced software engineering class. The app, called “Lunch Buddy,” was designed to assist special needs students in the Life Skills class find classmates to sit with at lunchtime so they feel welcomed and provide them with a sense of comradery with their peers.  The app is currently in use at the school.
     “Around the world, the STEM fields are central to the global workforces of the future and our nation must strive to be a leader,” Smith said. “Here at home in this competition, the winning team put together a great product that promises to make the lives of special needs students a little better. I thank the students and judges for participating in the competition. And I congratulate each of the winners.”
     The winning students, who all reside in Point Pleasant Borough, are:
 
    Luke Boylan; 
    Theresa Cardone; 
    Jaspreet Kaur; and 
    Adrian Wittmann.
 
     The winners’ prize is a $250 credit for Amazon Web Service to be split between the four students.  Additionally, the winning students and their teacher, Mr. Nick Gattuso, will be invited to the “House of Code” App Challenge Reception in Washington, DC in the spring.
         Additionally, four students from Communications High School in Wall Township will receive Honorable Mention for their app, “Ugo!” The students created the app to help children socialize outside of their homes and provide them with recreational and volunteering events near them that they can attend.          The students who received Honorable Mention are:
 
    Matthew Avena of Red Bank; 
    Daniel Kimball of Middletown, and; 
    Ronan Leahy of Colts Neck. 
 
      They will each receive congressional certificates. 
     The Challenge submission period closed Nov. 1, 2017. To enter, students competed as individuals or in teams of up to four people and the apps were judged by a panel of expert local judges who reviewed the entries and selected the winner. In the springtime, the winning apps from across the country will be featured on a display in the Capitol building.
     The Congressional App Challenge was created in part to highlight how Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills are essential for economic growth and innovation, and because the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018, compared to 9.8 percent growth for non-STEM occupations. According to some estimates, the U.S. may be short as many as three million high-skilled tech workers by 2018. 
    Click here to read about the 2016 winners from Smith’s competition last year.
     Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is an annual program dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest in computer science.  The Internet Education Foundation serves as the operational “sponsor” of the CAC. For more information, please visit: http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/                                                                                                           ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400790,Bill to End Discrimination Against Houses of Worship Moves One Step Closer to House Vote,2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Language allowing houses of worship to receive vital federal disaster assistance was included in the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (HR 4460), which passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday by a voice vote. 
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      Language allowing houses of worship to receive vital federal disaster assistance was included in the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (HR 4460), which passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday by a voice vote. 
    “We are thankful that critical language allowing disaster relief to go to churches, synagogues, and mosques was included in the disaster reform bill,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the original legislation giving churches access to the relief, stated.  

    “They have been centers of service for communities devastated by natural disasters, like after Superstorm Sandy in 2012, or Hurricane Harvey just this year, providing food, supplies, counseling and other aid despite often suffering damage to their own facilities; they should not be shut out of needed relief and should be treated like other non-governmental organizations.”  

    The bill that was advanced on Thursday included the exact language from the bipartisan bill The Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2017 (H.R. 2405), introduced in May by Smith and lead Democrat Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ).  

    That bill enabled houses of worship, currently shut out of receiving federal disaster assistance because of their religious status, to have equal access to this critical aid as secular groups have. Under the bill, FEMA would judge the eligibility of churches and religious groups for disaster relief as they would for all private-non-profits, regardless of their religious status.  

    “Five years after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on many churches, synagogues, mosques and temples, and months after hurricanes pounded Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, houses of worship are still not permitted to receive disaster relief funding from FEMA,” said Congresswoman Meng, co-author of the original legislation giving houses of worship access to the relief.  

    “This continues to be extremely unfair and it’s way past time to change this misguided policy. Our provision—which first passed the House in 2013 as the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act—would finally accomplish that goal, and I urge all my colleagues in the House to support it. Many houses of worship provide critical assistance to the communities in which they are located. These include crucial services such as child care, food pantries and other vital programs. They must no longer be treated differently than other nonprofit entities,” Meng stated.  

    “This legislation is critical. Organizations should not be denied federal assistance in times of need just because of their religious affiliations,” Rep. King stated.  

    “I am thankful that language was included to allow houses of worship to be eligible for disaster relief and emergency assistance on terms equal to others,” Rep. Franks stated. “In light of the numerous natural disasters that have blighted our nation during the last weeks, those communities affected rely on special assistance from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds to get back up and running. As it stands, FEMA discriminates against nonprofits that are religious in nature – churches and synagogues, for example – by denying them applications for grant funding to help them rebuild. Our religious communities are the backbone for charity and public service in our nation. They are our ‘little platoons’ ready to help the public in troubling times.” 
    Recently, the Administration had expressed its support for this policy in its $44 billion request to House leadership for hurricane recovery efforts:  

    “In addition, the Administration notes its support for legislation that would make houses of worship eligible for disaster relief funding (provided they meet the other relevant criteria for private non-profit facilities) and offers technical assistance regarding the timeframe for applicability,” Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, stated in a letter to Speaker Ryan.  

    Smith, Meng, and King originally introduced the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2013 (H.R. 592) after Superstorm Sandy inflicted billions of dollars of damage to the Northeast and churches were barred from receiving FEMA assistance. A consortium of faith-based entities, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Republican Jewish Coalition, Christian Legal Society, Agudath Israel of America, the International Conference of Evangelical Christian Endorsers, and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America have come out in support of Smith’s policy proposal. The bill passed the House overwhelmingly 354-72, before being held up in the Senate. In 2015, Smith, Meng, and King reintroduced the act as HR 3066.  

    “Natural disasters do not discriminate when they strike, and neither should our government discriminate as to which groups are eligible for disaster relief,” Smith stated.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400793,Congressional Hearing to Examine How Smiths Religious Freedom Law Helps Counter Violent Extremism,2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Next Wednesday, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on global human rights, will be chairing a hearing entitled “Advancing Human Rights to Combat Extremism.” The hearing will explore the best strategies to counter violent extremism in the Islamic world, including by promoting religious freedom.
    Smith’s bill which was signed into law last year, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (H.R. 1150), provided specific tools and resources for the State Department to implement religious freedom into U.S. diplomacy and all aspects of foreign policy, helping to counter violent extremism abroad. That law built upon existing law, the landmark International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.  

    The new law required religious freedom training for all Foreign Service Officers; allowed the President to designate “violent non-state actors” for particularly severe violations of religious freedom, and sanction individuals for those abuses; strengthened the investigations into and monitoring of religious persecution; created a “Designated Persons List” for violators of religious freedom who have been sanctioned for their abuses; strengthened the Special Advisor for religious freedom position at the National Security Council; set up a comprehensive religious prisoners list of persons detained, imprisoned, tortured, and subject to forced renunciation of faith; required that the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom report directly to the Secretary of State; elevated the position of ambassador within the department; and set up a “Special Watch List” in the existing “Countries of Particular Concern” list.  

    “The advancement of fundamental human rights – in particular, freedom of religion – should be a core objective of US foreign policy,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, stated.  

    “By emphasizing such principles, we counter extremist messaging, support moderate voices, and promote the popular aspirations of people around the world who wish to live in freedom and peace,” Smith, author of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, said. “We need to encourage such voices of moderation in the Islamic world, while waging a full-throated war of ideas with radical extremists such as ISIS.  The ideological battlefield is just as important as the territorial one.”     

    Witnesses will discuss the best strategies to counter violent extremism in the Islamic world by promoting religious freedom and  by empowering moderate Muslims to speak out against Islamist extremism. They will also discuss how the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act has impacted these efforts since the law’s enactment.  


Who:                 

  
Chairman Smith (NJ-04), Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations; other members of the Committee  


Witnesses:            

  
Thomas Farr, Ph.D.  

President, Religious Freedom Institute 
Director, Religious Freedom Research Project 
Georgetown University 
 
John Lenczowski, Ph.D. 
Founder and President 
The Institute of World Politics 
 
Sayyid Syeed, Ph.D. 
Senior Advisor 
Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances 
Islamic Society of North America 
 
What:              House hearing on advancing human rights to combat extremism

When:             Wednesday, December 6, 2017 10 AM  


Where:           Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2172 (first floor)",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-telephone-town-hall-monday-december-4,"Lance Telephone Town Hall: Monday, December 4",2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) will host a live telephone town hall from his desk in Washington, D.C. for constituents living in New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District on Monday, December 4 at 5:30pm. 
During the telephone town hall meeting, Lance will take questions on the important issues facing Congress and the American people.  Lance will discuss tax reform, his leadership role in combatting sexual harassment, his involvement in a bipartisan health care solution and CHIP, the federal budget and foreign affairs.   
WHAT: Telephone Town Hall with Congressman Leonard Lance 
WHEN: Monday, December 4 at 5:30 pm 
HOW:
Dial-In Phone Number: (908) 977-1113
Listen From Your Computer: listen.cmsteleconference.com PIN: 395245
Questions can be directed to Lance’s Westfield District Office at 908-518-7733.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400792,"<span class =""kicker"">Article on Smith's Alzheimer's Hearing</span>'Support Caregivers, Cut Alzheimer's Bills: Witness to Congress'",2017-11-30,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"By Allison Bell at ThinkAdvisor - 
Coping with the effects of dementia on aging populations is a problem for in every country in the world.
The House [Foreign Affairs Committee] global health subcommittee recognized the broad impact of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia Wednesday, by holding a hearing on the global fight against dementia.
Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., the subcommittee chairman, said dementia now affects about 47 million people throughout the world, and that the number of people affected could rise to 131 million by 2050. Dementia already costs the world about $818 billion per year, he said.
(Related: Why LTC Needs to Be Included in a Retirement Plan: Part 1)
Michael Splaine, an Alzheimer's consultant who testified at the hearing, estimated that cost of coping with dementia eats up about 1% of the world's $80 trillion in annual gross domestic product.
Several witnesses talked about the need to provide generous funding for Alzheimer's research.
Mary Mittelman, a research professor at New York University, suggested that one way to help families and patients, and save money, quickly would be to provide regular counseling session for the relatives caring for loved ones with dementia, either through in-person visits or through telemedicine systems.
New York University tried offering regular family counseling sessions.
Counseling for family caregivers appeared to put off the time when people with dementia ended up in nursing homes by an average of about 18 months, Mittelman said.
""This is a really powerful intervention,"" Mittelman said. This article was published on Nov. 30, 2017 and can be found online at:
http://www.thinkadvisor.com/2017/11/30/support-caregivers-cut-alzheimers-bills-witness-to?slreturn=1512157795",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-nj-wins-under-environmental-clean-up-bill,Lance: NJ Wins Under Environmental Clean Up Bill,2017-11-30,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07), member of House Energy and Commerce Committee and Climate Solution Caucus, today supported H.R. 3017, the Brownfields Enhancement Economic Redevelopment and Reauthorization Act, on the House floor.  Lance’s House Energy and Commerce Committee championed the bipartisan bill to reauthorize the successful Brownfields Program through the Environmental Protection Agency that is tasked with remediation and redevelopment of 419 contaminated sites in New Jersey.
“The Brownfields Program has worked and must be reauthorized.   Over 59,000 sites nationwide, and 419 in New Jersey, have been transformed by remediation and redevelopment freeing our land and water from harmful chemicals and other hazards.  This is a tremendous win for environmental protection, economic development and for communities that have struggled with contaminated sites,” said Lance during debate in the U.S. House.
The Brownfields Program assists localities with the cleanup of properties where redevelopment or preservation is complicated by environmental contamination.  Brownfields sites are often abandoned, closed, or under-utilized industrial or commercial facilities, such as an abandoned factory in a town, a closed commercial building or warehouse, or a former dry cleaning establishment or gas station.  The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the United States, and each of these sites has the potential to encourage economic development through the Brownfields Program.
“Facilities in Dover, East Amwell, Phillipsburg, Roxbury and Somerville are slated for revitalization.  This public-private partnership has been a winning formula as the Brownfields Program has already prompted $ 22 billion in private investment – a major return on a minimal, though important, federal investment,” added Lance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400775,"<span class =""kicker"">***Slide Show***Rep. Smith chairs hearing on Alzheimer's Disease</span>Advancements to Treat and Cure Alzheimers Being Made, but Significant Challenges Persist, Medical Experts Tell Congress",2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Recent developments in the research of Alzheimer’s Disease have signaled that major medical breakthroughs could be coming, none too soon for this disease that is currently incurable and which poses a special burden to patients in developing countries who lack access to cutting-edge treatments, expert witness testified at a Congressional hearing on “A Global Update on Alzheimer’s Disease,” held today by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Chairman of the House global health subcommittee. PHOTO SLIDE SHOW AT LEFT FROM THE CONGESSIONALLY HEARING
“Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease, robbing its victims of their memories and their very identities, and robbing their family and friends of the person they know and love,” Smith, who is also the co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, stated. Click here for Smith’s opening statement.  The hearing was carried live by CSPAN and can be watched in its entirety by clicking here.
“It is excruciatingly painful for someone to lose themselves gradually – to find themselves increasingly alone in a world they know,” Smith said. 
Tuesday’s hearing comes on the heels of the World Health Organization’s pronouncement in July, setting official benchmarks for countries to develop strategies to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s. This major development came after the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, which Smith co-authored and which became law in 2011, set up national goals for the U.S. to have successful treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s by 2025.
“As we open today’s hearing, there are an estimated 47 million people in the world living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia—more than the entire population of Spain—according to a report by Alzheimer’s Disease International,” Smith said. “The total estimated global cost of addressing this condition today is $818 billion, but by as early as next year, it is estimated that this cost will rise to at least one trillion dollars.”  
The subcommittee has now held four hearings on Alzheimer’s, including Tuesday’s hearing. At the hearing, leading officials at the National Institutes of Health – experts on elderly care and international research – testified about both the challenges of Alzheimer’s and positive developments in research on this disease. 
“In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60, although a much smaller subset of patients see onset at earlier ages,” said Marie A. Bernard, MD, Deputy Director of the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. “Although treatment can help manage symptoms in some people, there is currently no cure for this devastating disease.”
“As recently as 2004, there were no established biomarkers for Alzheimer’s,” Roger Glass, MD, PhD, Director of the Fogarty International Center and Associate Director for International Research at the National Institutes of Health, stated. Click here to read Dr. Bernard and Dr. Glass’ full testimony.
“Today, not only can we image both amyloid plaques and tau tangles (the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease) in the living brain, but we have also identified many other potentially promising biomarkers, from blood proteins to early changes in an individual’s sense of smell,” Glass said. 
Another 2016 study, conducted by scientists at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Zurich, showed that patients who received the drug aducanumab showed positive signs in Alzheimer’s treatment, Smith noted. The patients “experienced an almost complete clearance of the amyloid plaques that prevent brain cells communicating, leading to irreversible memory loss and cognitive decline,” Smith said. 
Other challenges to the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s persist however, witnesses said, including special challenges in developing countries and a lack of formal diagnoses for patients with Alzheimer’s.
“This problem is growing more quickly in developing countries than in industrialized countries,” Mary Mittelman, Dr.PH, research professor at the Departments of Psychiatry and Rehabilitative Medicine and Director at NYU Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Family Support Program at NYU School of Medicine and NYU Langone Health, said. Click here to read Dr. Mittelman’s testimony.
“While new pharmaceutical interventions may provide more benefits than those that are currently available, they are likely to be expensive, and may be unaffordable by many families dealing with dementia,” Dr. Mittelman said. 
“United States figures suggest that only about 50% get a formal diagnosis, and more troubling is the fact that as many as 30% or persons with a diagnosis in their medical record have not been informed of their diagnosis,” Michael Splaine, owner and principal of Splaine Consulting, stated. Click here for Splaine’s testimony.
“The clinical presentation and care burden of patients is quite similar across geographies, countries and health systems. Memory problems, difficulty in communication and progressively greater need for assistance in activities of daily living are found in all patients regardless of country,” Richard Mohs, Chief Scientific Officer at the Global Alzheimer’s Platform (GAP) Foundation, stated. Click here for Mohs’ testimony.
 
For the most updated version of this release, click on:
https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400775
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400788,Smith Condemns Chinas Sentencing of Taiwanese Democracy Advocate,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"In response to the sentencing of Taiwan democracy advocate Lee Ming-cheh to five years imprisonment for discussing human rights and democracy over social media and supporting human rights defenders in China, Congressman Chris Smith, Chair of the Global Human Rights Subcommittee and Cochair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China issued the following statement:
“Tuesday’s sentencing is another reminder that the Chinese government will go to great lengths to curtail even private discussions of human rights and democracy. China refuses to play by international rules and will attempt to silence its critics—even those beyond its border. It is clear from this decision that anyone in China, including foreigners and foreign visitors, who are critical of the government’s efforts to curtail universally-recognized freedoms may be prosecuted for attempting to undermine the regime. Lee Ming-che did nothing wrong and should be released immediately to be reunited with his courageous wife Li Ching-yu. His ongoing imprisonment needlessly harms cross-Straits relations between Mainland China and Taiwan.  Lee Ming-cheh’s case should be a priority for the international community.”
In July, Smith held a hearing featuring the spouses of detained human rights defenders in China.  Lee Ming-cheh’s wife, Li Ching-yu, testified at the hearing. Click here to read her full statement.  http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA16/20170518/105985/HHRG-115-FA16-Wstate-Chin-yuL-20170518.pdf
Smith has held over 60 hearings on human rights and the rule of law in China.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-bill-ends-taxpayer-funded-cover-ups-of-sexual-harassment,Lance Bill Ends Taxpayer-Funded Cover Ups of Sexual Harassment,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. ---  Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ- 07), New Jersey’s only member of the House Ethics Committee, introduced legislation today to end taxpayer-funded settlements of sexual harassment claims and other workplace disputes against members of Congress and congressional staff.  Lance’s bill would also reveal publicly the names of those perpetrators who have engaged in such conduct in the workplace.
“Taxpayers in congressional districts across the Nation are outraged over allegations and the lack of transparency and accountability concerning taxpayer-financed harassment settlements in Congress.  Since 1997, Congress has paid millions of dollars out of a secret U.S. Treasury Department fund to settle hundreds of workplace claims against members of Congress and congressional aides.  Such secrecy is a gross betrayal of public trust and must end immediately.  My legislation, if enacted, would increase government transparency for the American taxpayer, create a safer work environment and hold members of Congress and congressional staff — past and present — accountable for their actions,” Lance said.
Lance’s Ensure Transparency and Honesty in Congressional Settlements (ETHICS) Act comes following news reports of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded settlements to resolve workplace disputes on Capitol Hill.  The Seventh District lawmaker introduced this legislation on the same day the U.S. House unanimously passed legislation to mandate sexual harassment training and victim support services in Congress.
Over the past several weeks, numerous individuals from all walks of life have voiced their stories of sexual harassment.  A number of these allegations are tied to members of Congress, both past and present.  According to the congressional Office of Compliance, the federal government has paid more than $17 million in taxpayer money in workplace settlements since 1997, but has not said how much of that money has been spent settling sexual harassment claims. 
Lance’s ETHICS Act would:
1. Prohibit any future taxpayer-financed sexual harassment settlements;
2. Require the Office of Compliance to release more detailed information on sexual harassment settlements paid at taxpayer expense, including the names of the perpetrator, the employing office of the perpetrator and the amount paid to the victim.   
Lance also spoke on the floor of the U.S. House during the debate on the resolution requiring workplace harassment training for members and staff where the Seventh District lawmaker urged his colleagues to address the problem on Capitol Hill immediately.
 “Congress should be leading on this issue, helping to foster a workplace environment free of sexual harassment, discrimination and other terrible behavior.  Congress must create an atmosphere where those who serve their country feel protected, supported and believed – no matter the power of the offender,” the Seventh District lawmaker said.
 In the news:
GOP rep: Taxpayer money should not pay for settlements
The Hill
 Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.) on Wednesday said that taxpayer money should not be used to pay sexual harassment settlements for members of Congress, adding that he would back a measure that would make individual congressional offices pay settlements themselves.
""I believe transparency is the best way to proceed regarding these matters,"" Lance said on CNN's ""New Day."" ""I was not even aware of this.""
Pressed by CNN's Chris Cuomo on whether he believed taxpayer funds should be used to cover the costs of sexual misconduct settlements involving lawmakers and their staffers, Lance bluntly replied, ""no.""
Cuomo then asked if he would support a measure that would require those payments to come out of congressional office coffers, to which Lance replied, ""yes.""
Lance's comments come as a growing number of powerful men in politics, business, media and beyond face allegations of sexual impropriety and harassment, particularly against female employees and co-workers.
Some lawmakers, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), have blasted the process by which congressional staffers can report misconduct by lawmakers, saying it lacks transparency and revealing that settlement money comes out of a Treasury fund. They have introduced legislation to change that process. 
On Tuesday, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the longest-serving current congressman, became the subject of allegations that he made inappropriate and unwanted sexual advances and remarks to former female staffers.
It was revealed that he had settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former employee who alleged he fired her because she would not ""succumb to [his] sexual advances.""
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has also faced allegations of sexual misconduct.
Last week, a Los Angeles morning show host accused the comedian-turned-senator of forcibly kissing and groping her in 2006. And this week, another woman alleged that Franken had groped her while the two were taking a photo together in 2010.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/event/congressional-app-challenge-announcement-reception,Congressional App Challenge Announcement & Reception,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressional App Challenge Announcement &amp; Reception                        
         	  Start: 
         	  December 2, 2017 10:00 am
         	  End: 
         	    December 2, 2017 11:30 am
         	   
         	           	    Location: 
         	      Atlantic County Institute of Technology - 5080 Atlantic Ave,  Mays Landing, New Jersey
         	    
         	           	
                                          
              Nov 29, 2017",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/event/new-years-day-federal-offices-closed-0,New Years Day - Federal Offices Closed,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"New Years Day - Federal Offices Closed                        
         	  Start: 
         	  January 1, 2017
         	  End: 
         	    January 1, 2017
         	   
         	           	
                                          
              Nov 29, 2017",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/event/ventnor-city-holiday-parade,Ventnor City Holiday Parade,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Ventnor City Holiday Parade                        
         	  Start: 
         	  December 9, 2017 5:00 pm
         	  End: 
         	    December 9, 2017 6:00 pm
         	   
         	           	    Location: 
         	       Ventnor, New Jersey
         	    
         	           	
                                          
              Nov 29, 2017",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400772,Congressional Hearing on Global Efforts to Treat and Cure Alzheimers Disease Set for Nov. 29,2017-11-27,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Millions of people worldwide have some form of dementia and suffer from a steady deterioration of memory and cognitive skills. Yet the vast majority of those with Alzheimer’s and related dementias have not received a diagnosis of their condition, and of those who have, many are unable to access the standard of care that they need. 
    Earlier in 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a global plan to address Alzheimer’s and set targets for countries to meet to establish plans for Alzheimer’s awareness, research, treatment, and prevention. WHO called on countries who have not yet adopted their own plans on Alzheimer’s to do so.  

    “Today, 47 million people worldwide live with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and this number is estimated to grow to 131 million by 2050 as populations age,” Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on global health, stated. “Congress has both a moral and practical imperative to act.”  

    Smith will be convening a hearing to review the state of care for Alzheimer’s patients, and prevention and treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease. Witnesses from the National Institutes of Health  will share what the U.S. government has done to address Alzheimer’s research and  treatment worldwide, while other witnesses from the medical profession will discuss patient care and the current state of Alzheimer’s research.
Who:                Chairman Smith (NJ-04), Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations; other members of the                                subcommittee  

Witness:      Panel I

Marie Bernard, M.D.  

Deputy Director  
National Institute on Aging  
National Institutes of Health
Roger Glass, M.D.  
Director  
Fogarty International Center  
National Institutes of Health
Panel II  

Mary Mittelman, Dr.P.H.  


Research Professor  
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Family Support Program  
New York University
Richard Mohs, Ph.D.  


Chief Scientific Officer  
Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation
Mr. Michael Splaine  

Principal  
Splaine Consulting
 
What:              House hearing on a global update on Alzheimer’s Disease
 
When:             Wednesday, November 29, 2017 2:00 PM
 
Where:            Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2172  (first floor)
 
    Smith, co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, co-authored the National Alzheimer’s Project Act which became law in 2011, and established a benchmark for the U.S. to produce a successful treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease by 2025. 
    “The total estimated global cost of addressing this condition today is $818 million, but by as early as next year, it is estimated that this cost will rise to at least one billion,” Smith said. “This hearing is intended to examine the existing and potential options for prevention and treatment of this often devastating disease.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400774,Rep. Smith Condemns Terrorist Attack  on Muslim Worshipers in Egypt,2017-11-27,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) today released the following statement on the horrific terror attack on a mosque in Egypt. 
“I mourn the devastating loss of life that resulted from the recent terrorist attack on a mosque in Egypt. This meticulously planned massacre targeted hundreds of innocents, including dozens of children, peacefully worshipping during Friday prayers.

“The terrorists responsible for this atrocity hold in contempt the life and liberty of all Egyptians. The United States should support the Egyptian people in their battle against this threat and support their aspiration to live in freedom, peace, and security.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400771,Smith Commends Mladics Conviction for Genocide,2017-11-22,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"In response to the verdict issued today by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia on the trial of Ratko Mladic, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), chair of the House global human rights subcommittee, said that the decision should serve as a notice that all perpetrators of war crimes and human rights abuses must brought to justice.
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      In response to the verdict issued today by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia on the trial of Ratko Mladic, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), chair of the House global human rights subcommittee, said that the decision should serve as a notice that all perpetrators of war crimes and human rights abuses must brought to justice.
“This should be lesson to all those committing genocide and war crimes today—there is no statute of limitations on these crimes and we will document your crimes, hunt you down and bring you to justice. Accountability is not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’,” Smith said.  

Mladic, the commander of Bosnian Serb forces during the civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s, was convicted today on 10 out of 11 charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity committed in the conflict. Mladic is remembered especially for his role in atrocities committed in the siege of Sarajevo and at Srebrenica in 1995, when over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were massacred by Serbian soldiers.  

“While we cannot restore the many thousands of lives Mladic snuffed out in the Srebrenica genocide, and in war crimes that were committed under his watch during the Bosnian conflict, we hope this verdict will give some closure to their families and friends,” Smith said.    

Although Mladic was tried for crimes committed in Bosnia only, he participated in military operations in Croatia as well, as a field commander in the Yugoslav army in the early 1990s before he became the commander of Bosnian Serb forces in 1992.    

“Mladic specialized in attacks on defenseless civilians, and left a trail of misery through Bosnia and Croatia,” Smith said.  

Smith is in Croatia on a human rights mission to promote the fight against human trafficking and his International Megan’s Law among Croatian legislators and human rights defenders. In 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence, Smith and former Congressman Frank Wolf entered besieged Vukovar, accompanied by Croatian defenders.  

“Just this morning I met in Croatia with Fr. Branimir Kosec, an extraordinarily courageous Croatian priest who, during the siege of Vukovar in 1991, refused to flee the city in order to minister to his remaining parishioners from his bombed-out church. He is an amazing man of God,” Smith said.  

“When Vukovar fell Fr. Branimir was taken prisoner and severely tortured—yet in him today I saw only a spirit of resolute faith and love—then as now.”  

Smith, co-chair of the Helsinki Commission, has worked through the years in Congress to bring accountability to perpetrators of war crimes and human rights abusers.  

He has sponsored multiple Congressional resolutions condemning the 1995 massacre of over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims by Serbian soldiers at Srebrenica as “genocide.”  

Recently, to hold the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad accountable for its culpability in atrocities committed in the Syrian civil war, Smith has introduced Congressional resolutions—H.Con.Res.51 and H.Con.Res.121— that condemned violations of international law committed by the Assad regime and its allies in the conflict, and called for a Syrian war crimes tribunal to be established. Smith chaired 10 hearings in whole or in part on atrocities committed in Syria, including one on establishing a war crimes tribunal there.    

Smith is also the author of H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act, which, among other actions, would direct the Secretary of State and USAID to help groups working with the Iraqi government to compile evidence of ISIS atrocities in Iraq and conduct criminal investigations. The bill also directs the Secretary of State to report to relevant Congressional committees Iraqi, hybrid, or international domestic courts that might be used to try the perpetrators of ISIS genocide in the region. H.R. 390 has passed the House and is pending action in the Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=1537,Frelinghuysen Delivers for Local First Responders,2017-11-22,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Frelinghuysen Delivers for Local First Responders  MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY -  Northern New Jersey’s first responders have been receiving  important new training tools thanks to the advocacy of U.S. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11).  Since October of 2016, Frelinghuysen has been working with local fire departments and county training academies on creating a pilot program to enhance automobile extrication training – a skill used nearly every day on the roads of New Jersey.  “Auto accident scenes are chaotic and very dangerous and first responders must be very proficient in extricating injured victims.  To make their training as credible as possible, they need real vehicles for their drills,” said Frelinghuysen.  “We jumped on the opportunity to contact Volkswagen, which agreed to donate cars.  This is proving to be a solid partnership.”  Volkswagen has diesel vehicles in the inventory of the “buy back” program they established in 2015 to take the cars off the road due to faulty emissions testing systems.   “I want to commend the Mountain Lakes Fire Department which came up with the idea to reutilize vehicles.  I also want to thank Volkswagen for working for months with our office to get this program off the ground,” said Frelinghuysen.   Mountain Lakes received three cars in September and trained with these cars multiple times over the last month, most recently on Tuesday, November 21.  Brookside Engine Company (Mendham) has received two cars and will also be conducting training in the near future. Volkswagen is now working with officials at the Morris County Sherriff and Training Academy and the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office/Training Academy. At this point, a total of 30 cars are expected to be delivered.  “Every day, New Jersey first responders put their lives on the line to quickly react to emergencies involving highway accidents.  Our goal is to improve their training regime,” said Frelinghuysen.  “Quite possibly, this program will save lives. For that, we owe a debt of gratitude to our first responders.”  -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/op-ed-new-jersey-needs-tax-relief,OP-ED: New Jersey Needs Tax Relief,2017-11-21,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"Nobody knows more than the people of New Jersey the pressure that high taxes can put on a family, small business or senior on a fixed income.  After decades of tax, spend and borrow policies foisted upon us by Trenton politicians from both parties, we live in the highest taxed state in America.  People are voting with their feet and moving to lower tax states, draining New Jersey of future teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs and community leaders. 
 
While fixing Trenton isn’t possible from my seat as a Member of Congress, passing common sense federal policy that helps New Jersey’s middle-class is within my reach.  Currently, that means achieving the first comprehensive federal tax reform in 31 years.
 
As for the misleading reports that this tax reform would automatically be bad for New Jersey, they are simply not true.  Worse, they are counterproductive to honest public discourse. I haven’t been in Washington very long, but I’ve been here long enough to know that there are too many members of the press who care about being first rather than being accurate, and too many politicians who care about being re-elected more than doing what is right by their constituents.   
 
Sadly, legislators willing to dive deeply into policy, ask tough questions, demand real answers, and forge compromise where nobody gets 100% of what they want, are a dying breed.  I have tried to be different.  I have sought to work with people of differing opinions and political parties to move our country forward and find solutions to the difficult challenges facing America.  So, while others were busy churning out press releases that amount to throwing spitballs from the sidelines, I’ve been at the negotiating table fighting to get tax reform that benefits you.
  
	And it’s starting to pay off.
 
My priorities on tax reform have been clear: 1) Moving from a high-rate system with lots of loopholes that usually just benefit the wealthy, to a simpler, fairer system that lowers rates and closes loopholes, which is good for everyone; 2) Increasing the child tax credit from $1,000 per child to at least $1,600 and adding a tax credit for those caring for non-child dependents, like an elderly parent; 3) Doubling the standard deduction to $24,000 for a family; 4) Preserving the State-and-Local Tax (SALT) deduction; 5) Finding a compromise that preserves deductions for mortgage interest and medical expenses; and 6) Helping businesses grow so they can create good-paying jobs and economic opportunity for all.
 
It is important to note that when this process started, I was one of only 20 Republicans to vote against President Trump and party leaders.  I told them that I would be a “NO” on tax reform unless the SALT deduction was preserved at an acceptable level.  I pushed and pressed.  They listened. 
 
According to data direct from the IRS, allowing property tax deductions up to $10,000—which I fought for and won—will cover nearly every taxpayer in the Third Congressional District.  Most of those not covered have high incomes, and are already unable to use the deduction because they pay the Alternative Minimum Tax.  Keep in mind, that only 4 out of 10 New Jerseyans even use the SALT deduction, while 60% use the standard deduction, which will double as part of this plan.
 
Don’t take my word for it.  Read the Washington Post’s Fact Checker – not always a friend to Republicans – which declares the following: “Democrats have spread far and wide the false claim that families making less than $86,100 on average will face a hefty tax hike. Actually, it’s the opposite. Most families in that income range would get a tax cut.”
 
Moreover, this tax reform will benefit New Jersey employers and employees at a time when Trenton is poised to pass crushing tax hikes that repel jobs and force more people to leave the state.  Taxes will be cut by 40% for most companies.  They will also be incentivized to bring trapped foreign earnings - estimated at over $2.5 trillion - back home to reinvest in our economy, not overseas.
 
As negotiations to reconcile the House and Senate bills get underway in the coming days, I will continue to push at the negotiating table for even more middle-class tax relief, like an increase in deductions for excessive medical bills and mortgage interest.  I can’t assure success in everything, but I can promise you that nobody will fight harder to cut your taxes than me.  I appreciate the constructive comments and input from constituents during this process, and remain grateful for the opportunity to represent you.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400767,"<span class=""kicker"">Trentonian article on Intl Megan's Law</span>'Over 23 years later, Megans Law is still expanding, this time worldwide'",2017-11-20,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"By Jeff Edelstein, Trentonian Staff -   It’s hard to believe it’s been 23 years since the death of Megan Kanka, the Hamilton 7-year-old who was raped and murdered by a twice-convicted sex offender. It is, without question, the most heinous and brutal crime in modern Mercer County history. It’s something no one who lives around here will ever forget.


Of course, the tragedy eventually led to the creation of Megan’s Law, first here in New Jersey, and then across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The premise of the law is simple: When a convicted child sex offender moves into town, they have to register with local authorities and people in the neighborhood are notified by their presence.
I’m all for the law, for the record. It’s just a shame we need it. Because if it was up to me, anyone convicted of molesting a child would never get a chance to “move into town.” Life imprisonment is fine by me. Heck, you could convince me of the death penalty in certain cases. My rationale is simple: If a society can’t effectively protect its children from predators, it has little business calling itself a society. I harbor no love in my heart for any human who would sexually molest a child. As such, I don’t care about the rights of these people. I don’t care about the fact they’re forever marked wherever they go. They should be marked. The end. (NOTE: OK, maybe not “the end.” I’m writing this part after original publication, after it was pointed out to me I’m painting with a broad brush. Who I’m talking about specifically, and who I’m talking about after this note, is the true scum, the true pedophile. I’m not talking about 18-year-olds who hooked up with a 14-year-old and are branded sex offenders. That’s not right, and they don’t belong on any list. I’m talking about evil predators. Moving on, then.)


But not everyone agrees. Like the United States Senate. How else to explain the nine years(!) it took Congressman Chris Smith to pass International Megan’s Law, a bill introduced six times before finally being signed by President Barack Obama in 2016. And how else to explain why it took over a year for the passport identifier portion of the program — in which convicted child molestors have the following imprinted on their passports: “The bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor and is a covered sex offender pursuant to 22 United States Code Section 212 (c) (i)” — to finally happen? 
“We got our foot in the door in New Jersey, and now we’re worldwide,” said Richard Kanka, Megan’s father, a statehouse news conference Friday. “This is a very important day, and I’m excited we’re taking another step forward. It took nine years, and it’s something that’s long overdue.” In short: Megan’s Law is now a worldwide phenomenon.


If a convicted child sex offender is seeking to travel overseas, they must register with the State Department so they can be vetted and so that the State Department can, at their discretion, warn the country the offender is seeking to travel to.


Since the signing of the law, the United States has warned over 100 countries that over 3,500 convicted pedophiles were trying to get in their country, and over 2,000 of those people were denied entry. 


Foreign countries have reciprocated 100 times.


And that’s the next step for Smith and Kanka: To get the rest of the world on board with the plan.


“We’re trying to get other countries to replicate the passport process,” Smith said. 


As well they should. We’ve got enough American sickos as it is. We don’t need any foreign pedophiles.


“This is a big step in protecting the children of this great country, as well as the children of the world,” Kanka said. “When we started this back in 1994 we just didn’t stop there. We worked on this. And now this train is rolling again, and it’s rolling quicker.”


I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a child, nevermind to lose a child in such a horrible way. Tremendous credit to Richard and Maureen Kanka for spearheading Megan’s Law, and even more credit for not stopping, some 23 years later.


Jeff Edelstein is a columnist for The Trentonian
This article ran on pages 1 &amp; 2 of the Sunday edition of the Trentonian newspaper and can be found online at:
http://www.trentonian.com/article/TT/20171118/NEWS/171119808",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-invites-governor-elect-murphy-discussion-tax,Congressman MacArthur Invites Governor-Elect Murphy to a Discussion on Tax Policy,2017-11-20,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom MacArthur sent a letter to Governor-Elect Phil Murphy inviting him to a substantive discussion on tax policy, after the Governor-Elect questioned the Congressman’s efforts to provide tax relief for New Jerseyans.
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Governor-Elect Murphy,
The day after you were elected, I was pleased to talk with you and agree to work together to improve the lives of New Jerseyans, while refraining from taking cheap political shots at each other. I thought we had a good conversation and remain hopeful we can have a productive working relationship. I was therefore, very disappointed by press reports that during your very first sit-down TV interview this past weekend, you chose to go after me over my sincere efforts to provide real tax relief for my constituents.
While you have promised to raise taxes on New Jerseyans by $1.3 billion dollars, the bill I voted for will cut taxes for the vast majority of families and businesses in our state. This bill includes a number of provisions that will benefit our residents including:
•              Increasing the child tax credit from $1,000 per child to at least $1,600
•              Creating a tax credit for those caring for non-child dependents
•              Doubling the standard deduction to $24,000 for a family  
•              Preserving a property tax deduction that will benefit all N.J. homeowners
•              Moving from a high-rate system with lots of loopholes that usually just benefit the wealthy, to a simpler, fairer system that lowers rates and closes loopholes     
Furthermore, I understand that state legislative leaders in New Jersey are already reconsidering their plans to raise taxes, which would be a welcome new direction for Trenton.
I have never shied away from a serious policy discussion and recently held a five hour town hall meeting in Willingboro, a town in which I only received 12% of the vote in the last election. In that same spirit of an open and honest dialogue, I'd like to invite you to my home county for a substantive discussion on tax policy. Let’s put the talking points aside and have a conversation about your plan to raise taxes in N.J. and my efforts for real tax reform in Washington D.C.  Our mutual constituents deserve nothing less. 
You have my cell phone number and should feel free to call me to discuss.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400766,"<span class =""kicker"">TrentonTimes/NJ.com News Article***</span>'Sex offenders get branded passports under International Megan's Law'",2017-11-18,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The effort to notify other countries about traveling sex offenders got more teeth recently when federal authorities started issuing passports to convicted pedophiles that identify their offender status.
It's a component of the International Megan's Law, a federal law sponsored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist., and signed by President Obama in February of 2016.
The bill was named for Megan Kanka, the 7-year-old Hamilton girl killed in 1994 by a convicted sex offender who lived on her street. Her name also is memorialized on the New Jersey community notification law passed shortly after her death, which has companion laws in all 50 states.

Sample of a sex offender's U.S. Passport. 

Smith and the Kanka family talked about the passport provisionFriday morning in Trenton, saying it's just the latest in a now 23-year cause to notify the world about sex offenders.
""Child predators thrive on secrecy - a secrecy that allows them to commit heinous crimes against the weakest and most vulnerable,"" Smith said.
""Now, this is another layer of protection,"" the congressman said of the new stamp offenders will get on their passports.
The international Megan's Law required the federal Homeland Security and Justice departments to inform foreign governments when registered sex offenders are visiting their countries, and to get reciprocal information when they come to the U.S.
Since then, Smith said, the law has led to the United States warning nearly 100 countries about 3,500 convicted pedophiles seeking to enter their country, and nearly 2,000 being denied.
""Others, and this is speculative, were likely given more scrutiny by law enforcement while in the country,"" Smith said.
The passport branding, though, was delayed until Oct. 31 of this year, when the State department started issuing them, Smith said.
A convicted offender, if they get a passport, will find this message inside: ""The bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor, and is a covered sex offender pursuant to 22 United States Code Section 212b(c)(l)."" 
Smith said it was Richard Kanka, in their numerous conversations about the legislation - which Smith first sponsored in 2008 - who brought up U.S. Passports.
""Passports, what are we doing with the passports?"" Smith quoted Kanka as saying to him repeatedly.

Kanka said he and his wife Maureen always knew the original Megan's Law was just one piece of an overall mission to protect children and inform the public. It's now a two-decade cause that has seen slow and down times, but has always moved forward.
""We were rolling, but now we're rolling quicker,"" Kanka said after discussing the passport identifier. ""We're excited because this is something's that's far overdue."" Also on hand for the announcement was retired state Sen. Peter Inverso, who sponsored the original Megan's Law. This article originally ran on page 1 of the Trenton Times on Sat. Nov. 18, 2017 and can be read online at: http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2017/11/megans_law_sex_offender_notification_cause_rolls_o.html",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400752,Smiths Law Results in Important New Protections for Children Against Predators,2017-11-17,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"A new passport identifier for convicted pedophiles will help protect children from pedophiles looking to travel abroad, possibly to abuse children, Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of legislation to create the identifier.  
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      A new passport identifier for convicted pedophiles will help protect children from pedophiles looking to travel abroad, possibly to abuse children, said Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of legislation to create the identifier.    
“Child predators thrive on secrecy—a secrecy that allows them to commit heinous crimes against the weakest and most vulnerable,” Smith stated at a press conference on Friday in Trenton, N.J., about the passport protections included in his International Megan’s Law, which had several other provisions aimed at protecting children.  

“We know from law enforcement and media documentation that Americans on U.S. sex offender registries are caught sexually abusing children in Asia, Central and South America, Europe—everywhere,” Smith said. “Again, we have a duty to protect the weakest and most vulnerable from abuse.” To read Smith’s full remarks, click here.  

The new passport protections from the U.S. State Department were mandated by Smith’s International Megan’s Law, which passed the House three times before finally being enacted in February of 2016.  

The law is named after Megan Kanka, a resident of Smith’s home town of Hamilton, N.J. who, at seven years old, was sexually assaulted and killed in 1994 by a repeat sex offender who was a neighbor, but whose offender status was unbeknownst to residents of the community.  

Smith spoke alongside Megan’s family, who have been fighting for legal protections for children from predators at the state, federal, and international levels. “This is a big step in trying to protect the children of the country and the whole world,” Rich Kanka, father of Megan Kanka, stated on Friday.  

“Megan was a wonderful little girl. She loved everybody,” Kanka said. Both he and Smith on Friday advocated for a version of Megan’s Law to be enacted in every country in the world.  “We have to stop the trafficking and the exploitation. I am here and I am not going anywhere,” Kanka said.  

Megan’s Law, originally passed in New Jersey, required public notification of convicted sex offenders living in an area. Now all 50 states have such laws protecting children against predators at home. International Megan’s Law was drafted to create a system of notification between countries so that foreign countries – as well as the U.S. – would know when a convicted sex offender is looking to enter their boundaries.  

Child predators have tried to evade detection when traveling, by misreporting the countries they are traveling to in naming their transit countries rather than their destination countries, Smith said.  

Now, as a result of Smith’s law, countries including the U.S. are being notified when convicted pedophiles seek to enter, and they are being turned back at the borders of the U.S. and these countries. The law empowers many of the destination countries for convicted pedophiles to turn them away or monitor them while they travel within their borders.  

According to Smith, the U.S. has been alerted by foreign countries of at least 100 of their convicted pedophiles trying to enter the U.S. Almost 100 other countries have been warned by the U.S. of over 3,500 convicted pedophiles trying to enter, and almost 2,000 convicted pedophiles from the U.S. have been turned away from their destination country since the law’s enactment.  

In addition to improving and speeding up this notification process, International Megan’s Law directed the State Department, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to set up an identification for passports of convicted pedophiles who are on states’ public offender registries, so that destination countries have another opportunity to screen pedophiles when they attempt to enter.  

According to a 2010 report by the Government Accountability Office, at least 4,500 U.S. passports were issued to registered sex offenders in FY 2008. There were 797,094 registered sex offenders in the U.S., according to FBI numbers from September 30th, and almost 17,000 offenders in New Jersey, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  

Now, U.S. passports of convicted pedophiles who are on a state’s public sex offender registry will be stamped with the identifier: “The bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor and is a covered sex offender pursuant to 22 United States Code Section 212 (c)(I).”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400765,"Churches, Synagogues One Step Closer to Receiving Disaster Assistance",2017-11-17,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Within the President’s $44 billion request on Friday to address ongoing hurricane recovery efforts is a critical provision that Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) has been fighting for since Hurricane Sandy. The Administration is supporting policies to enable houses of worship to be eligible for federal disaster relief, which is exactly what Smith’s bipartisan bill H.R. 2405, Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2017, calls for.
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      WASHINGTON— Within the President’s $44 billion request on Friday to address ongoing hurricane recovery efforts is a critical provision that Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) has been fighting for since Hurricane Sandy. The Administration is supporting policies to enable houses of worship to be eligible for federal disaster relief, which is exactly what Smith’s bipartisan bill H.R. 2405, Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2017, calls for. 
In a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Friday, requesting additional disaster assistance for FY 2018 for hurricane recovery efforts, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney stated:  

“In addition, the Administration notes its support for legislation that would make houses of worship eligible for disaster relief funding (provided they meet the other relevant criteria for private non-profit facilities) and offers technical assistance regarding the timeframe for applicability.”  

Smith thanked the Administration for recognizing the needs of churches and faith-based organizations.  

“I would like to thank the President for including this critical provision into his supplemental request. Faith-based organizations are hit just as hard as other private non-profits when natural disasters strike,” Smith said.  

“They don’t need or want special treatment—but to be totally excluded from recovery programs is unjust and unfair, and discriminatory based on religion. It’s ironic that churches, synagogues, and mosques are among the first to open their doors and serve victims of natural disasters—but also the first to be turned away from disaster assistance.”  

“This provision will go a long way to helping communities rebuild and recover,” Smith said.  

In October, Smith led a letter by members of Congress to President Trump, saying that FEMA’s policy toward houses of worship was “discriminatory” and “a violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.” Some churches may not be able to reopen without federal assistance, the letter stated, and thus time is of the essence for the Administration to help them.  

In the last 8 years, many churches, synagogues, non-profits, and other religious centers have been denied federal disaster relief because of their religious status, despite both severe—sometimes crippling—damage they may have sustained from natural disasters and essential services they provided to local disaster victims.   

“FEMA’s devastating policy must be changed quickly to provide aid for those currently in need, and so that it does not harm others in the future,” Smith and the other members of Congress stated in the letter.  

Yet FEMA’s policy of excluding religious groups from disaster relief is not prescribed by law. Smith’s bill would ensure that houses of worship and religious groups have equal access to disaster assistance as secular organizations.  

Smith introduced a version of that legislation in 2013—H.R. 592, the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2013—in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, as churches and synagogues in New York and New Jersey were not able to receive needed federal disaster relief. That bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House 354-72, was blocked in the Senate by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) on behalf of the Obama administration.  

A consortium of faith-based entities, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Republican Jewish Coalition, Christian Legal Society, Agudath Israel of America, the International Conference of Evangelical Christian Endorsers, and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America have come out in support of Smith’s policy proposal.  

There is precedent for this inclusive policy. After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Congress overruled FEMA’s policy of denying relief to churches damaged in the attack; after an earthquake in Seattle in 2002, FEMA was ordered by the Justice Department to grant assistance to local religious organizations which suffered damage.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-statement-on-sexual-harassment-in-congress,Lance Statement on Sexual Harassment in Congress,2017-11-16,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) released the following statement after a series of reports of sexual harassment by members and candidates for Congress:
“Sexual harassment is morally abhorrent and has no place in our society regardless of political affiliation.  Any member of Congress or candidate for Congress who admits to or has been credibly accused of it is not qualified to serve in public office.
“Congress should take the lead on this issue and pass Rep. Jackie Speier’s mandatory sexual harassment training legislation, which I am cosponsoring.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-statement-on-tax-vote,Lance Statement On Tax Vote,2017-11-16,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) released the following statement after opposing the tax reform plan that eliminated the state and local tax deduction. 
“I believe tax reform should benefit all Americans and not pick winner states over loser states.  Yet the House-passed proposal would negatively affect too many hard-working constituents and small businesses in my congressional district and many other parts of New Jersey.  That’s why leading business groups and elected officials across the Garden State oppose this tax reform as currently drafted.  We need tax reform that is fair for all Americans — including the taxpayers of New Jersey — and I will continue to work toward that goal.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/event/177th-fighter-wing-change-command-ceremony,177th Fighter Wing Change of Command Ceremony,2017-11-16,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"177th Fighter Wing Change of Command Ceremony                        
         	  Start: 
         	  November 19, 2017 2:30 pm
         	  End: 
         	    November 19, 2017 3:30 pm
         	   
         	           	    Location: 
         	      Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing,  Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
         	    
         	           	
                                          
              Nov 16, 2017",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/event/stocktons-stockhack-technology-innovation-event-opening,"Stockton's ""StockHack"" Technology Innovation Event",2017-11-16,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Start: 
         	  November 18, 2017 1:00 pm

         	  
End: 
         	    November 18, 2017 2:00 pm
         	   
         	           	    
Location: 
         	      Stockton University,  Galloway, New Jersey",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-statement-voting-no-tax-reform,LoBiondo Statement on Voting NO on Tax Reform,2017-11-16,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"LoBiondo Statement on Voting NO on Tax Reform                                           
              Nov 16, 2017      		        	    
      	            
                    
                                            
          
        
        
          
  
    
    
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today issued the following after his NO vote on H.R. 1, the “Tax Cuts &amp; Jobs Act”:
“When the House tax reform legislation was introduced, I said my support was dependent on preserving key deductions critical to taxpayers in my high-tax state of New Jersey. As hard-working South Jersey residents already face excessive taxes from Trenton, I cannot support compounding the financial burden by eliminating their state and local income tax deductions, capping their property tax deductions, and removing deductions for medical or education expenses. While I support reforming and simplifying the tax code, my NO vote today was in the best interest of my constituents.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/macarthur-statement-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act,MacArthur Statement on The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,2017-11-16,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON –Today, Congressman Tom MacArthur voted in favor of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is the first meaningful overhaul of America’s tax code in 31 years. He specifically discussed his successful efforts to restore the deductibility of property taxes, which led to a compromise that benefits all property owners in South Jersey.  
The average homeowner in Burlington and Ocean Counties respectively pay $6,682 and $6,102 in property taxes annually, and the amended tax bill allows a deduction of $10,000, while also completely eliminating the AMT, which has trapped increasing numbers of working families.
Congressman MacArthur explained, “Our tax code hasn’t been updated in 31 years—it’s outdated, over-complicated and needs to change. It burdens working Americans with sky-high rates and is filled with special loopholes that benefit the favored few.  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act puts an end to this. It provides real relief for families and businesses—by simplifying the tax code, reducing rates, doubling the standard deduction, providing tax credits for childcare and care of adult dependents, and eliminating the AMT that has trapped working families.”
 “I came to Washington, D.C. to get things done and work to improve the lives of my constituents, not walk away from tough fights. Months ago, some in my own party wanted to eliminate the state and local tax deduction, which would have had a devastating impact on the overburdened taxpayers in New Jersey. After months of negotiations with The White House and House Leadership, I was able to successfully restore the property tax deduction, which will benefit all South Jersey property owners.” 
“In the end, we built consensus, got results, and working families will reap the benefits, while enjoying significant rate cuts on their income taxes.”
""Congressman Tom MacArthur has worked tirelessly to ensure property tax deductions are included in our tax reform plan,” said Chairman of the  House Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Kevin Brady. “I appreciate his leadership as we work to pass historic pro-growth tax reform.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400747,"Smiths End Tropical Diseases Act Marked Up in Committee, Will Move to House Floor for Vote",2017-11-15,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) bill, The End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act (H.R. 1415), was adopted by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday morning, moving it one step closer to the House Floor for a vote. 
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      Congressman Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) bill, The End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act (H.R. 1415), was adopted by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday morning, moving it one step closer to the House Floor for a vote. 
“H.R. 1415 deals with a group of seventeen parasitic, bacterial, and viral diseases which blind, disable, disfigure, and sometimes kill victims from among the more than one billion of the world’s poorest people,” Smith, chairman of the House global health subcommittee, stated on Tuesday.  

“These diseases trap the most marginalized communities in a cycle of poverty,” Smith said. “H.R. 1415 will support the control and elimination of NTDs [natural tropical diseases] in the U.S. and abroad.”  

The End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act would improve the U.S. response to NTDs like Ebola, rabies, leprosy, and other blinding and disabling diseases afflicting  over one billion of the poorest people in the world in the tropical regions like in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.  

Outbreaks of some of these diseases have also been reported in the U.S. and other developing countries as of late. And they have, in the past, shown an ability to spread and threaten to become pandemics like with the Ebola and Zika viruses, and now with a plague outbreak in Madagascar.  

Smith’s bill would try improve efforts by USAID to respond to these diseases, and would seek to bring together efforts by various federal agencies and aid programs to develop and distribute medicines to treat NTDs.  

“This legislation emphasizes field research by USAID on the impact of treatments that helps future application of often lifesaving medicines,” Smith said.  

The bill would also call on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to support centers of excellence for NTD research, training, and treatment.  

Experts have testified that these diseases are “the most important diseases you never heard of,” affecting almost all of the world’s poorest  which, if left untreated, can keep them in poverty.  

“These diseases not only can keep children from attending school and their parents from working, they also cause excessive bleeding by mothers during birth and result in low birth weight babies,” Smith said.  

“The most common NTDs can be controlled and eliminated with the application of low-cost donated medicines. However, there is still much work to be done to prepare for currently unknown diseases that may appear on the international scene and to reach the World Health Organization’s control and elimination goals by 2020.  To achieve these goals, heightened support is needed now from both new and longstanding partners.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400748,Smith Awarded for 20 Years of Fighting Trafficking,2017-11-15,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) received the Lifetime Pathbreaker Award from the anti-sex trafficking group Shared Hope International on Wednesday, for his work over the span of two decades in fighting human trafficking. 
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      Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) received the Lifetime Pathbreaker Award from the anti-sex trafficking group Shared Hope International on Wednesday, for his work over the span of two decades in fighting human trafficking. 
“We used to think that trafficking was something that primarily happened to foreigners in the U.S., and now we know that it can happen to any vulnerable person, of any age, of any nationality,” Smith, co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus, said in his remarks Wednesday upon reception of the award.  

“The wheels of justice turned slowly over the last 20 years, but they have carried us to a place in the United States and internationally where the fight against human trafficking cuts across political parties and borders, national and international institutions. What started with the effort of a few has become the cause of many,” Smith said.  

The Lifetime Pathbreaker Award is given by Shared Hope International to defenders of trafficking victims who have fought against apathy or inaction on the injustice. Smith was honored for originally being a “lone voice” on human trafficking while many others were unaware of the extent of the problem.  

Linda Smith, founder and president of Shared Hope International, lauded Smith as a visionary in the fight against human trafficking, noting that “if there hadn’t been a vision of this man, we would not be standing here today.”  

“The heart of Chris Smith is what is being carried on in this movement,” she said before presenting Rep. Smith with the award.  

Smith was also honored for authoring and sponsoring the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), the first law that clearly defined the problem of human traficking. He has since authored three additional anti-human trafficking laws, including the International Megan’s Law which became law last year and established further safeguards against registered sex offenders seeking to travel, and who have convictions for sex crimes against children.  

“We already are seeing very good fruit” from that law, Smith said, noting that he has just received reports that over 1,600 sex offenders have been turned away from entering countries because of the law. Because of the law’s provisions, countries, when notified that an offender is seeking to enter their borders, can either turn such people away or monitor them closely.  

Smith also introduced the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017, which authorizes over $520 million over four years for trafficking prevention and prosecution, and victim assistance. It also encourages hotels to implement training and trafficking prevention programs, and strengthens the State Department’s ability to hold foreign countries accountable on trafficking.  

Yet despite greater awareness today of the problem of trafficking, “the work continues,” Smith said. “It will never stop.” He noted that there are still 25 million labor traffickers and 5 million sex trafficking victims, numbers which are “not encouraging.”  

He lauded Shared Hope International as a group that “has made such a difference” as a “game-changer” on fighting trafficking.  

To read excerpts of Smith’s remarks, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-menendez-booker-statement-va-ig-report-death-charles-ingram-iii,"LoBiondo, Menendez, Booker Statement on VA IG Report on Death of Charles Ingram III",2017-11-15,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02) along with the offices of U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today were briefed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of the Inspector General (IG) on its findings and recommendations regarding the death by suicide of Charles Ingram III at the community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC) in Northfield in March 2016. The lawmakers requested the IG investigate the incident to determine potential failures in VA procedures and to make corrective recommendations. The full report is available here.
 “The IG’s report clearly details systematic failures at the Northfield clinic that contributed to the horrific death of Charles Ingram. While a different outcome is not known had procedures been properly followed, we do know that Mr. Ingram’s death served as a wake-up call to the VA for its years of neglect to South Jersey veterans,” said LoBiondo. “In the past 18 months the VA has made measurable progress to rebuild a trust with our veterans through increased services, proactive outreach and expanded care in our communities. However, maintaining that relationship is a mission that will never end and I will not let them forget.”
“Sadly, this IG report confirms what we have learned from our veterans about the operations and management of the Northfield CBOC,” said Sen. Menendez.  “Our veterans and their families should not have to worry whether or not VA procedures and systems are working properly.  I am appreciative of the leadership of Dr. Adelman who took over supervision of our CBOCs to address these failures.  While progress is being made to improve delivery of care for our veterans, I will continue to hold the VA to the highest standards of accountability for our veterans.”
“Today’s report makes clear that important policies and procedures weren’t followed in the lead-up to Charles Ingram’s death last year,” said Booker. “Ingram’s death was a tragedy that shook us to the core and reminded us of what’s at stake when it comes to providing care for veterans suffering from mental health issues. I appreciate the VA’s response to our request and the efforts undertaken to produce an account of the circumstances surrounding Ingram’s death. Today’s report outlines clear recommendations for improvement and I’ll be monitoring their implementation closely with my New Jersey colleagues in Congress.”
In response to Mr. Ingram’s death, the lawmakers held a press conference in May 2016 in Northfield to outline immediate changes they demanded, including the hiring of more than a dozen additional medical and administrative staff and removal of the Wilmington VA Medical Center’s oversight of the South Jersey CBOCs (Northfield, Cape May and Vineland). At this time the South Jersey CBOCs remain under stewardship by the VA under the direct supervision of the VISN (Veterans Integrated Service Network) 4 Director.
The previous leadership team in Wilmington was subsequently removed or restricted and three (3) Veterans Community Outreach Specialists have also been hired for South Jersey. Vince Kane was named the new Director of the Wilmington VA Medical Center in May 2017 with the support of LoBiondo, Menendez and Booker.
“We fully support Vince and his team’s approach to expanding community-based services and proactive engagement with South Jersey veterans. After years of neglect and run-arounds by the previous Wilmington leadership, we are encouraged by the measurable progress made on the ground at both the CBOCs and through more than 400 service provider agreements. We will continue to work closely with Dr. Adelman and Vince Kane on fulfilling the promises made to South Jersey veterans, including a new CBOC with expanded care in Cape May County in 2018,” concluded LoBiondo, Menendez and Booker.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-macarthur-s-statement-national-flood-insurance-program,Congressman MacArthurs Statement on National Flood Insurance Program Reform,2017-11-15,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman MacArthur released the following statement after the House voted to the pass the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) reform package:
Over five years ago, Superstorm Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore.  Ocean County - my home - was the epicenter of the storm and half of all NJ Sandy flood claims happened here. Families across South Jersey are still dealing with the devastating effects of Superstorm Sandy, in part because of the incompetence and mismanagement of FEMA and it’s contractors.
At the start of this Congress, I sought a seat on the Financial Services Committee so I would have the opportunity to reform the National Flood Insurance Program and ensure Jersey Shore residents won’t have to face this situation again. The NFIP is critical for Americans who face destruction after a natural disaster, but it is certainly not flawless.
During the rough and tumble of this process, I fought successfully for a long-term reauthorization that ensures that every coastal resident and business has access to the flood program at affordable rates, increases investment in mitigation and instills more accountability at FEMA. I am particularly pleased that I was able to add bill language prohibiting FEMA from hiring disbarred attorneys, a bizarre practice during the Sandy claims review process.  
The people whose lives were torn apart by Sandy are hard-working Americans and I’ll never stop fighting for them.  I’m grateful the House of Representatives came together on a bipartisan basis and voted to protect and reform this vital program.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/macarthur-applauds-passage-nation-s-defense-bil,MacArthur Applauds Passage of Nations Defense Bil,2017-11-15,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman MacArthur today applauded the final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018:
Our nation’s defense bill will provide our troops with the tools and resources they need to defend our country both at home and abroad, while also strengthening the future of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and thousands of New Jersey jobs.
The NDAA will increase the size of our military, rebuild our military facilities, and increase our missile defense funding to protect our homeland and ensure the readiness of our troops around the world.  It also honors our troops and their families by giving them the largest pay raise in 8 years and providing permanent payments to surviving military spouses. Our servicemen and women, and their families sacrifice so much for our freedom and we have a moral obligation to care for them.  
Importantly, the NDAA provides Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst with $146.5 million for construction that will support the new KC-46 refueling tankers. These tankers will ensure Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst remains our nation’s premier air mobility installation and protects the livelihood of the over 42,000 New Jerseyans who are employed at the base. I fought to secure the tankers for JB MDL, along with many of colleagues, and am grateful our hard work paid off. 
Supporting our military and protecting our country should never be a partisan issue and I’m glad members of both parties were able to come together and support this vital legislation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400750,"<span class =""kicker"">News Transcript Article on Smith Announcement</span>'Navy halts plan to let civilians live on base'",2017-11-14,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"By MARK ROSMAN, Managing Editor - The U.S. Navy has abandoned a plan that would have permitted civilians to live in housing on Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County. Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) announced that after nearly a year of negotiations with high-ranking officials of the Navy, the Pentagon has cancelled plans to open housing on NWS Earle to non-military personnel.  The Navy's plan to permit civilians to live in rental housing on an active base drew sharp criticism from municipal, county and state officials when it was initially announced.  ""I want to thank the Navy for the commitment they made nearly a year ago at a meeting in my office to hear our concerns and to conduct their own due diligence in pursuing the issues we raised about security, safety and other impacts their plan could have had on ojur communities,"" said Smith, who represents Colts Neck, Tinton Falls and other communities surrounding the base. ""They remained true to their word and as good neighbors they are taking their own actions to address their excess housing capacity without burdening the community and local taxpayer,"" he said.  Smith credited former and current Navy officials for their professional approach to community objections to the plan, according to a press release.  He said that in December 2016, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy Dennis McGinn instituted a 60-day suspension of the housing plan after a meeting in Smith's Capitol Hill office with Navy officials, Smith, state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) and Colts Neck Committeeman (now mayor) Russell Macnow.  At that meeting, Smith also presented the concerns of Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry and a detailed letter from Tinton Falls Board of Education President Peter Karavites and Vice President Bill Holobowski, according to the press release. Smith noted that the 60-day suspension was stretched to nearly a year in which regular discussions continued, the Navy studied the suitability and capacity requirements for housing on the base, and made internal adjustments to attract more military personnel to the units.  Some of the changes made by the Navy include offering units to single sailors and offering financial incentives for military families to live on the base, according to the press release.  After being informed of the Navy's decision, Macnow shared the news with residents, saying, ""Colts Neck is relieved the Navy saw the wisdom in denying its housing contractor the option of renting on-base housing to unaffiliated civilians.  ""Colts Neck has steadfastly maintained that the security concerns engendered by allowing unaffiliated civilians to reside on the base far outweighed any potential benefit.  ""We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Congressman Smith and Sen. Beck for working tirelessly to assure the continued safety of the residents of Colts Neck and surrounding communities, as well as the men and women of the United States armed forces who live and work on the base every day,"" Macnow said.  Smith added, ""After many months of a detailed review process that included base visits, study and meetings, Steven Iselin, the acting assistant secretary for installations, advised that he and his boss, the new Secretary of the Navy, Richard Spencer, remain mindful of the concerns of the community and have initiated discussions with the housing partner to begin the process of reducing the inventory.""  ""I am particularly grateful to ASN Iselin and his team, as well as Capt. Pierre Fuller, commander of NWS Earle, and his predecessor Capt. Steingold, for their hands-on approach and their decision to put community concerns above a private contract that, in this particular case, has outlived its usefulness,"" Smith said.  In an October 2016 letter to McGinn, Smith said the proposal to open up base housing was ""fraught with security concerns, as well serious challenges to local systems"" such as schools and emergency services. Smith said given the fact that ""our nation has been exposed to numerous national security threats in the homeland since the original signing of the lease agreement (with a third party)... it is evident this type of housing venture is no longer practical and in fact a security risk here at Earle.""  Commenting on the Navy's decision, Beck said, ""We used every tool in our toolkit to express our concerns that allowing civilians to rent housing on NWS Earle, an active ammunition depot, would create unnecessary security risks for our community. "" Beck said the on-base housing at issue will still be available to active duty military personnel, retired military personnel and veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-backs-defense-bill-0,Lance Backs Defense Bill,2017-11-14,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) released the following statement after the U.S. House passed the conference report of the National Defense Authorization Act:
“The world is a dangerous place and the brave Americans who step forward to protect the United States and our allies need support, compensation and the tools to do the job.  This legislation authorizes the critical missions to confront emerging threats and enables the U.S. to remain a global force for good.  And it includes a significant pay raise for our men and women in uniform.  As we conclude Veterans Day weekend we are reminded that our Nation counts on the volunteer service of those willing to protect our country.  We must give them the tools to defend themselves and maintain American military superiority.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-applauds-approval-national-defense-authorization-act-includes-priorities,LoBiondo Applauds Approval of National Defense Authorization Act includes Priorities for South Jersey,2017-11-14,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, today applauded passage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which sets national security priorities for the upcoming year including increasing collaboration between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Defense Department on unmanned aerial systems – research conducted at the FAA Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township.
“Congress is finally heeding the concerns of President Trump and our military leaders to stop the degradation of our defense readiness. Today, in light of the growing threats both domestic and from abroad, we begin to reverse course to ensure those charged with protecting our homeland are given the resources they need to succeed,” said LoBiondo. “In South Jersey I have continued efforts to expand the physical footprint and operational capabilities of the 177th Fighter Wing base since joining the House Armed Services Committee. Through this legislation and over the next year, I will continue to work with the men and women at the 177th to ensure they have all the resources they need to successfully complete their vital homeland security mission.”
Building on past success, the FY18 NDAA plans for modernization of the radar for F–16 fighter aircraft across the National Guard. LoBiondo previously secured $40 million for the research and development of the active electronically scanned array radar (AESA) systems to replace the existing 1970s technology. The new radar system helps to better detect the evolving threat picture, identify new potential threats that current technology cannot, and allow greater capabilities to the Air National Guard F-16 fleet for national security efforts. Aircraft that perform the Aerospace Control Alert (ACA) mission are receiving the upgrades including the 177th Fighter Wing, which is slated to receive their AESA radars in 2019.
Other key provisions included in the FY18 NDAA conference report are:
 Annual report on personnel, training, and equipment needs of non- federalized National Guard in response to natural and man-made disasters, and,
  Improved employment assistance for members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps and veterans by requiring the Defense Department to create a database for sharing unclassified information that allows military training be transferred into civilian equivalent certifications for potential employers, including commercial driver’s licenses.
 The FY18 NDAA also authorizes a 2.4 percent pay raise for all members of the uniformed services effective January 1, 2018, and includes a provision prohibiting an additional base realignment and closure (BRAC) round. The House approved the bill 356 to 70, sending it to the U.S. Senate for final approval.
 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-votes-against-efforts-drastically-increase-fees-flood-insurance-policyholders,LoBiondo Votes Against Efforts to Drastically Increase Fees on Flood Insurance Policyholders in South Jersey,2017-11-14,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – With a region still recovering from Superstorm Sandy, U.S. Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today vowed to continue to fight against drastic increases to flood insurance premiums for South Jersey policyholders.
LoBiondo spoke on the House floor prior to passage of the “21st Century Flood Reform Act” which he strongly opposed. The video of his remarks is available here and speaks for itself.
Recalling the difficulty in negotiating with House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) during the 2014 debate on flood insurance, LoBiondo anticipated “hand to hand combat”. The House Financial Services Committee approved a series of bills, labeled the “21st Century Flood Reform” in June. Objecting to several key provisions, LoBiondo and a coalition of Republican coastal lawmakers were able to force three substantial changes prior to today’s vote:
 Restarting the grandfathered rate elimination claim count at zero (not including past flooding incidents);
  Eliminating the prohibition on new coverage for structures with high-value replacement costs; and,
  Restricting the elimination of insurance coverage for multiple-loss properties only if claims paid out exceed 3x the value of the structure (Previously the provisions kicked in at 2x the value of the structure).
 To address LoBiondo’s remaining issues with the package, he filed an amendment with Representative Peter King (NY-02) with the House Rules Committee earlier this week that would have additionally:
 Lowered cap on premiums for primary residences from $10,000 to $5,000;
  Eliminated consideration of coastal and inland locations to justify premium rates;
  Eliminated an opt-out mechanism for mandatory coverage requirement on commercial properties; and,
  Reduced the potential for sanctions against communities with repetitively flooded areas by increasing threshold to 100 percent repetitive loss communities only.
 The House Rules Committee rejected LoBiondo and Kind’s amendment, scheduling a floor vote for today. LoBiondo announced his opposition immediately.
Below is the timeline of LoBiondo’s involvement in negotiating with Hensarling and House Republican Leadership, specifically Majority Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01) prior to the vote. Staff continuously met throughout:
 May 2017: Negotiations with House Financial Services Chairman Hensarling and Housing Subcommittee Chairman Duffy begin.
  July 2017: LoBiondo along with Representatives King, Garret Graves (LA-06) and Steve Palazzo (MS-04) sent a letter to House Republican Leadership expressing the lack of support from Republicans for Hensarling’s Committee-approved package. Twenty-six (26) Republican members signed the letter.
  September 2017: A 90-day extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) approved by Congress. New deadline for reauthorization is December 8th.
  October 2017: LoBiondo and King along with Representatives Cedric Richmond (LA-02) and Ted Deutch (FL-22) send a bipartisan letter to House Republican Leadership urging a straight-forward increase for the NFIP borrowing authority in the wake of the 2017 hurricane season. Twenty-nine (29) members sign on.
  November 2017: Scalise-Hensarling deal struck regarding grandfathered properties and repetitive loss communities. While supporting those changes, LoBiondo, King and other coastal lawmakers remain opposed to the bill as a whole and mobilized Republican members against the bill.
 The legislation – the “21st Century Flood Reform Act” – passed the House today 237 to 189. Subsequently LoBiondo urges the Senate to reject the legislation and approve a straight-forward two (2) year reauthorization of existing law.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400738,"Smith Speaks at Preview of Exhibit Commemorating Genocide Victims, Survivors",2017-11-13,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) spoke on Sunday at the preview and ribbon cutting of a new exhibit commemorating the victims and survivors of three different genocides, at the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights &amp; Genocide Education (Chhange).
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      Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) spoke on Sunday at the preview and ribbon cutting of a new exhibit commemorating the victims and survivors of three different genocides, at the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights &amp; Genocide Education (Chhange).
The exhibit, “Journeys Beyond Genocide: The Human Experience,” is housed on the campus of Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, NJ. It is a dynamic exhibition featuring powerful testimonies of local Holocaust and genocide survivors, and showcases their archival items.  Over 100 people attended the VIP preview of the exhibit, which covers three previous genocides: the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi people in Rwanda.  

“The promise of the genocide convention remains unfulfilled,” said Smith, who in 2000 held the first-ever U.S. hearing on the Armenian Genocide of 1915, as part of an attempt to pass a Congressional resolution recognizing the atrocities committed against the Armenians as a genocide.  “The goals of the genocide convention of 1948 are to prevent and punish genocide.  Prevent.  We have failed.  We need to do more,” Smith said on Sunday.  

He went on the say that, “It is my hope that exhibits such as this will educate and hopefully sensitize more and more people, including our young people, to realize that they have a stake in this.”  

The Center for Holocaust, Human Rights &amp; Genocide Education at Brookdale Community College was founded in 1979. It seeks to educate students and residents in the area about the history of genocide and human rights, and has previously hosted genocide survivors as volunteers and as speakers.  

“We do not study the past because we love old things. We study the past because it can serve as a compass to help us understand the world in which we live today, and to navigate our way to the world to which we seek to give shape,” Dr. Debórah Dwork, Rose Professor of Holocaust History at Clark University and Founding Director of the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, stated. “Journeys Beyond Genocide: The Human Experience is just such a compass.” Dr. Dwork helped put the exhibit together.    


Included among the intimate reflections and personal items on display at the exhibit is a quote that Smith made on April 12, 2015, at the opening of Chhange’s 100th anniversary commemorative exhibit on the Armenian genocide.  

“Genocide is the most terrible crime a people can undergo, or another people can commit. It must never be forgotten–to forget it would be to dull our consciences and diminish our own humanity. The campaign to deny this [Armenian] genocide. . .keeps the Armenian genocide a burning issue and prevents much needed healing of old wounds. . . .We must write and speak the truth so that generations to come will not repeat the mistakes of the past.  

Only 20 Nations around the world have recognized the Armenian Genocide. That includes Canada as well as eleven EU countries. . . . Conspicuously absent from the list of nations that have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide is the United States of America. . . .When political leaders fail to lead or denounce violence, the void is not only demoralizing to the victims but silence actually enables the wrongdoing. . .History has taught us that silence is not an option. We must do more.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400746,Congressman Smiths Statement on the Tax Bill,2017-11-13,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Smith’s statement on H.R. 1, the tax bill under consideration in the House this week:
While I believe Americans are overtaxed and need relief, I must vote “no” this week on the tax bill, H.R. 1, because of its negative impact on both my State and my congressional district.   
Almost half – 47% ‒ of the taxpayers in my district itemize, claiming an average of $31,981 in deductions.  

The elimination – even modification – of the state and local tax deduction (SALT) will significantly increase taxes for many. That’s unacceptable, and reason enough to oppose the legislation. Making matters worse are other provisions in the legislation that nullify or significantly scale back numerous well-crafted deductions including the medical deduction – utilized by 40,000 taxpayers in my district, largely the elderly and disabled, with an average deduction of $9,254 – as well as deductions for student loans, education, property damage, and mortgages, among others.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/reps-huffman-and-lobiondo-introduce-bipartisan-bill-reauthorize-national-sea-grant,Reps. Huffman and LoBiondo Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize National Sea Grant College Program,2017-11-13,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) today introduced the National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act, bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National Sea Grant College Program through 2023. The Sea Grant program, first established in 1966, guides the federal government's collaboration, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with a network of states and universities on important research into issues facing America’s oceanic, coastal, and Great Lakes resources.
     “Building resilient coastal communities and economies is critical to families in my district who depend on sustainable coastal ecosystems, and that’s why the Sea Grant program is so vital,” Huffman said. “Through my work with the Sea Grant program in Congress and in California, I have seen firsthand the impacts and results of NOAA’s Sea Grant research. I’m grateful to Rep. LoBiondo for joining in this bipartisan effort to save the Sea Grant program and allow these Sea Grant experts to find solutions to the problems facing our coastal resources.”
     “For coastal communities in South Jersey and across the nation, a better understanding of the ecological and economic impacts of rising sea levels and climate change is critical. Sea Grants are an outstanding example of how public-private partnerships can better assist communities in long-term planning. I have long supported the Sea Grant program and am pleased to join with my colleague Rep. Huffman on this bipartisan legislation,” said LoBiondo.
     The bill would advance the long-running program’s capability to train generations of coastal and ocean scientists and to address regional and national issues in partnership with states, universities, researchers, and local resource managers. The legislation would also require that the Sea Grant fellows are equitably distributed, to the maximum extent practicable, among political parties and both chambers of Congress.
     In 2016 alone, the program reported $575 million in economic impact, a 907% return on the federal investment of $67.3 million. Additionally, Sea Grant’s work has created or sustained 2,900 businesses and 20,770 jobs.
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http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400723,Chairman Smith Opening Statement at Hearing on Political Crisis in Democratic Republic of the Congo,2017-11-09,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) gave the following opening statement at a hearing he chaired today entitled “Resolving the Political Crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” held by the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Human Rights: 
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was supposed to conduct elections one year ago this month in order to achieve the required transition of political power by December 19.  However, after years of stalling on making preparations for elections, the Government of the DRC failed to hold elections last year and relied on a constitutional provision that President Joseph Kabila could not step down until an election was held to select a replacement. 
This interpretation is in apparent contradiction to other constitutional provisions requiring elections to be held on time and limiting Kabila to two terms.  The election commission has just announced that elections cannot be held until sometime in late 2018, with an inauguration in early 2019.  The prolonging of the Kabila regime has ratcheted up tensions in the country. 
Polling has indicated that a majority of Congolese want the Kabila government to end and be replaced by a transitional government until a new one can be elected.  
Enduring conflict hotspots in eastern DRC have seen recent flare-ups, while new hotspots have emerged in previously relatively stable areas, such as the central Kasai region and southeastern Tanganyika province. The conflicts in Kasai and Tanganyika alone have caused the displacement of nearly 2 million people since mid-2016, giving DRC one of the highest rates of human displacement in the world. Political unrest in urban centers, a string of large prison breaks, and violent attacks in Kinshasa by members of a religious sect that has declared itself in opposition to Kabila have further contributed to worsening insecurity. 
The conflict in Kasai, which reportedly was first sparked in 2016 by the murder of a traditional leader by state security forces, has become a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, featuring severe atrocities and the widespread recruitment and abuse of children.  Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC at one time saw violent activity by two dozen militia groups and an out-of-control national army, resulting in the systematic rape of about 50 women and girls each hour.
This hearing is intended to look at possible solutions to a political stalemate that could very well lead to further violence and upheaval in a large African country bordering on nine neighbors.  It follows a successful resolution on DRC that I introduced and was passed by the House last year and new legislation that Ranking Member Bass and I are introducing soon.
We understand that there are no easy solutions to the current crisis in DRC.  A negotiated transition likely could be achieved if President Kabila were convinced that neither he nor his family would be prosecuted for human rights violations or corruption.  However, that would reward them for abusing their citizens and plundering the country’s resources, and that is even if members of his government were not covered.
A palace coup might take place to oust Kabila.  That is not unknown in the DRC.  Kabila’s father, Laurent Kabila, was assassinated in office in 2001.  Mobutu Sese Seko, who the elder Kabila had overthrown, had himself overthrown an elected government in 1965.  He was chased from power and fled into exile in 1997.  However, a coup would not support international efforts to instill democratic practices in the DRC and could lead to protracted in-fighting and national chaos.
The status quo, as detailed earlier, is already leading to growing violence and will not lead to a peaceful solution the longer a transition is delayed.  In fact, it is more likely that violence could escalate and spill over into neighboring countries as did conflict in 1996-97 and 1998-2003.
Over the past year, we have heard many promises by the Government of the DRC about when elections would be held.  There have been several dates given for when voter registration would be completed during this past year.  The current government timetable calls for voter registration to extend to a point at which elections couldn’t be held in the DRC until late 2018 with an inauguration early in 2019. That would mean that Joseph Kabila would have had an extra half-term in office, when the constitution precluded him from going past December 2016.
Consequently, we will today hear from the State Department on our government’s diplomatic efforts to resolve the transition stalemate and the U.S. Agency for International Development on our government’s programs on the ground to promote democracy and free and fair elections.
Our second panel today consists of scholars and activists who can give us their informed suggestions on how we can break this political stalemate and prevent more bloodshed in the DRC.
Again, no solution will be easy or without cost, but non-action would have an even higher cost in human lives.  That we must not tolerate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400724,New Jersey Hospital Association Names Smith Legislator of the Year,2017-11-09,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), along with fellow New Jersey Reps. Leonard Lance (R) and Frank LoBiondo (R), was named a Legislator of the Year by the New Jersey Hospital Association on Friday, at the association's Fall Membership Luncheon in Princeton, NJ.
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      Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) was named a Legislator of the Year by the New Jersey Hospital Association on Thursday. 
Smith, along with fellow New Jersey Reps. Leonard Lance (R) and Frank LoBiondo (R), was honored by the association at its Fall Membership Luncheon in Princeton, NJ for his support for affordable health care access for everyone, and in particular his vote to protect Medicaid during this last round of health care reform in Congress. Approximately 150 CEOs, hospital trustees, government relations officers, and others from the state of New Jersey were in attendance.  

In his speech accepting the award, Smith thanked the association for its work and advocacy on health care reform and ensuing quality health care for all.  

Below are excerpts of Smith’s remarks on receiving the award:  

Thank you for this award.   

But more importantly— thank you! NJ Hospital Association – for your extraordinarily effective advocacy, timely dissemination of accurate and critical information and admonishment to do what is right especially during the most recent healthcare reform debate.  

Thank you—for crunching the numbers and sweating the details to ensure that all potential health care consequences, pro and con, are truly understood—before we vote. So, when bad outcomes follow bad laws, you are justified in saying I told you so.  

As a member of congress for 37 years, I have always respected and relied on NJHA recommendations.  

As Chairman and founder of several congressional caucuses including autism, Alzheimer’s, Lyme disease, and now the Heart and Stroke caucus, I especially appreciate and admire your mission – and the noble work – ­you and members of the association undertake.    

As prime author of major federal laws to assist persons with disabilities including autism, I am especially grateful for NJHA’s commitment to quality, accessible and affordable health care—for all.  

As Chairman of the Global Health Committee, I have seen the lack of fundamental healthcare—and hospitals in particular – in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.  That contrast, makes me even more grateful for all that you do to preserve wellness and to heal.  

Finally, I am confident that together we will meet the challenges ahead – and they are significant—from work to protect Medicare; the imputed floor; disproportionate share hospitals; and 340b drug pricing.  

Congratulations to Cathleen Bennett as she takes over as President and CEO of the NJHA and best wishes and thanks to Betsy Ryan for her tenacious work on behalf of NJ’s patients and hospitals.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400726,"<span class =""kicker"">***Slide Show of Hearing w State Dept, USAID, NGOs***</span>Smith Chairs Hearing on Political Crisis in Democratic Republic of the Congo",2017-11-09,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a crisis of widespread violence and political instability–including delayed elections–which, if not addressed, could spread to surrounding countries, witnesses testified today at a hearing held today by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), chair of the House subcommittee on Africa.
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      The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a crisis of widespread violence and political instability because of continually delayed elections, which, if not addressed, could spread to surrounding countries, witnesses testified today at a hearing held today by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa.
Smith said the DRC government has tried to legitimize current President Joseph Kabila remaining in power after his constitutionally-mandated two-term limit, by claiming that the constitution also states that the president cannot leave office before a successor has been elected. Polls have shown that a majority in the country want the current Kabila government to be replaced by a temporary, transitional government until the next election. With the postponement of elections has come political turmoil and violence in a country with already-existing conflicts.  The DRC borders nine other countries in the heart of Africa, and broadening conflicts could threaten to destabilize the region.  

“The conflicts in Kasai and Tanganyika alone have caused the displacement of nearly two million people since mid-2016, giving DRC one of the highest rates of human displacement in the world,” Rep. Smith said. “Political unrest in urban centers, a string of large prison breaks, and violent attacks in Kinshasa by members of a religious sect that has declared itself in opposition to Kabila have further contributed to worsening insecurity.” Click here to read Smith’s opening statement. The event was covered live by CSPAN. Click here to watch the video of the hearing: https://www.c-span.org/video/?437055-1/hearing-focuses-political-crisis-congo  

Acting Assistant Secretary Donald Yamamoto of the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State was the lead-off witness to testify before Smith’s subcommittee on Thursday.  

“A democratic transition of power, which can only come about through genuinely free and fair elections, is essential for the Congolese people, the African sub-region, and U.S. strategic interests across the continent,” he said. Read Yamamoto’s testimony here.  

 Also testifying was U.S. Agency for International Development Acting Assistant Administrator Bureau for Africa, Cheryl L. Anderson.  


“USAID has maintained a long-term relationship with the DRC and its people since the country became independent in 1960,” Anderson told the panel. “With its vast mineral wealth, the country has tremendous opportunity for economic growth that could lift its citizens out of poverty and propel it into middle-income status. Instead, protracted political uncertainty is fueling violence and instability, and prevents the realization of the country’s full potential.” Click here to read Anderson’s testimony.  

In November of 2016, the DRC was supposed to hold elections to begin the lawful transfer of political power. After years of postponing preparations, the government failed to hold the elections in 2016 even though constitutional provisions required them to be held on time.  

According to the country’s election commission, elections are now scheduled for December 23, 2018. Yet tensions within the country have risen even further due to mistrust of the government’s promises on elections.  

“Congolese government and CENI (election commission) officials have blatantly disregarded previous election calendars, while Kabila and his ruling coalition have largely ignored the main terms of the Catholic Church-mediated power sharing arrangement signed on December 31, 2016, which called for elections by the end of 2017 and a number of measures to de-escalate tensions and open political space,” said Ida Sawyer, the Central Africa Director at the non-governmental group (NGO) Human Rights Watch. “Kabila has instead sought to entrench his hold on power through corruption, large-scale violence, and brutal repression against the political opposition, activists, journalists, and peaceful protesters.” Click here to read Sawyer’s testimony.  

Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, testified about Kabila’s role in the instability.  

“The responsibility for the suffering of the Congolese people rests with one man, Joseph Kabila, which he shares with a small and shrinking cadre of associates and family members. Over the last 16 years, this group has captured the State with total impunity at the expense of the people,” Dizolele said. “The Kabila regime has been characterized by looting, plunder and deadly violence. We have tolerated this for too long. It is time for a new leadership. Kabila must go.” Click here to read his testimony.  

Fred Bauma, a human rights activist for the Lucha (Lutte pour le Changement) Movement, shared how he was jailed for 17 months by the Kabila government for demonstrating in favor of a free election.  

“Since September 2016, almost 150 peaceful demonstrators have been killed while hundreds more were arrested or kidnaped by security forces and many of them remain in jail on trumped-up charges,” Bauma told members of the subcommittee. Meanwhile, government officials have hired gangs to harass or even arrest members of the political opposition, he said. “These groups have been responsible for severe human rights violations in many places in DRC, and work tightly with the national police and the Congolese intelligence service. At the same time, journalists are harassed, media outlets are shut down,” Bauma said. Click here to read Bauma’s testimony.  

The crisis threatens to spread to surrounding countries. Yet Séverine Autesserre, a political science professor at Barnard College, Columbia University, told the subcommittee that the crisis in the DRC is much broader than delayed elections. Autesserre said that elections and legitimacy are important, but to concentrate exclusively on the political crisis in Kinshasa is to waste the opportunity to tackle other, more pressing issues.  

“There are actions that Congress can take to help resolve the ongoing crisis in Congo. Congress should acknowledge that local conflicts are an essential cause of violence and that democracy and peace do not necessarily arrive together. I also recommend legislation that increases the United States’ support to local and bottom-up peacebuilding and places local actors in the drivers’ seat,” Autesserre said. Click here to read her testimony.  

“No solution will be easy or without cost, but non-action would have an even higher cost in human lives. That we must not tolerate,” Smith said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/macarthur-leads-bipartisan-letter-urging-census-bureau-include-lgbt-data,MacArthur leads bipartisan letter urging Census Bureau to include LGBT data in census,2017-11-09,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C. – Congressman MacArthur today urged the Director of the Census Bureau to provide their reasoning for not including demographic questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in the upcoming census and to reconsider that decision.
On March 28, 2017, the U.S. Census Bureau notified Congress what subjects it planned to include in the upcoming surveys. These subjects included the familiar topics: gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, and homeownership status. Absent from this list of important demographic subjects are sexual orientation and gender identity.
MacArthur was joined by Representatives Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Annie Kuster (D-NH), Charles Dent (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), John Katko (R-NY), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), and Donald Beyer (D-VA) in this request.
Garden State Equality and American Unity Fund have both expressed support for this letter. “It seems almost too obvious that LGBT data should be included in the census,” said Christian Fuscarino, Executive Director of Garden State Equality. “Our community is heavily affected by the policies and programs that go through Congress, and it is unethical for these decisions to be made without knowing the size of sexual orientation and gender identity related demographics. In short, we don’t count unless we are counted. We encourage this push for LGBT inclusion and commend Congressman MacArthur and his fellow representatives for helping to create a more equal nation.”
“As Members of Congress work to improve the lives of their constituents, it’s critical that we have the most accurate data available about our country’s makeup,” said Congressman MacArthur. “Unfortunately, we still don’t have any official data on the size of the American LGBT community. I urge the Census Bureau to include this data in their next census so that Representatives will have a better understanding of how laws and programs will impact LGBT Americans.”
“I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan letter urging the Census Bureau to include sexual orientation and gender identity as subjects in the 2020 Census and American Community Survey,” said Congresswoman Rice. “The federal government must have accurate, inclusive data on all demographic groups to properly allocate federal resources and best serve LGBTQ Americans. This is a common-sense step that deserves bipartisan support, and I’ll continue working with Congressman MacArthur to make it happen.”
 
“The census is an important tool to ensure that federal, state, and local governments have accurate data when enacting public policy decisions that will impact the lives of millions of Americans,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “It’s critical that the LGBTQ community is accurately represented in the census so that lawmakers can make decision that will benefit and support all their constituents. I urge the census bureau to reverse its decision to not include sexual orientation in the data it collects in the 2020 census.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400710,Smith Delivers Remarks on Alzheimers Caregiving at Capitol Hill Briefing,2017-11-08,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, and among the many events organized to raise awareness about this disease and the need for more support for patients and caregivers was a briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by a coalition of non-government organizations dedicated to improving treatments and one day finding a cure for Alzheimer’s.
The event, sponsored by the Gerontological Society of America, the AARP in partnership with the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Alliance for Caregiving, accomplished exactly this in highlighting personal stories of caregiving by members of Congress. Members shared their family’s own experience with caring for a loved one battling Alzheimers.
Rep. Chris Smith, the founding co-chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, updated the group on legislation he is championing to assist caregivers, and then delivered the following remarks on his experience in caring for his mother who struggled with signs of Alzheimer’s and with brain cancer:
In 1996 my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer and with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, and lived with my family for almost a year.
Despite having broken hearts over her ordeal—brain surgery at UPenn, a long recuperation and mental confusion—we absolutely cherished her living with us.
My wife Marie—the primary caregiver—was a saint.
Nothing was too much for Marie, including 24/7 monitoring—and a baby monitor in her room and ours—ensuring the timely and accurate taking of medicine, doctor visits and reassurances that, “Mom you are not a burden, we love you and there is no other place on earth we would want you to be than with us.”
We had many sleepless nights. Twice EMT was called for medical emergencies. The brain cancer eclipsed the progression of Alzheimer’s, so the tell-tale forgetfulness was still in the early stage.
During one emergency hospitalization at Fox Chase, my mother looked up at us and said: “I thought I was lost and you would never find me.”
When she went to a Hospice, my wife, brothers and I were with her around the clock. 
My mother had a strong faith in God and always put family first.
She was a successful businesswoman and along with my dad—a WWII combat veteran—founded and ran their own small business. She had a penchant for math and numbers—and did all the books—but in the final year had trouble writing a check.
My mother’s extraordinary faith, love, goodness, empathy for others and courage during this crisis inspire my family and me to this day.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400711,"Smith and Colleagues Stand with Healthcare Heroes, Call for Conscience Protection Act to Become Law",2017-11-08,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"In a press conference today at the House Triangle, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Diane Black (R-TN), Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and other members of Congress called for the enactment of the Conscience Protection Act in the forthcoming end-of-year spending bill. 
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      In a press conference today at the House Triangle, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Diane Black (R-TN), Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and other members of Congress called for the enactment of the Conscience Protection Act in the forthcoming end-of-year spending bill. 
“It is an honor and privilege to join these “nurses of conscience” who believe that abortion kills children and harms women and stood up for their beliefs at the risk of great personal sacrifice and injury – loss of job, demotion, or other forms of retaliation” said Smith, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. To read Smith’s complete statement click HERE.  

Members were joined by three nurses who have been subject to coercion by their employers to participate in abortions.  

Fe Vinoya was one of 12 nurses at the Same Day Surgery Unit in University Hospital in Newark, NJ who were threatened with the loss of their jobs if they did not participate in abortion. “After years of working as a critical care and emergency room nurse, I never imagined that the hospital I worked for would force me to choose between taking the life of an unborn child and losing my job,” Vinoya said.  “I became a nurse to help people, not to do harm.”  

Sandra Mendoza lost her job at the Winnebago County Health Department in Rockford, IL, after 18 years of service when she didn’t agree to participate in abortion. Mendoza said, “While we may not all agree on abortion, I’d hope we can all agree that no doctor or and nurse should be forced out of employment on account of their faith and commitment to protecting life.”  

Cathy DeCarlo had served five years at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York before she was compelled by her supervisor to participate in a late abortion. She said, “I’ll never forget that day as I watched in horror as the doctor dismembered and removed the baby’s bloody limbs, and then I had to account for all the pieces… I never thought in America I would be forced to violate my conscience in this way.”  

The Conscience Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Diane Black (H.R. 644), was included in the consolidated appropriations package that passed the House in September of this year. This bill would give victims of abortion discrimination, such as Cathy DeCarlo, Fe Vinoya and Sandra Mendoza, the ability to defend their rights in court.  President Trump has committed to sign the Conscience Protection Act into law.  

Reps. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Andy Harris (R-MD), Keith Rothfus (R-PA) and Brian Babin (R-TX), joined Congressman Chris Smith, Congressman Diane Black and Senator James Lankford at the press conference.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400714,Smith Introduces Bill to Heighten Review of Acquisitions of    	U.S. Money Transfer Companies by Chinese Firms,2017-11-08,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Chinese government’s efforts to steal sensitive personal and financial data, most recently from U.S. government employees and particularly those with security clearances, is a national security concern and the reason Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced legislation (H.R. 4235) to strictly review efforts by Chinese companies to acquire U.S. financial service firms specializing in money transfer or other forms of payment.       
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      The Chinese government’s efforts to steal sensitive personal and financial data, most recently from U.S. government employees and particularly those with security clearances, is a national security concern and the reason Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced legislation (H.R. 4235) to strictly review efforts by Chinese companies to acquire U.S. financial service firms specializing in money transfer or other forms of payment.       
“Protecting the personal privacy of U.S. military service members and Federal employees has to be a national security priority, particularly as Chinese firms are expanding efforts to acquire U.S. financial services companies” Smith, co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, stated.  

“The hacking of the electronic files at Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Equifax exposed sensitive personnel and financial information of U.S. government employees, providing Chinese and other foreign intelligence agencies information that could be used to target Federal workers with security clearances. The U.S. government must look more closely at proposed acquisitions of U.S. financial services companies for their national security implications,” Smith said.                     

H.R. 4235 authorizes a full review of the acquisitions of U.S. financial services companies by Chinese-owned firms, or those that are primarily based in China and require a report to Congress and the President about the implications of such acquisitions on the national security and economic interests of the United States.    

The bills also requires investigating potential threats to the sensitive personal and financial data of “United States military service members or Federal employees or contractors with security clearances” who use money transfer or other forms of payment.  The review would also examine whether the Chinese government limits U.S. domestic corporations to invest in financial services inside China.   

Smith has urged the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United State (CFIUS) to strictly scrutinize the proposed acquisition of MoneyGram by the Chinese firm Ant Financial, which reportedly has a record of lax security of customer data and deep cooperation with the Chinese government and Communist Party.  (Link to WSJ op-ed).   

“The U.S. is a great place for foreign investment, but we should not be fooled into thinking that Chinese firms are free of Chinese government control and oversight,”  said Smith, who also held a hearing in 2013 on Chinese hacking and cyberattacks on U.S. businesses. “This is true of Ant Financial and other major tech firms in China. The U.S. should scrutinize Chinese investment rigorously for its impact on our economic future and national security.”  

NWS Earle and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst are military facilities based in Smith’s home district, and are home to military personnel and security contractors. As MoneyGram is used by many military personnel, and which operates several locations near both bases, sensitive personnel data of MoneyGram customers could be affected if the company is acquired by Ant Financial.  

“MoneyGram is the world’s second largest financial services firm with millions of U.S. customers, a disproportionate number of whom are U.S. military personnel,” Smith said.  “This legislation is designed to safeguard sensitive personal information and to protect individuals, especially and including our service personnel, when they send needed monies to their loved ones.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400715,Smith to Hold VA Claims Clinic in Lakewood,2017-11-08,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"In conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) will hold a VA Claims Clinic on Friday, November 17. Veterans, service-members, and their dependents can obtain important information there about their VA benefits.
“I am committed to protecting veteran’s benefits and programs, and to helping ensure that the brave men and women who have defended our country and those who are serving our country today, continue to have access to the resources and care that they deserve,” said Smith.    

“We have a duty to make sure that these needs – whether they be housing for homeless vets, compensation and treatment for serious injuries sustained in service, or VA health care funding – are met,” Smith said.  

Smith is a two-term chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. He authored the landmark 2001 Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act, as well as a dozen other bills signed into law advancing healthcare, education and homeless benefits for U.S. veterans and their families.  

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Harley-Davidson of Ocean County, 300 Highway 70, Lakewood, NJ.  

At the event, veterans can ask questions one-on-one with representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and learn more about VA benefits including compensation, vocational rehabilitation, employment, and education.   

The New Jersey State Veterans of Foreign Wars recently named Congressman Smith its Legislator of the Year in 2015, and he has received numerous national awards from Veteran organizations such as the national Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and more.  

For more information about the November 17 VA Claims Clinic, please call Jennifer Myers at 973-297-3384 or the Smith Constituent Service Center nearest you:  

 
Monmouth County Constituent Services Center  
112 Village Center Drive, Second Floor  
Raintree Shopping Center  
Freehold, NJ  07728  
phone (732) 780-3035 Ocean County Office  
405 Route 539 (Pinehurst Road)  
Plumsted, NJ  
p (609) 286-2571, or (732) 350-2300 Hamilton District Office  
4573 South Broad Street   
Hamilton, NJ 08620  
phone (609) 585-7878",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400716,Smith Leads Bipartisan Letter to President on Human Rights in Vietnam,2017-11-08,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"As President Trump begins a two-day visit to Vietnam on Friday, Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) today released a letter urging the President to address Vietnam’s “dismal human rights record” by making any expansion of U.S. economic and strategic cooperation contingent upon concrete improvements in human rights. The bipartisan letter was signed by 20 Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives, including Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
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      As President Trump begins a two-day visit to Vietnam on Friday, Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) today released a letter urging the President to address Vietnam’s “dismal human rights record” by making any expansion of U.S. economic and strategic cooperation contingent upon concrete improvements in human rights. The bipartisan letter was signed by 20 Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives, including Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“For too long Vietnam has gotten a free pass on human rights,” said Smith, chairman of the House panel on global human rights. “Diplomats are so focused on the fact that Vietnam is ‘not China’ that this oppressive police state is granted trade and security benefits without condition.”  

“President Trump has a real opportunity to bring about tangible reforms in Vietnam if he links better U.S.-Vietnam relations to tangible human rights improvements. This will be warmly welcomed by the Vietnamese people who want the U.S. to be a voice for freedom—because their voice is silenced,” Smith said.  

The letter included a list of 105 known religious and political prisoners and urged the President to raise specific cases, such as those of human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai, Buddhist leader Thich Quang Do, blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh and others from Vietnam’s diverse religious and ethnic communities—Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Khmer Krom, Montagnard, Hmong, Hoa Hao and Cao Dai. Read the letter here.  

Smith raised the case of Nguyen Van Dai and other political prisoners with the White House before the scheduled trip.   

Last year, Smith held a hearing with Vu Minh Khanh, Nguyen Van Dai’s wife, who urged the then-Obama Administration to raise the case of her husband. Nguyen Van Dai is one of the most courageous advocates for religious freedom and human rights in Vietnam; he has been beaten and detained now without charge for too long.  He should be immediately released.  Smith first met with Nguyen Van Dai on a trip to Vietnam in 2005.  

U.S. interests in a better business climate, fairer trade, a free internet, investor confidence, and civil society development are all directly related to improving Vietnam’s dismal human rights record and improvements in the rule of law.  Failing to press for real and concrete improvements in these areas underestimates U.S. leverage in discussions, and will disappoint the Vietnamese youth.  It should be clear by now that Vietnam needs the U.S. markets and security commitments much more than the U.S. needs Vietnam’s markets and security cooperation.”  

Smith is the co-chair of the bipartisan Vietnam Human Rights Caucus.  He has chaired over a dozen hearings on human rights and rule of law conditions in Vietnam.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=1534,Jobs Growing at the Port of New York and New Jersey,2017-11-07,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Jobs Growing at the Port of New York and New Jersey  WASHINGTON, D.C -- A recently released study indicates that container traffic at the Port of New York and New Jersey jumped 24 percent, bringing with it a corresponding increase in jobs, individual and business revenue and local, state and federal tax revenues. Other cargo sectors were increased during the study period of 2014 – 2016. One of the primary enablers of this surge in commercial activity undoubtedly is the now-completed 20-year Harbor Deepening Project, funded by the Appropriations Committee.  “Our Port is the economic engine for northern New Jersey,” said Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11), the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “Ninety percent of global trade moves by ship, so I made it one of my highest priorities in Congress to ensure the Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest on the East Coast, remains the most attractive destination for international trading partners.  This study shows that our efforts are paying off for our state!”  Through his work as the only New Jersey member of the Appropriations Committee and past Chairman of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, Frelinghuysen secured hundreds of millions of federal dollars for the Harbor Deepening Project since its authorization in 1997.  By dredging the main channel to a depth of 50 feet and raising the deck on the Bayonne Bridge, the Port can accommodate the newest container ships, which sail along the U.S. East Coast now that the upgraded Panama Canal has opened to the world’s largest ships.   According to the report, compiled jointly by the New York Shipping Association and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, the Port accounted for nearly $8.5 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue last year and supported more than 400,000 jobs, up 20 percent over the two-year study period.  Port businesses and agencies employ 229,000 workers and support another 171,000 indirect jobs. The jobs include longshoremen, truckers, shipping clerks, mechanics, warehouse workers, tug boat operators, police and inspectors, and others.  In addition, the port industry was responsible for $25.7 billion in personal income and $64.8 billion in business income, up 21 percent for the period.  According to the report, New Jersey accounted for the greatest number of port jobs with 200,350 and total jobs with 344,470. The state also was responsible for the bulk of the taxes generated by the port industry with nearly $7 billion in federal, state and local revenue, which included more than $2.2 billion in local and state taxes and $4.8 billion in federal taxes.  “The Harbor Deepening project was a great example of how creative forward thinking and public-private partnerships can provide benefits for our region for years to come,” said Frelinghuysen. “We’re beginning to reap real rewards.”  -30-  Read a summary of the report here: http://nysanet.org/wp-content/uploads/PressReleaseNYSAEconomicImpactStudyV02.pdf",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-letter-to-sec-mattis-is-background-check-info-being-reported,Lance Letter to Sec. Mattis: Is Background Check Info Being Reported?,2017-11-07,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHNGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today sent a letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis requesting the U.S. Department of Defense commission a comprehensive review of agency compliance with reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).  The Lance letter comes as reports suggest the perpetrator in the shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas was court-martialed by the Air Force for domestic violence.  The Air Force failed to report the domestic violence conviction to the NICS system.  Under federal law, that conviction should have stopped the purchasing of the guns he acquired. 
“I request that you commission a comprehensive review of the entire Department of Defense to ensure any similar actions do not go unreported and that all future instances are properly reported.  We all must remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure that firearms stay out of the hands of individuals deemed unfit to possess them by federal law,” Lance wrote.
Lance has long supported the NICS system – being one of a minority of Republicans in Congress to vote to increase funding for the system and strengthen the system to ensure states and other entities are complying.  The NICS system successfully completed over 23 million background checks last year.  Had the court-martial conviction been reported by the Air Force, the NICS system may have flagged the potential purchase.  
“We all must remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure that firearms stay out of the hands of individuals deemed unfit to possess them by federal law,” Lance concluded.    
FULL LETTER TEXT:
The Honorable James N. Mattis
U.S. Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1000
 
Dear Secretary Mattis:
I, like all Americans, was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas this past Sunday.  I struggle to comprehend such horrific actions.
I was equally disturbed when I learned that this event could have been prevented due to existing federal law.  During my time in Congress, I have been a strong supporter of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), regularly supporting increased funding for the program.  It is my understanding that the Air Force failed to report the shooter’s domestic violence court-martial to the appropriate authorities.  Adequate reporting would have precluded the shooter from legally purchasing a firearm.
If that is the case, I request that you commission a comprehensive review of the entire Department of Defense to ensure any similar actions do not go unreported and that all future instances are properly reported.  We all must remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure that firearms stay out of the hands of individuals deemed unfit to possess them by federal law. 
I appreciate your time and consideration of my letter.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-statement-on-congressman-frank-lobiondo,Lance Statement on Congressman Frank LoBiondo,2017-11-07,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) released the following statement after Congressman Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02) announced his retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives:
“Frank has been a tremendous leader for the State of New Jersey and will continue to fight for the Garden State until his term ends next year.  From his time in Trenton to representing southern New Jersey in Congress, Frank always put the needs of the State and the Nation first.  He is someone whose judgment and counsel I always trust.  Heidi and I wish him and Tina great success in the future.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-statement-2018-election,LoBiondo Statement on 2018 Election,2017-11-07,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today issued the following announcement:
“Today I announce I will not seek reelection in 2018.
“I am sincerely humbled by the trust and responsibility the voters of New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District placed in me. I am deeply appreciative of the lifetime friendships I have made across the 8 counties I represent. I am forever grateful to my talented and dedicated staff that have worked in the Washington and Mays Landing offices over the years.
“As a freeholder, Assemblyman and now Congressman I always looked for solutions that produce real world results built upon cooperation and partnerships. People before politics has always been my philosophy and my motivation. Regrettably, our nation is now consumed by increasing political polarization; there is no longer middle ground to honestly debate issues and put forward solutions.
“As expected, there will be those who wildly speculate about my choice without any basis in fact. My decision is not health-related as I am in good health and continue to maintain a full schedule.
“My decision is not electoral. Throughout my career I have always made my constituents and the interests of my district my top priority, therefore I am very confident voters would again reelect me.
“As I am term-limited as Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee and in my position on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, now is appropriate time to leave. Furthermore, as some of my closest colleagues have also come to realize, those of us who came to Congress to change Washington for the better through good governance are now the outliers. In legislating, we previously fought against allowing the perfect to become the enemy of the good. Today a vocal and obstinate minority within both parties has hijacked good legislation in pursuit of no legislation.
“From day one I have always put South Jersey first and people before politics, giving 200 percent to representing our interests while promoting our way of life. From increasing veterans’ services and strengthening the footprint of our homeland security bases to growing our aviation industry and protecting our tourism-based economy through beach replenishment projects, I am immensely proud of the record I have accomplished. Helping people and constituent services is the most rewarding part of public service.
“For a boy who grew up on a farm in Rosenhayn and looked to his father as a role model of how to do the right thing for the right reason, it has been a privilege to be South Jersey’s voice in Congress. I have always been focused, committed and determined to represent the people of South Jersey with honor and respect. The truly remarkable, caring and thoughtful people I have had the opportunity to meet, work alongside, and represent are the most rewarding gift that I will always remember and cherish.
“My wife Tina and I are looking forward to the next chapter of our lives in South Jersey.”
 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400707,Smith Re-Introduces Kevin and Avontes Law to  Help Protect Children with Autism and Seniors with Alzheimers,2017-11-06,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"A bill authored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) to help protect wandering children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and elderly Alzheimer’s patients has been re-introduced in the House. 
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      A bill authored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) to help protect wandering children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and elderly Alzheimer’s patients has been re-introduced in the House. 
Kevin and Avonte’s Law, H.R. 4221, would fund programs and technology that are critical to preventing the wandering of those with Alzheimer’s and Autism. Smith introduced it during the 114th Congress and it passed the House with broad bipartisan support, receiving over 340 votes. The bill was not acted on in the Senate; Smith re-introduced it on Thursday.  

The law re-authorizes the Missing Americans Alert Program, and directs the Department of Justice to award grants to eligible law enforcement and public safety agencies and non-profit organizations to set up programs to prevent wandering. The programs could be educational, or they could include funding for non-invasive tracking technology for those who wander. It is supported by the National Autism Association, the Alzheimer’s Association, Autism Speaks, Autism New Jersey, the Autism Society, the National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children, SafeMinds, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.  

“Wandering is one of the most concerning challenging behaviors for individuals with ASD [autism spectrum disorder],” Dr. Suzanne Buchanan, executive director of Autism New Jersey, stated. “This behavior presents safety risks including drowning, getting struck by traffic, falling from a high place, dehydration or worse. In recent years, accidental drowning after wandering accounted for 91 percent of total U.S. deaths reported in children with ASD ages 14 and younger.  

“Parents of children who have wandered away, and caregivers who have temporarily lost Alzheimer’s patients, understand the importance of proper education and training,” Smith said. “Current wandering prevention programs have proven effective, according to local law enforcement, but they need more funding.”  

Wandering is one of the biggest problems facing children with Autism or adults with Alzheimer’s, and their guardians or caregivers.  

An estimated 60 percent of Alzheimer’s patients -- and, according to a 2012 Pediatrics study, almost half of children with Autism -- have wandered from their caregivers at some point. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, half of Alzheimer’s patients who wander will suffer serious injury within 24 hours if they are not found.  

A report by the National Autism Foundation released earlier this year found that, from 2011 to 2016, almost a third of missing-person cases of those with autism resulted in death or required medical attention.  

“This behavior presents safety risks including drowning, getting struck by traffic, falling from a high place, dehydration or worse. In recent years, accidental drowning after wandering accounted for 91 percent of total U.S. deaths reported in children with ASD [autism spectrum disorder] ages 14 and younger,” Dr. Suzanne Buchanan, executive director of Autism New Jersey, stated.  

Yet the Pediatrics study also noted that of the parents of those children who wandered, only half of them had received education or training on how to help best prevent future occasions of wandering.  

Autism affects 1 in 41 children in New Jersey, up 12 percent from 2014 to 2016.  

“Many, many family and friends of children with Autism sacrifice their valuable time and resources to assist their loved ones. We must ensure they have as much support as possible,” Smith said.  

Alzheimer’s Disease is also a pressing public health issue. 5.5 million Americans suffer from this debilitating disease, with the number of fatalities doubling in the last 14 years. Of the ten leading causes of death in the U.S., it is the only one that cannot be cured or prevented.  

It is also the most expensive disease in the U.S., and the cost is only expected to rise. The cost of care for Alzheimer’s and other dementias is estimated to exceed $250 billion, and could rise to more than $1 trillion by 2050.  

“As the number of Alzheimer’s patients is expected to multiply in the coming decades, we must increase funding for vital research and education on how to help patients and their caregivers cope with it. This has become a moral imperative,” Smith said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400708,Smith to Host Press Conference on Conscience Protection Act,2017-11-06,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) will host a press conference Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. on the Conscience Protection Act of 2017, which would uphold the conscience rights of health care providers, religious charities, and churches who are being forced to participate in or provide coverage for abortions. 
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      Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) will host a press conference Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. on the Conscience Protection Act of 2017, which would uphold the conscience rights of health care providers, religious charities, and churches who are being forced to participate in or provide coverage for abortions.  

Nurses who have been forced, against their religious beliefs, to participate in abortions at hospitals will also be present alongside members of Congress to tell their own stories of fighting against discriminatory health care policies, and to advocate for the passage of the Conscience Protection Act. Current federal law does not sufficiently protect the conscience rights of health care professionals and others.  

The act originally passed the House in 2016, and has been re-introduced in the House. Supporters are hoping to pass it as part of the appropriations bill for the 2018 fiscal year. It would bar the federal government, and any state and local governments that receive federal funding, from taking action against persons or organizations in the field of health care who conscientiously object to performing, paying for, or participating or assisting in any health procedure they find to be morally objectionable.  

      
Who:               Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus
                        Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01), member of GOP Doctors Caucus and the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus
                        Other members of Congress
                        Cathy DeCarlo 
                        Nurse, forced against her religious beliefs to participate in late-term abortion
                        Sarah Mendoza
                        Nurse, threatened with loss of her job for refusing to assist with an abortion
 
What:              Press Conference on Conscience Protection Act
 
When:             Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017 10 AM
 
Where:            House Triangle (located outside the U.S. Capitol building on the House side)",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400709,"<span class =""kicker"">House hearing on DRC set for Thurs. Nov. 9th</span>State Dept., USAID, Academia & Human Rights Advocates to Testify on Elections in the DRC",2017-11-06,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The challenges facing the people and the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will be the topic of a hearing entitled “Resolving the Political Crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” set to be held Thursday by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), chairman of the House subcommittee on Africa and global human rights.      “The government of Joseph Kabila delayed the required 2016 presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in which he was forbidden by the constitution to run for reelection. Since then, his government has continued to bog down preparations for an election to replace him, which now is being predicted for no earlier than 2019,” said Smith. “This hearing is intended to gather suggestions from the State Department, USAID and private sector witnesses on how to overcome the current transition stalemate in the DRC.” Who: Chairman Smith (NJ-04), Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations; other members of the Committee, and:
       Witnesses:
                        The Honorable Donald Yamamoto  
                        Acting Assistant Secretary  
                        Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State                         Cheryl Anderson
                        Acting Assistant Administrator  
                        Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development                         Mvemba Dizolele
                        Professorial Lecturer in African Studies  
                        School of Advanced International Studies  
                        Johns Hopkins University                           Fred Bauma
                         Representative  
                        La Lutte pour le Changement                          Severine Autesserre
                         Professor of Political Science  
                        Barnard College  
                        Columbia University                          Ida Sawyer
                         Central Africa Director  
                        Human Rights Watch
What:              House hearing with State Dept., USAID and NGOs on the political crisis in the DRC.
When:             Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017 9 AM
Where:            Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2172 (first floor)",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-backs-chip-renewal-extending-medicaid-in-puerto-rico,"Lance Backs CHIP Renewal, Extending Medicaid in Puerto Rico",2017-11-03,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) voted yes today to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through fiscal year 2022.   Lance has supported the Children’s Health Insurance Program since his first days in Congress.  Lance also secured passage of the HELP Puerto Rico Act, legislation he authored with Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, that would provide $1 billion in funding to Puerto Rico’s Medicaid funding.  The HELP Puerto Rico Act passed as part of CHIP bill.
“This legislation accomplishes the very important goals of reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program, community health centers and extending critical resources for Medicaid in Puerto Rico.  One of the first votes I cast in Congress was for CHIP - creating a fiscally responsible health program that now serves 8.5 million children in the United States.  And I continue to support community health centers and the work they do for underserved areas like Dover and Somerville, New Jersey.  We also cannot forget about the many families and children in Puerto Rico who also benefit from the Medicaid program.  That’s why I am teamed up with Resident Commissioner González-Colón to make sure low-cost federal health care continues to be made available to our American children in Puerto Rico,” said Lance.   
Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón praised passage of the Lance provisions.  “I thank Congressman Leonard Lance for listening to my concerns and working together on this authorization.  Achieving this authorization this week is a great relief in the course of all the work we have been carrying out on the one hand for the island’s recovery after Hurricane María and at the same time on the other to keep pushing in D.C. for inclusive treatment for Puerto Rico,” said González-Colón.
Lance’s Energy and Commerce Committee took the lead in reauthorizing the CHIP program this year as well as federally-supported community health centers.  CHIP is an important safety net program that provides health care to lower-income children and federally qualified health centers collectively serve more than 22 million patients in more than 9,000 communities in every state and territory.  Lance and González-Colón worked together to make sure the legislative package also addressed the Puerto Rico Medicaid program and ensured authorization for nearly $900 million in funding until the end of 2019.  An additional $120 million may be provided if steps are taken to reduce Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse.  Medicaid continues to provide critical health care delivery needs for the citizens of Puerto Rico and the program is under significant financial strain as the Commonwealth recovers from Hurricane Maria.  Lance and González-Colón’s bill gives Puerto Rico financial certainty to continue providing critical services through the Medicaid program.  As of June 2015, 1.7 million people are enrolled in the Medicaid and CHIP program in Puerto Rico.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=1532,Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen statement on proposed tax reform bill:,2017-11-02,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"“Now that the House Ways and Means Committee has released its proposed tax reform bill, I look forward to evaluating its details to determine the legislation’s effect on my New Jersey constituents.    “As always, I invite residents of my district to let me know what they think.”  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-statement-on-tax-plan-proposal,Lance Statement on Tax Plan Proposal,2017-11-02,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Leonard Lance,L000567,lance.house.gov,,,legacy,"Lance Statement on Tax Plan Proposal
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) released the following statement after the release of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act:
“I commend Speaker Ryan and Chairman Brady for their hard work and efforts.  There is much to like in the legislation but the proposed cap on deductibility of state and local taxes makes the bill unacceptable at this time.  Eliminating or rolling back state and local tax deductibility will hurt New Jersey’s hard-working middle-class families and our state economy.  I am going to continue to negotiate on the issue.  We have made some progress but more needs to be done.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-statement-tax-reform-bill-introduction-house,LoBiondo Statement on Tax Reform Bill Introduction in House,2017-11-02,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"LoBiondo Statement on Tax Reform Bill Introduction in House                                           
              Nov 2, 2017      		        	    
      	            
                    
                                            
          
        
        
          
  
    
    
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02) today issued the following statement regarding the introduction of the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” in the House of Representatives:
“President Trump rightly continues to push Congress to reform our tax code, which will spur economic growth and allow most Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money. The bill introduced today preserves tax-free 401k contributions and charitable deductions which are critical to many Americans. However, the elimination of state and local income tax deductions and the $10,000 cap on property tax deductions would be detrimental to New Jersey residents. Thus this bill is not something I could support in its current form. I am working with my fellow New Jersey and New York colleagues on a counterproposal to preserve these deductions and truly make this reform a net positive for the residents of South Jersey.”
 
# # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=1531,"Thornberry, Frelinghuysen Journey to Middle East, Visit the Troops",2017-11-01,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) and the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry (TX-13) have returned to the United States from Iraq following a weekend visit to the Central Command area of operations.  Thornberry and Frelinghuysen met with key military leaders and troops.   Thornberry and Frelinghuysen are charged with Congressional oversight of the United States’ efforts to defeat the terrorist threat and support countries in the region that share our values and goals. Thornberry’s panel sets policy for the Department of Defense and Frelinghuysen’s panel funds operations of the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community.  The purpose of the trip was to conduct oversight and explore policy, strategy, and funding issues associated with the deployment of U.S. and Coalition forces in the region.  Oversight included examination of regional dynamics, threat trends, military-to-military cooperation with coalition partners, counterterrorism efforts, U.S. force posture in the region, and resource requirements.  They also visited with U.S. Marines in Beirut, Lebanon and soldiers in Baghdad, Iraq among other locations.  -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/macarthur-s-veterans-legislation-introduced-senate,MacArthurs Veterans Legislation Introduced in Senate,2017-11-01,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman MacArthur applauded the introduction of The Fairness for Korean DMZ Veterans Act in the Senate by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS).
This legislation, which was originally introduced in the House by Congressman MacArthur, expands the time frame of eligibility for disability compensation for veterans who served at or near the Korean DMZ and are suffering from herbicide-related conditions.  Currently, that time frame is between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971. This legislation will change the eligibility date to September 1, 1967 for these veterans, allowing them to receive the health care they have earned.
The Fairness for Korean DMZ Veterans Act has gained bipartisan support from many Senators who serve on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, including Senators John Tester (D-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
The legislation has been supported by both the VFW and the American Legion. The VFW estimates that hundreds of veterans would be helped by this change.
“I’m grateful that Senator Moran is introducing The Fairness for Korean DMZ Veterans Act in the Senate,” said Congressman MacArthur. “As the son of a Korean War veteran and Representative of more than 50,000 veterans, I originally introduced this bill in the House because I believe we have a moral obligation to provide quality care for our veterans. This bill will ensure hundreds of veterans who served at the Korean DMZ that are suffering from Agent Orange and other herbicide-related conditions finally receive the care they deserve.”
“Many veterans who served in the Korean DMZ during the Vietnam War are suffering from significant health conditions associated with exposure to toxic herbicides, and some of these veterans are still excluded from qualifying for the healthcare benefits they need,” said Senator Moran. “The Fairness for Korean DMZ Veterans Act would help more Korean DMZ veterans have access to critical healthcare benefits they have been previously denied. I am grateful to again work with Sen. Tester on this vital issue and encourage my colleagues to support this legislation so we can finally resolve this issue and Korean DMZ veterans can begin receiving the benefits they deserve.”
“When service members deploy to harm’s way and are exposed to toxic chemicals, our country has a responsibility to meet their health care needs,” said Senator Tester. “This bipartisan bill recognizes the sacrifice of Korean DMZ veterans and ensures they have access to the services they have earned.”
“The VFW is proud to stand with Congressman MacArthur in support of veterans who served on the Korean DMZ prior to April of 1968 and now suffer from adverse health conditioned associated with exposure to Agent Orange,” said Ken Wiseman, Associate Director of National Legislative Service for the VFW.  “Those veterans, from several Army units, supported our Korean allies and their service has caused health problems which must not be ignored. This legislation would properly recognize the earlier time period that Agent Orange was used and, in turn, clear the hurdles that veterans have faced when securing their earned benefits from VA.”
“The VFW has received an outpouring of evidence from our members proving that an earlier date is merited. We have seen where individual veterans have successfully argued for earned benefits with the support of detailed witness statements but only after a lengthy appeals process. Our national convention has passed resolutions in support of this change for several years. Changing the start date through legislation will fix this problem once and for all and Congressman MacArthur’s leadership on this issue helps Korean DMZ veterans received the recognition and benefits they deserve.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400702,Cong. Smith Statement on Manhattan Attack,2017-10-31,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Smith (NJ-04) issues statement after a terror attack in NYC Oct. 31

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      Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) released the following statement after a terror attack in New York City killed eight people and injured 11:
My wife, Marie and I join all those who grieve and pray for the innocent victims of today’s horrific terrorist attack in New York City—those killed in the attack, their families, as well as those injured and the bystanders who had to witness this atrocious act of violence. We offer our sincere gratitude to the brave members of the New York Police Department who moved fast to stop the perpetrator and thereby save additional lives that could have been lost.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/event/every-breath-counts-run-walk-survive,Every Breath Counts Run Walk Survive,2017-10-31,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Every Breath Counts Run Walk Survive                        
         	  Start: 
         	  November 11, 2017 9:00 am
         	  End: 
         	    November 11, 2017 9:00 am
         	   
         	           	    Location: 
         	      St. James Church - Newport Avenue and Boardwalk,  Ventnor, New Jersey
         	    
         	           	
                                          
              Oct 31, 2017",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/event/millville-army-air-field-museum-16th-annual-veterans-appreciation-day,Millville Army Air Field Museum 16th Annual Veterans Appreciation Day,2017-10-31,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Millville Army Air Field Museum 16th Annual Veterans Appreciation Day                        
         	  Start: 
         	  November 4, 2017 11:00 am
         	  End: 
         	    November 4, 2017 11:00 am
         	   
         	           	    Location: 
         	      Army Air Field Museum - 1 Leddon Street,  Millville, New Jersey
         	    
         	           	
                                          
              Oct 31, 2017",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lobiondo.house.gov/event/upper-deerfield-township-annual-veterans-day-ceremony,Upper Deerfield Township Annual Veterans Day Ceremony,2017-10-31,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Upper Deerfield Township Annual Veterans Day Ceremony                        
         	  Start: 
         	  November 4, 2017 10:00 am
         	  End: 
         	    November 4, 2017 11:00 am
         	   
         	           	    Location: 
         	      Veterans Monument - Route 77,  Seabrook, New Jersey
         	    
         	           	
                                          
              Oct 31, 2017",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400701,Bipartisan Coalition Asking Administration to Support Victims of Terrorism at the Supreme Court,2017-10-30,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) is leading a bipartisan coalition of over 60 House members in asking the Administration to support American victims of terrorism seeking redress at the Supreme Court.
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      Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) is leading a bipartisan coalition of over 60 House members in asking the Administration to support American victims of terrorism seeking redress at the Supreme Court.
 
Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) is leading a bipartisan coalition of over 60 House members in asking the Administration to support American victims of terrorism seeking redress at the Supreme Court.
 
“As Members of Congress, we have a compelling interest to speak out in defense of the ATA [Anti-Terrorism Act of 1992], passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, and in support of these American victims waiting for justice,” Smith and other members wrote in the letter to the Solicitor General.
 
Smith and Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY) co-led a letter signed by 67 House Democrats and Republicans and sent to Solicitor General Noel Francisco on Oct. 26. The members asked the Administration to respond to the Supreme Court’s request for a brief in the case of Sokolow v. PLO.  
 
The case before the Court involves American victims of a suicide bombing in Jerusalem who are seeking civil redress from the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA). One of the plaintiffs resides in Smith’s New Jersey district. 
 
A jury for the Southern District of New York ruled unanimously in the plaintiffs’ favor, that the PLO and the PA were liable for the damage inflicted. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals, however, vacated that decision, saying that the lower court did not have jurisdiction for the organizations in the claim. 
 
The plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court, citing the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1992 (ATA) which was passed to give American victims of terrorism abroad a legal mechanism to sue the perpetrators. 
 
The House of Representatives has filed an amicus brief in the case, saying that if the Supreme Court ruled against the plaintiffs it “effectively nullifies the ATA” and would undermine the ability of Congress to secure justice for Americans.
 
Smith, a leader in fighting anti-Semitism at home and abroad, and a co-chair of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism, said that “Americans traveling overseas who are victims of terror attacks need to know that they have the backing of their government.”
 
“We also seek to prevent future victims,” the members wrote in the letter to the Solicitor General. “The Court should grant certiorari to review the court of appeals’ deeply flawed and troubling decision, which concerns issues of exceptional importance to the Nation.” Read the full letter here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=1530,Frelinghuysen Op-ed: House Appropriations Getting the Job Done,2017-10-30,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Daily Record  House Appropriations Getting the Job Done  by: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11)  10/30/17     The conventional wisdom is that Washington is broken. However, if one were to go looking for what actually works in Congress, one need only look to the House Committee on Appropriations.  This committee, charged with providing the funding for every federal government program, agency and office, passed 28 bills this year alone. This total includes the “regular” FY 2017 and the FY 2018 appropriations bills, several stopgap “Continuing Resolutions” and two emergency disaster assistance bills to aid the victims of hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. These 28 bills were developed, drafted, debated and passed between January and October of 2017, upholding Congress’ authority under the Constitution to fund our obligations at home and abroad. In essence, we completed more than two appropriations cycles in just eight months.  The ultimate achievement was passage in September of all 12 of our FY ’18 appropriations bills before the end of the fiscal year on September 30. This was the first time it had been accomplished since 2004 and it was done through “regular order” with each of the bills fully debated, along with over 400 amendments. Furthermore, the deed was accomplished within just four months of receiving the details of the new President’s first budget proposal — a new congressional record.  Of course, process and speed are important. But so, too, are the actual contents of these bills which contain important funding for projects in New Jersey. A prime example is the more than $900 million the committee included for eligible programs such as the Gateway project in the New Jersey-New York area. Now more than ever, it is imperative to our economic survival.  While important, Gateway is just one example of provisions that will benefit New Jersey.  To protect our state from emerging terrorist threats, the committee continued to fund the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), which assists the New Jersey-New York Metropolitan Region with efforts to build and sustain the capabilities to prevent future 9/11s. We also doubled funding for Nonprofit Security Grants to support security enhancements for synagogues and other faith-based centers which were targeted earlier this year in a series of bomb threats.  The committee also supported New Jersey Task Force 1, which responded to lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001, and performed critical work during this year’s hurricane season.  In addition to providing funds for New Jersey’s military installations, Picatinny Arsenal, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Naval Weapons Station Earle and the 177th Fighter Wing in Atlantic City, the legislation includes funding that will increase New Jersey’s military contributions. For example, the committee provided significant new funding to allow scientists and engineers at Picatinny, the DoD Joint Center of Excellence for Armaments, to accelerate their work to ensure that our weapons systems overmatch those of our adversaries. The bill also includes funding to expand production of the new KC-146 air refueling tankers that will soon be stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, enhancing the future missions, and jobs, at the New Jersey base.  The committee also provided full funding for the Chemical Safety Board, a program slated for elimination by the Trump Administration. We approved a $28 million increase in the Superfund hazardous waste clean-up program and targeted an additional $10 million for open space preservation from willing sellers in the New Jersey Highlands, a major source of drinking water for northern New Jersey.  The committee also continued to fund the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, the Green Brook Flood Control Project, and boosted the number of disabled people who will be able to use “Frelinghuysen Rental Vouchers” to pay their rent.  In fact, many programs important to New Jersey, such as Community Health Grants, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and research and development at colleges and universities, including New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology and others, were funded despite the President’s attempt to slash or eliminate them.  At the same time, the Appropriations Committee recognizes our obligations to the next generation. Clearly, we need to reduce government spending. And we have, with bipartisan support, cut discretionary spending to levels, not seen since Fiscal Year 2008.  We have come very far in just a few months: 28 bills developed, drafted, amended and passed this year alone. But we also have much work to do to complete our work on behalf of the nation and our state.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://macarthur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/macarthur-leads-letter-encouraging-air-force-increase-size-hurricane,MacArthur leads letter encouraging Air Force to increase size of Hurricane Response Unit located at JB-MDL,2017-10-30,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Tom MacArthur,M001193,macarthur.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C. - Congressman MacArthur today urged the Secretary of the Air Force to increase the size of the 621 Contingency Response Wing located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. This wing is the Air Force’s highly specialized unit that is often the first to respond to humanitarian disasters, as well as serving a wartime role.  It quickly deployed to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria to assist with the recovery efforts.  With all these operations happening simultaneously, the unit is currently stretched thin potentially compromising its readiness for wartime activities. 
MacArthur was joined by Representatives Donald Norcross, Leonard Lance, Chris Smith, Frank Lobiondo, Josh Gottheimer, Albio Sires, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, and Senators Cory Booker, and Bob Menendez in this request.
“The airman of the 621 Contingency Response Wing bravely serve our country and always perform their duties when called upon,” said Congressman Tom MacArthur. “However, they are currently responding to multiple simultaneous humanitarian disasters and need our help.  It’s important that the Air Force fully man this unit and ensure these brave men and women can respond to any wartime activities without abandoning their current humanitarian missions.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400700,"Five Years Post Superstorm Sandy Ravaged Ocean, Monmouth Counties & Jersey Shore, Recovery Goes On Continues",2017-10-28,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Five Years Post Superstorm Sandy Ravaged Ocean, Monmouth Counties &amp; Jersey Shore, Recovery Goes On Continues
  
    
      
      
  
    
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      Congressman Chris Smith went to the border of Monmouth and Ocean counties--among the areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy--on the fifth anniversary of a storm that destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and public property on a scale not seen in recent memory, and killed more than 100 people on the East Coast. Smith met with local officials in Point Pleasant Beach, led by Mayor Stephen Reid, at the historic Manasquan Coast Guard Station. He also went to a dune area slated for imrpovement, as well as the site of a destroyed house still under construction. He  met with faith-based leaders whose churches provided clothes, shelter and food in the wake of the storm, and listened to their powerful stories of emergency response, recovery and rebuilding in the community. Smith shared the status of his bipartisan bill regarding recovery from Sandy and other disasters, entitled ""The Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act,"" which passed in 2013 by a lopsided vote of 354-72 but was stalled in the Senate. Reintroduced in 2017, Smith's new bill, HR 2405, remains a bipartisan piece of legislation that would put houses of worship on an even playing field with other non-profit organizations seeking disaster assistance. There were many nonprofit religious organizations, churches, synagogues, and other religious centers that were shut out of getting federal assistance despite damage they sustained, and despite their leadership helping so many people in the immediate aftermath of the storm. He also spoke about his Equity for Disaster Victims Act of 2017, (HR 3674) which would provide relief to victims of Superstorm Sandy and reform the federal government’s disaster relief programs to ensure fairness and flexibility. HR 3674 would allow homeowners, small businesses, and nonprofits that accepted Small Business Administration (SBA) loans following Sandy to receive U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants to repay the principal and any interest accrued on the loan. It would also make the provision permanent for any future disasters.
    
  
  
  
    
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http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400703,"<span class =""kicker"">APP News Article on Navy Earle Announcement by Smith</span>'Naval Weapons Station Earle won't open housing to the public'",2017-10-28,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"BY DAN RADEL APP Staff Writer - The Pentagon has officially canceled plans to open housing to the general public at Naval Weapons Station Earle, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., announced Tuesday.
Smith said the decision alleviates ""local concerns about security and the proper vetting of nonmilitary renters who would be exempt from paying property taxes.""
The issue surfaced in January because about 30 percent of the 89 residences managed by Balfour Beatty Northeast Housing on the base was empty.
Currently, active duty military personnel are preferred, but the units are open in some cases to other military members, National Guard and reservists, civil service employees, and military and civil service retirees.
Locals Oppose:Officials poised to fight Earle civilian housing
Schools: Bill would move Earle students to Colts Neck 
However, state, county and local officials fought the plan for a year, saying that opening the weapons station housing to members of the general public would pose a serious security risk for Monmouth County.
“We used every tool in our toolkit to express our concerns that allowing civilians to rent housing on NWS Earle, an active ammunition depot, would create unnecessary security risks for our community,” said Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, R-Monmouth.
An attempt by the Navy in 2010 to open the housing on the base to the general public was also defeated.
The base is located in parts of Colts Neck, Howell, Middletown, Tinton Falls and Wall.
  
This story can be found online at: http://www.app.com/story/news/military/2017/10/27/housing-plan-nixed-naval-weapon-station-earle/806081001/",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400690,"Smith Awarded for Defending International Religious Freedom, Persecuted Religious Minorities",2017-10-27,2017,2017-10,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Just one day after Rep. Smith was honored by an international organization dedicated to the defense of Christian minorities, the internationally-recognized human rights leader received a second award from a national coalition honoring his work in promoting religious freedom around the world.
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      Just one day after Rep. Smith was honored by an international organization dedicated to the defense of Christian minorities, the internationally-recognized human rights leader received a second award from a national coalition honoring his work in promoting religious freedom around the world.
On Thursday, Smith received the Thomas Jefferson International Religious Freedom Champion Award from the International Religious Freedom Roundtable, a group of representatives from key non-governmental organizations who work to advance international religious freedom issues and help prisoners of conscience who are punished for their faith. He received the 2017 IDC Cedars of God Award on Wednesday from the group In Defense of Christians, for leading in the passage of legislation protecting and aiding vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities.  

“As you all know well, people of faith and conscience are suffering and dying for their beliefs around the world right now,” Smith said on Thursday upon receiving the IRF Champion Award.  

“There is so much more to do. People of faith around the world face genocide, torture, imprisonment, and severe restrictions on the most fundamental decisions of faith and conscience.” Here are Rep. Smith’s full remarks.  

The evening before, at the Wednesday event, Smith was honored at the annual IDC Solidarity Dinner for his leadership in Congress in protecting persecuted Christians and other minorities. More than 500 people from around the world, including religious leaders, members of Congress, and human rights advocates, attended the dinner where Vice President Mike Pence was the keynote speaker.  

Pence thanked Smith for his “tireless” defense of persecuted religious minorities around the world.    

Smith is the author of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, a significant upgrade to the landmark International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Smith’s bill was signed into law in December of 2016.  

That law strengthened the role of the Office of International Religious Freedom within the State Department, made religious freedom training mandatory for all foreign service officers, created a list of prisoners worldwide detained for their religious beliefs, and added to the actions the U.S. can take against the worst violators of religious freedom.  

It was supported by an ecumenical coalition of religious groups, as well as other religious freedom advocates and non-governmental organizations.  

“The help and lobbying of this roundtable was critically important in passage of that bill,” Smith told the International Religious Freedom Roundtable on Thursday.  

Smith was also the original sponsor of H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act, which passed the House in June. That bill would streamline U.S. assistance to persecuted religious minorities in Iraq and Syria through the aid groups that help them directly.  

Additionally, it would fund criminal investigations into the atrocities committed against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria that could eventually lead to the prosecution of the perpetrators.  

Smith noted that “we are still appealing to the Senate to pass that bill immediately.”  

Last December, Smith also led a delegation to Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where 70,000 Christians displaced by ISIS currently reside. He traveled at the invitation of the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Erbil Bashar Warda.  

While visiting the aid camp, Smith met with genocide survivors, religious leaders, aid workers, and U.S. and UN representatives.  

Smith has been a champion of religious freedom and human rights in the House, having traveled to over 50 countries and advocating for human rights. He has spoken out repeatedly against human rights abuses and curtailments of religious freedom, and has pushed for the release of many different prisoners of conscience.  

“I am still moved by testimonies of those in China, Iraq, Nigeria, Iran, and Vietnam—whose faith will not falter even under the most unthinkable persecutions,” Smith said on Thursday.  

“More than ever before, vigorous U.S. leadership and diplomacy are needed to address religious freedom violations globally,” Smith said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z