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=365154,"Washington Post editorial'In international abduction cases, quiet diplomacy is not working'",2013-12-30,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"SEAN GOLDMAN was 4 years old when his Brazilian-born mother took him from their New Jersey home for what Sean’s father, David Goldman, thought would be a two-week vacation. Five years passed before the father again laid eyes on his son.
“It was very painful,’’ David Goldman recalled. “The first time I saw him after nearly five years, he looked at me and asked me where have I been all this time. . . . He was told that I didn’t love him, that I abandoned him, that I never wanted him.”
The only unusual feature of this story is that David Goldman eventually regained custody, though even after the boy’s mother died in 2008 her Brazilian family continued to resist his efforts. He succeeded in part because Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.) relentlessly focused attention and pressure on the case. Now a bill written by Mr. Smith, the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act, has been approved by the House, 398 to 0, and is set for consideration in the Senate. But the State Department doesn’t want the additional diplomatic tools the bill would provide.
According to State, 1,144 children were reported abducted from the United States in 2012. There were 1,367 in 2011 and 1,492 in 2010. State Department officials say they work hard to get those children back — or at least to get the cases fairly adjudicated — but they can’t or won’t say how many of those abducted children remain overseas. That raises questions about their claims for success for “quiet diplomacy.”
In a letter to Mr. Smith, Robert E. Wallace, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), said the abduction of children by a separated spouse is a particular problem for service members, especially in Japan. Mr. Wallace said the service members’ appeals for help “are too often met with bad legal advice, misinformation or indifference. . . . It is time for the U.S. government to take concrete action.” An organization of victimized parents said that the result of quiet diplomacy is “that the Government of Japan has not once assisted in returning a single abducted child.” Japan at least is in the process of acceding to an international treaty on the subject; most countries have not done so.
The House bill provides for a series of graduated sanctions against countries that demonstrate a pattern of non-cooperation; it also would encourage the United States to negotiate agreements with countries that have not ratified the treaty. In both cases, the executive branch would act only if it chose to do so; the bill provides for a presidential waiver. Nonetheless, a State Department official told us putting tools in the tool kit would be counterproductive because U.S. officials would face pressure to use them and other countries would resent the implied threat.
Given the administration’s inability to quantify its success, or to report any results at all, the argument for the status quo is not persuasive. An aide to Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told us that the committee will take the measure up soon. We hope soon means soon. For thousands of parents deprived of the chance even to communicate with their children, quiet diplomacy isn’t getting the job done. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/give-parents-more-tools-in-international-abduction-cases/2013/12/28/2d0a96aa-6c0e-11e3-aecc-85cb037b7236_story.html",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20140222035637/http://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-applauds-faa-selection-new-jersey-virginia-partnership-national-test-site,LoBiondo Applauds FAA Selection of New Jersey-Virginia Partnership for National Test Site of Unmanned Aircraft Systems,2013-12-30,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"MAYS LANDING, N.J. – U.S. Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02), Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, today applauded the announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the joint application by the states of New Jersey and Virginia has been selected as one of the six national test sites for integrating commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace. LoBiondo, working closely with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, led the New Jersey’s Congressional efforts to secure the designation.
“Today’s announcement is a GREAT way to kick off the New Year, promising significant economic opportunities in the aviation field particularly for South Jersey,” lauded LoBiondo, chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee. “A years-long effort has been spent on putting forth the strongest application - including forming a solid working partnership with Virginia - to ensure the FAA recognized our existing assets for this project. I appreciate Governor Christie’s unwavering support throughout the process as well as the efforts of my Congressional colleagues and those working on the ground in South Jersey on our proposal.”
The states’ joint application was put forth by Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) and Rutgers University with support from the Governors of New Jersey and Virginia. The other 5 test sites selected by the FAA are in: Alaska-Hawaii-Oregon; Nevada; North Dakota; Texas; and New York. UAS test sites will operate until February 2017 with the first site being operational within 180 days of today’s announcement. There is no federal funding from the FAA for any test site.
The William J. Hughes FAA Technical Center will be the lead facilitator of data collected from each of the six test sites, working to safely integrate UAS into the national airspace as mandated by the 2012 FAA Authorization Act – a provision LoBiondo advocated for inclusion during the bill’s drafting and debate. While each test site will have specific regulations to protect the privacy of surrounding residents and businesses, Congress continues to evaluate further legislative options to address civil liberty concerns.
“The outstanding partnership between New Jersey and Virginia, between Governors Christie and McDonnell, between Rutgers and Virginia Tech and various state and private entities made for a winning result. Our cooperative efforts, in conjunction with the FAA Tech Center in Egg Harbor Township, will continue as our test site takes off and commercial unmanned aircraft systems open up new economic opportunities for our states,” concluded LoBiondo.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=365091,"Trentonian Page 1'Plainsboro mother seeks help from Congress to bring her kidnapped sons home'",2013-12-24,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"By Sherrina Navani, The Trentonian - All Bindu Philips wants for Christmas are her two young sons back, and thanks to a new bill passed by the House of Representatives, she may be closer than ever to getting her wish granted.
Members of the House voted unanimously, in early December, to pass a bill to help bring home American children abducted to overseas destinations. The legislation, dubbed, the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2013, will help left behind parents of American children abducted to India, Japan, Egypt, India, Brazil, Russia, England and other countries where most are forced to live overseas and never return, according to Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th) — the author of the legislation and chairman of the House congressional panel which oversees human rights.
Not all countries have signed The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the standing international treaty which addresses parental abductions via the justice system. The treaty provides for the quick return of abducted children, and access rights to both parents. Sadly, even Hague signatories, like Brazil, often don’t enforce its provisions.
“What we are asking the State Department to do with this bill, is to start accounting for all the children who have been abducted to other countries,” said Jeff Sagnip, District Director for Smith, noting the State Department would be required to issue an annual report. “If this bill is passed, it cannot force abducting parents who have already taken their children to other countries, to bring them back, however it will start taking account of the thousands of U.S. children who are taken and held overseas. Also, local congressional leaders will become aware of all the children who are being kidnapped from their districts; it will help keep our government’s attention on the cases and work to bring them home.”
The Plainsboro township mother, Philips, has not seen her five-year-old twin sons, Albert Philip Jacob and Alfred William Jacob, since 2008. Her husband, Sunil Jacob, took the family on an impromptu vacation to India and decided to keep the kids there despite the mother’s wishes.
Philips believes, her husband Sunil Jacob, was being investigated by the FBI regarding his official role as a Wealth Management Specialist for CitiBank and may have spooked the United States Naturalized Citizen, to run back to his homeland of Kerala India.
“It was all a big shock to me, I had no idea what was going to happen when we left in December 2008 for the family vacation,” said Phillips. “Through an investigation the Plainsboro Police and the FBI learned that he had been planning this for months in advance and he even had all of our belongings shipped to India, so when I got home there was nothing left, no car, no clothes, nothing.”
Philips, whose husband banned her from having any contact with her children shortly after they arrived in India, decided to leave the county in the hopes that the United States legal system would expedite bringing her children back. However, her nightmare, which she believed would only last a month, has turned into a five-year battle that has taken her to the Indian Supreme Court, to her Legislators and now to the State Department.
Smith, the FBI and a slew of lawmakers have listened to Philip’s ordeal and have been champions of the proposed bill, which hopes to circumvent any future abductions.
As of late, Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th), has reached out to Taranjit Singh Sandhu , Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Washington D.C., asking Sandhu to bridge the legal gap between the two countries.
If passed by the Senate, the law will recommend that the president withhold exchanges with countries that harbor kidnapped children. For example, U.S. development assistance, foreign aid or cultural exchanges may be delayed or withheld if the defiant country does not accept legal initiatives to return the child to their parent, based in the United States.
“I’m completely cut-off from the children, they’ve only seen me for 15 minutes in the last five years,” said Philips as tears began to trickle from her eyes. “But I refuse to give up hope, I am clinging on, with the hope of being reunited with my children, and I cannot think anything else. I cannot give up on my hope.” Above text was printed Dec. 24, 2013, and edited for clarity.
Original can be read at:
http://www.trentonian.com/government-and-politics/20131223/plainsboro-mother-seeks-help-from-congress-to-bring-her-kidnapped-sons-home",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=365088,South Sudan Fighting Endangers Many,2013-12-23,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The expanding fighting in the Republic of South Sudan has killed more than 500 people in recent days and injured four U.S. military personnel who were evacuating Americans and other foreigners from the country. The conflict endangers not only citizens of that country but threatens to negatively impact the country’s neighbors and the international community, said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations. “Already more than 500 people are reported dead,” said Smith. “More could be killed or injured, and not only in South Sudan—the conflict may spread, threatening people in neighboring countries. The escalating fighting in South Sudan could likely lead to more terrorist activities in an already-volatile region. The Administration’s call for a Christmas season cease-fire must be augmented by intense diplomacy with both sides.” South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, borders countries already troubled with terrorist activity by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and various Islamic radical and other militia groups in the Central African Republic, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Analysts fear that a South Sudan distracted and divided by civil war would provide an easier operating ground for terrorist groups. The LRA terrorist group, notorious for kidnapping children and forcing them to serve as child soldiers, still operates in the region and poses a danger to the lives of civilians in all four countries. Meanwhile, Islamic radicals have infiltrated countries in the region, most notably Somalia, but also Ethiopia and even Uganda. An unstable South Sudan will only further empower them by providing the kind of chaos in which the radicals thrive. The entire Sahel region of north-central Africa has been targeted, with Mali having been torn apart by their violent activities and nations such as Niger, Chad and Central African Republic continuing to be adversely affected by their militant and terroristic actions. Last year’s nine-month oil dispute between South Sudan and Sudan cut oil production from a combined 450,000 barrels per day to what amounted to a mere trickle, and isn’t predicted to return to pre-crisis levels until 2017 at the earliest. The fighting in South Sudan further endangers that timetable as the northern hemisphere heads into winter, and therefore greater oil consumption. Because oil is the only major export for the South Sudanese economy, the economic impact of losing more of its oil production could bring additional suffering to the already-impoverished people of South Sudan.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-and-menendez-urge-president-obama-deliver-keynote-rutgers-university%E2%80%99s,Pallone and Menendez Urge President Obama to Deliver Keynote at Rutgers University’s Commencement in 2016,2013-12-23,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) led members of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to accept Rutgers University’s invitation to deliver the keynote address for its 250th Anniversary Commencement in 2016. Rutgers University, which is located in Congressman Pallone’s district, is one of the largest and most prestigious research universities in the nation.
Below is the full text of the letter:
December 23, 2013
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
Dear President Obama:
We write to encourage you to accept Rutgers University’s invitation to deliver the keynote address for its 250th Anniversary Commencement in 2016.
Rutgers is one of the largest and most prestigious research universities in the nation. Started as Queens College under the royal charter of George III on November 10, 1766, Rutgers is today a proud land-grant university and member of the Association of American Universities. Founded ten years before the United States was even a country, Rutgers is one of the original nine colonial colleges and the only one to become a flagship state land-grant university.
Rutgers has since grown to employ more than 25,000 faculty and staff in educating more than 65,000 full-time students on three campuses across the State of New Jersey. Rutgers students hail from all 50 states and more than 115 countries, and the university boasts 450,000 living alumni across the globe.
Throughout the university’s long and distinguished history, Rutgers students and scholars have attained significant achievements in a variety of areas. In 1869, New Brunswick served as the location for the first intercollegiate football game, in which Rutgers bested Princeton 6-4. In 1952, Rutgers Professor Selman Waksman won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for research that led to the discovery of streptomycin, the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis. Additionally, Rutgers students have been named Rhodes Scholars, Fulbright Fellows, Gates Cambridge Scholars, Churchill Scholars, Truman Scholars, Woodrow Wilson Scholars, and Udall Scholars. The faculty includes MacArthur “Genius Award” winners, National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology recipients, Pulitzer Prize winners, and dozens of National Academies members.
Rutgers prides itself on its commitment to diversity and has been recognized as one of the most diverse universities in the nation. Additionally, Rutgers is committed to introducing first-generation, low-income, and academically motivated students to the promises and opportunities of a college education through its Rutgers Future Scholars Program.
We are pleased to come together to support Rutgers University’s invitation for you to address the graduates of the 250th anniversary commencement. Your attendance and participation will make this important milestone in Rutgers’ history all the more memorable and auspicious.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR. ROBERT MENENDEZ CORY BOOKER
Member of Congress United States Senator United States Senator
DONALD PAYNE, JR. RODNEY FRELINGHUYSEN
Member of Congress Member of Congress
ROBERT ANDREWS LEONARD LANCE
Member of Congress Member of Congress
ALBIO SIRES FRANK LOBIONDO
Member of Congress Member of Congress
RUSH HOLT JON RUNYAN
Member of Congress Member of Congress
BILL PASCRELL, JR.
Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sires.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sires-applauds-3-billion-in-grant-funding-for-transit-resiliency,Rep. Sires Applauds $3 Billion in Grant Funding for Transit Resiliency Projects,2013-12-23,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Albio Sires,S001165,sires.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Albio Sires welcomed the announcement that $3 billion in competitive grant funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Hurricane Sandy Resilience Program will be made available for public transportation resiliency projects in regions affected by Hurricane Sandy, including New Jersey. Earlier this month, Congressman Sires urged FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff to provide the additional grant funding as expeditiously as possible so that New Jersey can continue addressing future transit vulnerabilities.
“Hurricane Sandy was the worst transit disaster in United States history,” said Congressman Sires. “American tax payers should not be asked to simply rebuild our critical infrastructure to the level it was before the storm. We must rebuild smarter and stronger to ensure that we don’t find ourselves in the same position the next time a major storm hits.”
The Federal Transit Administration has already allocated $1.3 billion from the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2012 for locally prioritized resiliency projects. Public transportation providers will have until March 28, 2014 to submit applications for the Hurricane Sandy Resilience Program.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=788,Frelinghuysen: Protecting our Emergency Responders,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Frelinghuysen Priority: Protecting our Emergency Responders
Washignton, D.C. – With thousands of volunteer fire departments, first aid squads and emergency medical technicians (EMT) across the nation facing one of the unintended effects of the Affordable Care Act, the new healthcare law, U.S. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) has written to the new head of the Internal Revenue Service on their behalf. Due to the law’s requirements, fire departments and emergency squads must provide health insurance for volunteers working more than 30 hours a week. The current law stipulates that the ‘employer mandate’ must apply to organizations that have at least 50 employees, which can include multiple fire houses within one community.
In December, Frelinghuysen wrote to Acting Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Danny Wurfel, “I am deeply concerned that subjecting fire departments and municipalities to this provision will result in services being reduced or eliminated.” He followed up today with a letter to the new Commissioner of the IRS, John Koskinen.
“The vast majority of volunteers I speak with do not expect to receive health insurance from their departments. Volunteer firefighters and EMS responders do not see their work as a career or a part-time job – it’s a call to serve the community,” Rodney said. “And I know that volunteer fire and EMS departments operate on a shoe-string budget and they and their municipalities won’t have the resources to pay for health insurance for their personnel. Without this new bureaucratic burden, most groups already have difficulty making ends meet.”
Rodney has cosponsored legislation that would exempt volunteer fire departments fire aid squads and emergency medical technicians (EMT) from providing health insurance to volunteers. However, until the bill is passed, fire chiefs and municipal leaders must wait to see how the situation will be resolved.
Volunteers are vital in ensuring fire safety in New Jersey and across the nation. The National Volunteer Fire Council reports that there are 783,300 volunteer firefighters in the U.S. comprising 70% of firefighting force, and our nation has 20,050 volunteer departments.
-30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364831,"Asbury Park Press page oneSean and David Goldman abduction bill could be approved this week",2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"By Susanne Cervenka, Asbury Park Press staff --
It could be another Christmas surprise for David Goldman, the former Tinton Falls man whose son, Sean, was returned to him on Christmas Eve four years ago.
This time, the gift would be the passage of a law named for Goldman and his son that would help other families whose children have been kidnapped to foreign countries.
After three years of negotiations, the “Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act” is headed to the U.S. Senate, where it could be approved as soon as this week, said Rep. Chris Smith, who, along with Goldman, appeared at an editorial board meeting at the Asbury Park Press.
Smith, R-N.J., said the Senate could take up the bill through unanimous consent, a procedure that would expedite the legislation’s path to President Barack Obama’s desk.
Smith said he has not heard yet if Obama would sign the bill, but Goldman said Obama was supportive of his mission when he was a senator and intervened soon after becoming president.
The legislation would set up a series of sanctions against countries that persistently fail to follow either the Hague Abduction Conventions, a 1980 international treaty that bars parents from fleeing to other countries until custody is decided, or similar agreements the United States would make with countries that haven’t signed on to that treaty.
Sean Goldman, now 13, is the only U.S. child so far to be returned under the Hague treaty, which is signed by more than 80 countries, but rarely is enforced.
Children who have come home do so most often because of an agreement reached between both parents, not because of judicial orders by foreign courts, Goldman said.
The sanctions, which range from the president making a private appeal to suspending or revoking economic aide, are key to the legislation, which Smith said amps up the Hague treaty by putting political pressure on countries that harbor parents. The law also would require the U.S. Department of State, with the parents’ permission, to notify federal lawmakers, who represent left-behind parents, of the abduction so they can put pressure on their diplomatic counterparts.
“If you don’t have a penalty phase, enforcing a global human rights standard becomes meaningless,” Smith said. “Countries do not sharpen their response and become responsive unless they know there is a potential penalty phase.”
Sean is in a 'safe place'
The bill passed the House with a 398-0 vote, a seemingly impossible feat in the increasingly cantankerous Congress.
Goldman, however, sees nothing partisan in bringing American children home to settle custody disputes.
Goldman’s wife, Bruna Bianchi, took Sean, then 4, from New Jersey to Brazil on what Goldman thought was a two-week trip to visit family. Bianchi remarried, then died in childbirth, which set off the high-profile international fight to return Sean home.
Goldman said cases like his, where the children have been living in the United States before one parent takes them abroad, are often wrongly characterized as international custody cases instead of abduction cases.
But once abroad, the country harboring the parent abductor treat the case as a straight custodial case, where laws often aren’t the same as the United States.
Goldman, 47, incurred upwards of $700,000 in debt for legal bills in both countries, plane tickets, extended hotel stays and translation costs in the fight to bring his son home from Brazil.
This legislation would help reduce the financial damage families face along with emotional turmoil the separation case inflict by speeding up the children’s return to the United States, he said.
“The quicker the remedy, the less the costs,” said Goldman, who established the Bring Sean Home Foundation to help other families. He has since moved from his Tinton Falls home, but has not said where he is living now. Goldman has remarried.
Sean has visited with his Brazilian grandmother about three or four times since, at least twice in the past year, he said. Those visits occurred here with Sean’s therapist.
The focus now has been to give Sean as normal of a childhood as possible, Goldman said.
Goldman said he keeps a watchful eye on Sean as any parent would, but no longer fears when his son will be home.
Originally published at:
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013312160061",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://payne.house.gov/press-release/payne-requests-presidential-proclamation,Payne Requests Presidential Proclamation,2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Donald Payne,P000604,payne.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) authored and sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting he issue a presidential proclamation designating March 2014 National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. One-hundred and forty-six Members of Congress signed onto the letter in support of Rep. Payne, Jr.’s efforts.
Earlier this year, Rep. Payne, Jr. introduced House Resolution 69 designating March 2013 as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Please see the letter to President Obama below:
December 16, 2013
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
Every March the colorectal cancer community honors those who are fighting or have lost their battle with colorectal cancer by holding special events to raise awareness about the disease, including symptoms, risk factors, and screening tests. We ask that you join us in spreading the message about colorectal cancer prevention and early detection by issuing a proclamation designating March 2014 as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Despite being one of the most preventable types of cancer, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men and women in the United States and costs our health care system approximately $14 billion annually. The lifetime risk of getting colorectal cancer is one in 20. This year, an estimated 135,000 individuals in the United States will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 individuals will die from the disease.
Colorectal cancer is largely preventable thanks to effective screening tools. Yet, one in three adults between the ages 50 and 75 are not up to date with recommended colorectal cancer screenings. Patients with localized colorectal cancer have a five-year survival rate of 90 percent, but only 39 percent of all diagnoses occur at this stage due, in part, to the underuse of screenings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that if every individual aged 50 or older had regular screening tests, as many as 60 percent of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented. However, there is a great need to increase education and awareness about screenings.
Lack of education and awareness are the biggest barriers to reducing death and suffering from colorectal cancer. While more than 90 percent of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in those aged 50 and older, anyone at any age can get colorectal cancer. Knowing the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer is critical to an early diagnosis and timely medical intervention. Through education and awareness, we can erase the myths, stigma and embarrassment that are sometimes associated with colorectal cancer and screening, and we can remind the American public about healthy lifestyles that reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and other diseases.
Thank you for considering our request for a proclamation designating March 2014 as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Sincerely,
Donald M. Payne, Jr.
Robert Andrews
Ron Barber
Karen Bass
Joyce Beatty
Dan Benishek
Sanford Bishop
Earl Blumenauer
Robert Brady
Susan Brooks
Corrine Brown
Julia Brownley
G.K. Butterfield
Lois Capps
Michael Capuano
Matthew Cartwright
Andre Carson
Kathy Castor
Jason Chaffetz
Donna Christensen
Yvette Clarke
William Lacy Clay
Emanuel Cleaver
James Clyburn
Howard Coble
Mike Coffman
Gerald Connolly
John Conyers
Jim Cooper
Joe Courtney
Ander Crenshaw
Joseph Crowley
Elijah Cummings
Donna Edwards
Keith Ellison
Elliot Engel
Sam Farr
Chaka Fattah
Michael Fitzpatrick
Lois Frankel
Rodney Frelinghuysen
Marcia Fudge
Danny Davis
Susan Davis
Peter DeFazio
Theodore Deutch
Rosa DeLauro
Charles Dent
Michael Doyle
Tulsi Gabbard
Sam Graves
Scott Garrett
Al Green
Raul Grijalva
Trey Gowdy
Luis Gutierrez
Alcee Hastings
Brian Higgins
Ruben Hinojosa
Michael Honda
Rush Holt
Steven Horsford
Steve Israel
Darrell Issa
Shelia Jackson Lee
Hakeem Jeffries
Eddie Bernice Johnson
William Keating
Robin Kelly
Joseph Kennedy
Daniel Kildee
Derek Kilmer
Ron Kind
Peter King
Ann Kuster
Raul Labrador
Leonard Lance
Barbara Lee
Sander Levin
John Lewis
Frank LoBiondo
Billy Long
Alan Lowenthal
Michelle Lujan Grisham
Daniel Maffei
Carolyn Maloney
Sean Maloney
Betty McCollum
James McGovern
Mark Meadows
Patrick Meehan
Gregory Meeks
Gwen Moore
James Moran
Patrick Murphy
Jerrold Nadler
Janet Napolitano
Richard Neal
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Frank Pallone
Bill Pascrell
Ed Perlmutter
Colin Peterson
Thomas Petri
Ted Poe
Jared Polis
Nick Rahall
Charles Rangel
Tom Rice
Cedric Richmond
David Roe
Dana Rohrabacher
Edward Royce
Jon Runyan
Bobby Rush
Linda Sanchez
James Sensenbrenner
Jose Serrano
Terri Sewell
Janice Schakowsky
Adam Schiff
Bobby Scott
David Scott
Albio Sires
Louise Slaughter
Chris Smith
Jackie Speier
Eric Swalwell
Mark Takano
Bennie Thompson
Glenn Thompson
Michael Thompson
John Tierney
Dina Titus
Paul Tonko
Niki Tsongas
Chris Van Hollen
JuanVargas
Marc Veasey
Filemon Vela
Nydia Velazquez
Jackie Walorski
Maxine Waters
Frederica Wilson
Ted Yoho
Don Young
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sires.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-sires-introduces-bill-to-enhance-our-economy,Congressman Sires Introduces Bill to Enhance our Economy,2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Albio Sires,S001165,sires.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, D.C.) – Last week, Congressman Albio Sires introduced H.R. 3768, the Promoting Tourism to Enhance our Economy Act. A bill that will allow Canadian citizens who bring millions of dollars into the U.S. economy to continue to conveniently and safely travel between our shared borders.
“Increasing tourism and encouraging Canadians to continue to visit the U.S. will grow our economy, better relationships with our neighbors to the north and bring money into the U.S. at no cost to the taxpayer,” said Congressman Sires.
Over 400,000 people cross the U.S. –Canada border daily and our state of New Jersey sells more goods to Canada than any other country in the world. This produces over $16 billion in trade and impacts over 227,000 New Jersey jobs. The Promoting Tourism to Enhance our Economy Act is a responsible way to bring additional jobs and revenue into not just the state of New Jersey but the entire country.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364712,Jacob Ostreicher Back in the U.S.A.,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Jacob Ostreicher, an American businessman imprisoned without formal charges for 20 months in Bolivia, then detained for nearly other year, is finally back in the United States, said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), a leading human rights advocate in Congress. “We are overjoyed that he is free,” Smith said. “It has been a long, painful road for Jacob and his family. He needs time to restore his health and rebuild his life, and he needs time with his family. A great injustice has been done to him from which he may never fully recover.” “I thank Sean Penn for his tireless work to free Jacob,” said Smith, who held a May 2013 congressional hearing at which Penn testified. Two and a half years ago, Jacob was imprisoned on unsubstantiated allegations. Bolivian officials employed delay tactics and gave excuses for his continued detention. No evidence has been presented to indicate that Mr. Ostreicher is guilty of any crime. And there is no sign of the $27 million in assets from his rice farming operation that were confiscated.
PHOTO: Following Smith’s May 20, 2013 congressional hearing on Jacob's plight, Smith and Penn discuss the case.
Smith visited Ostreicher—whose daughter and grandchildren live in Smith district—twice in Bolivia. Bail was denied for over 18 months, but finally granted in December 2012. Smith visited him in June 2012 in the notorious Palmasano, a prisoner-run prison, and met with Bolivian officials to seek his release. In December 2012, Smith led a bipartisan congressional delegation to continue to press for his freedom, accompanied by Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
Smith has held three congressional hearings on the case. Ostreicher is now especially frail, due in part to his hunger strike to protest his imprisonment. During his confinement, he began treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
During the June 2012 visit, Smith met with the Bolivian Minister of Government, Carlos Romero, to detail Ostreicher’s story of injustice, including repeated court delays and complete lack of evidence against him. Romero told Smith he would investigate Jacob’s treatment. Over the past year, numerous people have been arrested in the case on charges of corruption, including the legal adviser to the Ministry of Government, Fernando Rivera. Smith personally observed Rivera interfering in the June court proceedings. Bolivian media reported that Romero stated he first became interested in the case as a result of his meeting with Smith. Smith formally requested that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State of Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson personally intervene on Ostreicher’s behalf. After visiting with Ostreicher at the prison, Smith met with high-ranking Bolivian officials, including Minister of Government Romero, Minister of Justice Cecilia Luisa Ayllon and Vice Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Alurralde, to discuss the case. In August of 2012, Smith held a second hearing on Ostreicher’s case entitled “Seeking Freedom for American Trapped in Bolivian Prison.” Chairman Smith also introduced “Jacob’s Law” (H.R. 1778). Jacob’s Law would prohibit the travel of foreign officials and their families’ to the United States if those officials are known to be complicit in the violation of fundamental human and due process rights of Americans imprisoned in their home country.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-calls-extension-unemployment-insurance,Pallone Calls for Extension of Unemployment Insurance,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Tuesday, December 17, 2013, at 11:00 a.m., Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) spoke at the Puerto Rican Association for Human Development (PRAHD) in Perth Amboy, NJ about the importance of unemployment benefits for out-of-work New Jerseyans. Congressman Pallone discussed the urgent need to renew the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program, which provides up to 47 weeks of federally funded unemployment assistance, and is set to expire on December 28, 2013. Pallone called on Speaker of the House John Boehner to reconvene the House of Representatives to extend this critical lifeline to the long-term unemployed.
“It is unacceptable that the budget deal agreed to in the House last week did not include an extension of federal unemployment insurance,” said Congressman Pallone. “1.3 million Americans—and 90,000 New Jerseyans—should not be wondering how they will make ends meet this holiday season. Republicans are giving job seekers across the country a lump of coal in their stocking this year by turning their back on those who need assistance the most.”
Last week, Congressman Pallone, along with 176 House Democrats, sent a letter to Speaker Boehner urging him not to adjourn the House of Representatives for the year without extending vital unemployment insurance that is set to expire during the holidays, immediately cutting off aid to 1.3 million Americans. An additional 1.9 million Americans will lose their benefits in the first half of 2014 as their 26 weeks of state benefits run out.
The EUC program, authorized by Congress in 2008, has provided crucial support to the economy and to millions of Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. The EUC program provides up to 47 weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits when job seekers exhaust their 26 weeks of state administered aid.
Founded in 1974, the Puerto Rican Association for Human Development (PRAHD) aims to improve the social, economic, health and educational status of the surrounding community. Since its founding, the agency has grown and expanded to become a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certified comprehensive social service agency. PRAHD operates 16 programs that offer a wide range of services to more than 17,000 clients throughout Middlesex, Essex, Union, Monmouth and Ocean counties.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364832,The Record: Returning children,2013-12-16,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"IT'S RARE to see Congress agree on anything, so it was heartening to see a 398-0 vote Wednesday in the House of Representatives in support of a bill to help parents whose children were abducted by a spouse or other family member to live in another country. -There are existing laws that are supposed to help parents engaged in an international custody battle, such as the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. But the reality is that they aren't very effective. Rep. Chris Smith, a Republican from Mercer County, authored the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2013, which was unanimously approved in the House on Wednesday. It would increase the oversight on child abduction cases and give the State Department more power to help resolve them. David Goldman, of Tinton Falls, spent five years apart from his son, Sean, after the boy's mother took him to Brazil and her parents tried to win custody after the mother died. Smith pressured the State Department and made two trips to Brazil with Goldman. They eventually succeeded in getting Sean back after Sen. Frank Lautenberg said he would block action on a trade bill Brazil wanted. Most ""left-behind parents,"" as they're called, haven't been as fortunate as Goldman. Smith said that each year, more than 1,000 international child abductions are reported to the State Department's Office on Children's Issues. Some of these are military members whose service keeps them from being able to attend legal proceedings in the United States or abroad. Smith said that according to State Department reports, only about half of the children abducted to countries that are part of the Hague Abduction Convention are returned. And the percentage is less than 40 percent when the children are taken to countries without treaty obligations to the U.S. The bill would make it clear that reuniting parents with their children is a priority for the U.S. government. Part of its guidelines would require the State Department to file an annual report on the number of abductions and which countries have shown a pattern of non-cooperation. The bill grants the president the power to authorize an escalating series of actions as deemed necessary to resolve an abduction case. These include: a public condemnation, a delay or canceling of scientific or cultural exchanges, denying or canceling state visits and holding back development or security assistance. The last item in the list of actions allows the president to order U.S. agencies to withhold licenses to export goods or technologies to a country that continues to be uncooperative with efforts to resolve international child abductions. Originally published at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/235973401_The_Record__Returning_children.html#sthash.6D2WOy53.dpuf",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364361,"Asbury Park Press page one'Child abduction bill passes House with no opposition'",2013-12-14,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Written by Malia Rulon Herman, Gannett News Service --
The House voted unanimously on Wednesday to pass legislation from Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey that aims to crack down on countries that harbor children abducted by a parent.
The bill was named for David Goldman of Tinton Falls, whose five-year fight to get his son back from Brazil drew international attention. Goldman’s son Sean was returned to him on Christmas Eve almost exactly four years ago. “Today, we have hope,” Goldman told reporters shortly before the vote. “Our abducted American children need to be returned.”
Smith’s bill passed 398-0, an impressive show of bipartisan support that Smith says should help the bill attract support in the Senate.
The bill would give the U.S. government authority to pursue sanctions — from a public rebuke to trade and credit suspensions — on countries that refuse to turn over abducted children.
Under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, parents are barred from fleeing to another country with their children until a court determines custody. Some 81 countries are signatories, but the treaty is rarely enforced.
Smith, a Republican, said he hopes his legislation creates a system in which countries are held accountable for failing to comply with court orders to return abducted children.
He was joined by Goldman and six other families who are struggling to get their children back from other countries. In an hour-long news conference that evoked tears from several present, the parents took turns telling their stories.
Bindu Philips of Plainsboro, N.J., said she was never apart from her children for more than a day until five years ago, when her ex-husband took them to India and blocked all efforts to have them returned.
“I have done everything I can in this nightmarish situation, and I will never give up,” she said..
Barton Hermer of Plano, Texas, told of struggling to get his daughter back from her mother, who fled with her to the United Kingdom.
“I plead to you, to the media, to the government, please stand behind us,” he said, choking back tears. “These are our most precious citizens and they need to be brought home immediately.” Goldman’s son, Sean, remains the only U.S. child to be returned under the Hague treaty. He was 9 when he came home in 2009 and is now 13.
After taking Sean, who was then 4, to Brazil, Goldman’s wife remarried, then died in childbirth. Her death sparked an international custody battle that ended with Sean’s emotional return to the U.S..
Goldman has remarried and is raising Sean along with his wife’s two young sons. He described Sean as a well-adjusted, 5-foot-10-inch eighth grader who loves to play basketball and go fishing, and has an incredibly messy room.
“He made the basketball travel team and also the school team,” Goldman gushed, flipping through photos of Sean on his phone before flashing one of Sean holding a fish he caught on a recent deep-sea fishing trip.
Goldman said their years apart couldn’t break the bond between him and his son, but there are lingering effects. He said he’s still in debt after years of legal battles. He described Sean as “wise beyond his years.”
“He knows what happened,” Goldman said. “We talk about it.”
As Christmas Eve approaches, the fourth anniversary of Sean’s return, Goldman said he’s reminded of how lucky he is.
Originally Dec. 12, 2013 published at:
http://www.app.com/article/C0/20131212/NJNEWS10/312120012/Child-abduction-bill-passes-House-no-opposition?nclick_check=1",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364359,"Fox News ChannelSmith Presses Cases of Americans Held in Iran",2013-12-13,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"FOX NEWS -
The wife of an American pastor imprisoned for his faith in Iran said she was shocked to learn the U.S. government had been conducting secret negotiations with Iran even as State Department officials told her they could do little to free her husband because the nations have no diplomatic relations. Naghmeh Abedini, whose husband, Saeed Abedini, is serving an eight-year prison term in Iran after being arrested more than a year ago while visiting his homeland, told FoxNews.com she felt betrayed when she later learned U.S. diplomats were negotiating a nuclear agreement with Iran even while claiming nothing could be done for her husband. “Initially, when I went to the U.S. government, they said we don’t have a direct relationship with Iran,"" Naghmeh Abdeini said, moments after telling a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee her husband's health is failing in prison. ""Here we were sitting across table from Iran. It was our best leverage. It should have been a precondition.""""Here we were sitting across table from Iran. It was our best leverage. It should have been a precondition.""
""Here we were sitting across table from Iran. It was our best leverage. It should have been a precondition.""- Naghmeh Abedini, wife of American imprisoned in Iran. The Boise, Idaho, mother of two said her husband's relatives in Iran have been able to meet with him sporadically, and have given her grim news about his condition. She said the imprisoned American's father saw Abedini 10 days ago and reported that has internal bleeding from repeated beatings at the hands of guards and fellow inmates and was covered with lice. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who chairs the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, said ""time is running out"" for Abedini, who experts believe would be unlikely to survive eight years in Iran’s brutal prison system.
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
Smith said Abedini and two other Americans being held in Iran should have been the first order of business when U.S. and Iranian diplomats sat down for talks, sometime earlier this year. ""You begin every conversation with it; it should be center of every conversation and every conversation should end with it,” Smith told FoxNews.com. “How can we have a discussion with any regime when they are torturing our citizens?"" Earlier, lawmakers on the panel heard the distraught wife detail her fears for her husband and the heartbreak she and their two children feel due to his absence. ""His condition has worsened and the kids and I fear his life,"" she said, before holding up a photograph of her children on their first day of school. ""Tears were streaming down my face as I got the kids ready for school with their father missing."" Abedini ""went to Iran to build an orphanage for Iranian children last year"" and ""remains in an absolute hell-hole prison,"" Smith told the committee. A U.S. State Department official. ""We continue to have serious concerns about the fate of a dual national U.S.-Iranian detained in Iran Saeed Abedini,"" the official said. ""As we noted previously, President Obama raised Mr. Abedini’s case in his Sept. 27 phone call with President [Hassan] Rouhani and we continue to urge the Iranian government to release Mr. Abedini so that he may be reunited with his family. ""We have been repeatedly clear that we are calling on Iran to release all detained U.S. citizens and we will continue our efforts until Saeed Abedini, Amir Hekmati, and Robert Levinson all return home,"" the official added. Abedini converted from Islam to Christianity more than a decade ago, and was previously sanctioned for evangelizing in Iran. But the 34-year-old father of two claims he had only returned to his native land to help establish an orphanage when authorities pulled him off a bus in August of 2012 and threw him into the notorious Evin prison in Tehran.
He was later sentenced to eight years and has since been moved to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, a prison known to house Iran’s most violent criminals. His supporters say he has been beaten and tortured in the prison. According to reports, Rajai Shahr Prison was built to accommodate 5,000 inmates, but at present houses about 22,000, which has led to severe overcrowding and inhumane conditions. `Hekmati, a U.S. Marine who went to Iran to visit his grandparents, was charged with spying and sentenced to death. Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in March, 2007, while investigating cigarette smuggling on the Kish Islands. Iran has said they are not holding Levinson, but U.S. officials believe otherwise.
Lisa Daftari is a Fox News contributor specializing in Middle Eastern affairs.
Originally Published ar:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/12/wife-american-pastor-held-in-iran-blasts-obama-administration-for-not-doing/",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sires.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sires-votes-to-normalize-the-budget-process,Sires Votes to Normalize the Budget Process,2013-12-13,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Albio Sires,S001165,sires.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, D.C)- Last night, Congressman Sires voted in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 and Pathway for Sustainable Growth in Medicare Reform Act of 2013 (H.J. Res. 59). This resolution was a blueprint for future budgets. The bipartisan budget agreement caps topline discretionary spending for the current fiscal year at $1.012 trillion, and provides $63 billion in sequestration relief over the next two years.
“While this agreement is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction in preventing manufactured budget crises that has plagued Congress for the last several years. I am particularly pleased that this deal not only increases funding for defense measures, but also increases funding for critical non-defense domestic programs, such as Head Start and the National Institutes of Health. Furthermore, savings in this agreement are not done at the expense of programs that families and seniors depend on - the bipartisan deal does not cut one penny from Medicare, Social Security, or Medicaid benefits,” expressed Congressman Sires.
Specifically, the agreement includes approximately $85 billion in mandatory savings and non-tax revenue. It accomplishes this through a number of deficit-reduction provisions, including a small increase in retirement contributions by new Federal employees and a tiny increase in security-related fees charged by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Overall, the agreement would reduce the deficit by $23 billion over the next ten years. In addition, the proposal would prevent a 24 percent scheduled cut in Medicare reimbursements to physicians through a small incremental increase in payments to doctors that accept Medicare through March 31, 2014. Repealing the scheduled cut will ensure that seniors continue to have access to their health care providers.
“Unfortunately, one glaring omission from this agreement is a proposal to extend unemployment insurance (UI) to the long term unemployed. Not only is extending unemployment insurance the right thing to do, but it is also good for the American economy. I have cosponsored H.R. 3546, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2013, which would extend EUC payments for eligible recipients through January 1, 2015. I will continue to fight for the extension of unemployment benefits as we go forward,” stated Congressman Sires.
H.J.Res. 59 is now under review before the Senate.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364230,Fate of American Pastor Held in Iran Focus of House Hearing,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The plight of imprisoned Iranian-American Saeed Abedini was the topic of a congressional hearing Thursday chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees global human rights issues. “As we speak, Pastor Abedini remains imprisoned in Iran, sharing a cell with violent criminals who have more than once surrounded Pastor Abedini as he tried to sleep, wielding knives and threatening his life,” Smith said. “Saeed Abedini is an American citizen. He went to Iran last year to build an orphanage for Iranian children.” Abedini, who lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife and two children, had been arrested in Iran before, but released and told by the government he could enter and exit the country for humanitarian aid work if he agreed to cease pastoring house churches. Abedini accepted that proposal–but Iran did not uphold its end of the agreement. He was arrested in July 2012, imprisoned, and unjustly tried for sharing his religious beliefs and thereby supposedly undermining the security of Iran. The trial was not public, and he and his attorney were barred from participating in key portions of the trial—following which a judge sentenced him to 8 years in prison. His appeals have been denied. “In prison, he has been repeatedly beaten, denied medical care, and held in solitary confinement. While nuclear talks played out on the world stage—Iran moved Pastor Abedini to a prison notorious for housing the worst criminals in Iran, Rajai Shahr,” Smith said.Click here to read Smith’s statement. Despite international diplomacy and negotiations on its nuclear program, the Iranian government transferred him from a prison commonly holding political prisoners, Evin Prison, to the notoriously dangerous Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj for violent criminals. According to onerecent AP report, “Transfer to Karaj, customarily used to house violent criminals, has all too frequently been a de facto death sentence for political prisoners.” Naghmeh Abedini—wife of Pastor Abedini—testified about the persecution of her husband. “While I am thankful for President Obama’s willingness to express concern about my husband and the other imprisoned Americans in Iran during his recent phone conversation with Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, I was devastated to learn that the Administration didn’t even ask for my husband’s release when directly seated across the table from the leaders of the government that holds him captive,” she said. “My husband is suffering because he is a Christian. He is suffering because he is an American. Yet, his own government at least the Executive and diplomatic representatives has abandoned him. Don’t we owe it to him as a nation to stand up for his human rights, for his freedom?” Click here to read her remarks. Rep. Smith and other members also mentioned the U.S. government’s refusal to link the nuclear talks with the release of Pastor Abedini and two other Americans Bob Levinson, and Amir Hekmati, unjustly imprisoned in Iran. The hearing, “Iran’s Persecution of American Pastor Abedini,” was held jointly by the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations (chaired by Rep. Smith) and the Subcommittee Middle East and North Africa.
Witnesses, who focused on the plight of the imprisoned cleric and the need to protect religious freedoms, also includedDr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Vice Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; and Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director, American Center for Law and Justice, and; Dr. Daniel Calingaert, Executive Vice President of Freedom House. (Click on the names to read their testimony.) Click here to watch the hearing. The Iranian regime harshly persecutes Christians in particular, but also Sunni and Sufi sects of Muslims, and those of the Baha’i faith, Swett said. “Iran’s abuses against religious freedom and its unrelenting crackdown on religious minorities are deplorable and demand the world’s attention and action,” Swett said. “This is a matter of great urgency. We are concerned that the Iranian government may use the current interim agreement with the United States and other western nations on the nuclear issue to divert the world’s attention from the increasing mistreatment of Christians and other religious minorities throughout the nation. “If religious minorities in Iran ever needed a voice to condemn Iran’s abusive practices, it is now,” Swett said. “We hope that in his continued talks with Iranian President Rouhani, President Obama will lend his voice to the continued plight of Christians and other religious minorities, insisting that Iran demonstrate its commitment to peaceful intentions abroad by ceasing its war at home against its own people and their fundamental rights, including the right of freedom of religion or belief.” Sekulow said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has arbitrarily detained and imprisoned Pastor Saeed – subjecting him to violence and abuse. Violating both Iranian law and international norms, his trial lacked transparency and due process, and yet, the appeals court in Tehran upheld his conviction and eight year prison sentence. Pastor Saeed has exhausted all legal remedies in Iran to appeal this arbitrary conviction and detention – his freedom now rests solely on the success of diplomatic efforts by the U.S. government and world leaders dedicated to human rights.” Calingaert said, “In his campaign for the presidency of Iran, Hassan Rouhani repeatedly promised to release all political prisoners and to make a change ‘in favor of free speech and media freedom. The record of his first four months in office shows otherwise. He has yet to live up to these promises.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-announces-28-million-union-beach-and-middlesex-county-utilities-authority,Pallone Announces $2.8 Million for Union Beach and Middlesex County Utilities Authority Projects,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced that Union Beach and the Middlesex County Utilities Authority will be receiving more than $2.8 million in federal funding for continued projects as a result of Superstorm Sandy. The funding is being provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) via the Sandy aid package Pallone fought for in Congress.
“These grants help to lessen the financial hit that our local governments still face as communities continue to recover from Sandy,” said Congressman Pallone. “And as we work to rebuild, we have a unique opportunity to improve our public infrastructure so it is stronger and can withstand future storms. I am grateful that FEMA recognizes the importance of these ongoing efforts in New Jersey.”
This award provides $1,527,218.16 in federal funding to Union Beach for costs associated with loading, hauling and disposing of debris after Superstorm Sandy. Superstorm Sandy hit Union Beach particularly hard and federal assistance is critical to its efforts to rebuild and recover.
The Middlesex County Utilities Authority will also receive $1,340,015.46 in federal funding to provide bypass pumping for the Sayreville sewage treatment plant that was damaged as a result of Superstorm Sandy. This grant is in addition to the $1.1 million that the Middlesex County Utilities Authority was awarded in January 2013 to repair the damaged pump station and install and operate a surge diversion facility to minimize surges to the pump station in the event of a future storm. The station pumps sewage from 30 municipalities in Middlesex and Somerset Counties.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20140222035723/http://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-votes-ryan-murray-bipartisan-budget,LoBiondo Votes For Ryan-Murray Bipartisan Budget,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today issued the following statement after voting in favor of the Ryan-Murray Bipartisan Budget – agreed to by Representative Paul Ryan (WI-01) and Senator Patty Murray (WA) - which sets discretionary federal spending for fiscal years 2014 and 2015:
“Whether it was meeting with members of our Chambers of Commerce, visiting local employers or speaking with county and municipal officials, the message I heard for the past couple of years has been the same: the uncertainty coming from Washington stymies economic growth and job creation. This budget provides the long-term stability and fiscal certainty businesses and local governments have pleaded for. It represents a realistic compromise on discretionary spending levels to ensure military readiness and national security while protecting life-saving research and infrastructure investments from additional cuts. And it prevents another government shutdown while demonstrating Congress’ ability to come together on critical issues for Americans and our economy.
“As we look to 2014, it is my sincere hope that the bipartisan spirit and results continue to other critical issues such as deficit reduction, preserving Medicare and Social Security, immigration reform and tax reform. We’ve taken a small, but important first step with this bipartisan budget – I hope we continue to move in the right direction towards increasing economic growth while decreasing the nation’s $17 trillion debt.”
The last budget passed by a divided government – where Republicans control one chamber of Congress while Democrats control the other - was during President Reagan’s tenure in 1986. Today’s bipartisan budget, approved by the House 332 to 94, will now be considered by the Senate.
# # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364038,‘Left-Behind’ Parents to Watch Int’l Child Abduction Vote in House,2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Spring Lake, NJ
Avon-By-The-Sea, NJ
Bay Head, NJ
Belmar Marina, NJ
Fisherman's Memorial - Point Pleasant, NJ
Manasquan Inlet, NJ
Monmouth Battlefield State Park, NJ",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364208,"House Debates, Votes 398-0 to Approve Congressman Smith’s International Child Abduction Bill",2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"“Left-behind” parents came from across the country to watch as Members of the House of Representatives voted to unanimously pass a bill to help bring home American children abducted to overseas destinations, said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), the author of the legislation and chairman of the House congressional panel which oversees human rights. “The bill gives us continued hope that our elected officials grasp the enormity and the severity of this ongoing injustice and pail inflicted upon these victim families torn apart because their American children have been ripped from their loving arms,” said David Goldman, of Monmouth County, N.J., who waged a five-year battle to get his son back from Brazil. He is one of the lucky parents. H.R. 3212, the “Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2013,” passed 398-0. Smith has held several hearings on the heartbreaking cases of left-behind parents of American children abducted to India, Japan, Egypt, India, Brazil, Russia, England and other countries where far too few of the thousands of U.S. kids held wrongfully overseas are returned. Not all countries have signed The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the standing international treaty to try to address parental abductions via a civil framework that provides for the quick return of abducted children, and access rights to both parents. Sadly, even Hague signatories, like Brazil, often don’t enforce its provisions. “Mr. Speaker, more than one thousand international child abductions are reported to the State Department’s Office on Children’s Issues—the Central Authority of the United States—each year. Between 2008 and 2012, 7,000 American children were abducted, according to the State Department,” said Smith, who has been pushing for over three years to see the bill brought out of committee and to the House floor for passage. “In order to ensure that the administration has maximum flexibility in advancing solutions, the President is given generous waiver authorities. The bill also encourages the Secretary of State to seek opportunities to enter into an Memorandum of Understanding with non-Hague Convention countries and establish protocols to identify, locate and effectuate the return of an abducted child as well as access issues. In order to ensure more robust accountability and the potential of successful interventions, the bill significantly beefs up reporting. “I urge passage,” Smith told his colleagues on the House floor. “Abducted children and left-behind parents need this legislation now. “ Click here to read Smith’s floor remarks. At a press conference before the vote, parents from across the country spoke out in favor of the bill. Left-behind parents traveled from across the country to watch the debate and the vote, including Goldman; Arvind Chawda, father of two whose children were abducted to India; Paul Toland, father of a daughter abducted to Japan; Cheryl Shirley, grandmother of the four children abducted in Brazil; Bindu Philips, mother of children abducted to India; Barton Hermer, father whose child was abducted to U.K., and; Dennis Burns, father of two children taken to Argentina. “H.R. 3212 is not [just] a bill, it is a hope for all left-behind parents that they will be reunited with their children someday,” said Chawda of Edison, N.J., who would like to see the Senate act quickly. “I am hoping 100 percent this will be done.” Phillips, whose husband denies her any contact with her two children, has lived with abduction for five years. Until that day in 2008, she had never gone a single day without being with them. “I will never give up,” Phillips said. “I shall always be thankful and grateful to Congressman Smith who has become a champion in seeking justice for the cause of international child abductions. “I really hope that this legislation will pass,” she said. “It means so much to me and all the left- behind parents who are longing to be with our children. I will always love Albert and Alfred. I hope this legislation will reunite us soon.” The bill now heads to the Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://payne.house.gov/press-release/payne-urges-speaker-boehner-bring-unemployment-insurance-extension,Payne Urges Speaker Boehner to Bring Up Unemployment Insurance Extension,2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Donald Payne,P000604,payne.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) joined 165 House Democrats today in a letter urging Speaker John Boehner not to adjourn the House for the year without bringing up an extension of federal unemployment insurance, which is scheduled to expire December 28. If federal unemployment insurance expires, it will immediately cut off all jobless aid to 1.3 million Americans, with an additional 1.9 million Americans who would lose eligibility for coverage in the first half of 2014. In New Jersey, it means more than 90,300 people will cease to receive unemployment insurance almost immediately, with an additional 89,100 losing such benefits in the first six months of 2014. For a state-by-state breakdown of the effects, click here. One hundred and sixty-six House Democrats today are sending the following letter to Speaker Boehner urging him to immediately bring up an extension of federal unemployment insurance and to not adjourn the House for the year until he does:
December 11, 2013
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
H232, U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Boehner:
We write to urge you to address the looming expiration of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans before adjourning Congress for the remainder of the year. Without swift Congressional action, 1.3 million jobless workers will have their benefits cut off on December 28th, and nearly another 1.9 million will lose their unemployment benefits over the first half of next year. This would not only be a devastating blow for millions of Americans who are already struggling, but it would also hurt our economy.
The Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program is scheduled to immediately and completely stop at the end of 2013, during the holiday season, with the last payable week ending on December 28th. All current EUC beneficiaries will lose their benefits, and individuals exhausting their limited state unemployment benefits will no longer be eligible for EUC benefits in 2014. This cutoff will affect over 3 million Americans over the next six months, and thereby also negatively impact our economic growth. In fact, recent estimates indicate that the expiration of the EUC program would cost our economy 310,000 jobs and drain roughly four-tenths of a percentage point from first-quarter economic growth.
While unemployment benefits remain a critical lifeline for dislocated workers and their families, these benefits have recently been significantly scaled back. According to the Congressional Research Service, the total amount of weeks of unemployment benefits has dropped by more than a third across the states, and by more than 50 percent in some states, compared to two years ago. Furthermore, the recipients have seen their weekly benefit payment provided by the EUC program cut under sequestration.
Even with the progress our economy has seen since the depths of the recession, there are still 1.3 million fewer jobs today than when the recession started six years ago. Additionally, approximately 4 million Americans are considered long-term unemployed, and have been looking for work for more than six months. Now is certainly not the time to further decimate vital federal assistance to workers who have lost their job through no fault of their own and who must actively seek work in order to be eligible for unemployment benefits. We therefore strongly urge you to immediately bring up a one-year extension of the current EUC program.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.
Sincerely,
Sander Levin
Barbara Lee
Lloyd Doggett
Steny H. Hoyer
James Clyburn
Xavier Becerra
Joe Crowley
Steve Israel
Robert Andrews
Karen Bass
Joyce Beatty
Ami Bera
Sanford Bishop, Jr.
Tim Bishop
Earl Blumenauer
Suzanne Bonamici
Robert A. Brady
Bruce Braley
Corrine Brown
Julia Brownley
Cheri Bustos
G.K. Butterfield
Lois Capps
Michael Capuano
Tony Cardenas
Matt Cartwright
Joaquin Castro
Kathy Castor
Donna M. Christensen
Judy Chu
David Cicilline
Yvette Clarke
Wm. Lacy Clay
Emanuel Cleaver
Steve Cohen
John Conyers, Jr.
Gerald E. Connolly
Jim Cooper
Jim Costa
Joe Courtney
Elijah E. Cummings
Danny K. Davis
Peter DeFazio
Diana DeGette
John Delaney
Rosa L. DeLauro
Suzan DelBene
Ted Deutch
John D. Dingell
Donna F. Edwards
Keith Ellison
Eliot L. Engel
William Enyart
Anna Eshoo
Elizabeth H. Esty
Sam Farr
Chaka Fattah
Bill Foster
Lois Frankel
Marcia L. Fudge
John Garamendi
Alan Grayson
Al Green
Gene Green
Raul Grijalva
Michelle Lujan Grisham
Luis V. Gutierrez
Janice Hahn
Colleen Hanabusa
Alcee L. Hastings
Denny Heck
Brian Higgins
James A. Himes
Ruben Hinojosa
Rush Holt
Michael Honda
Steven Horsford
Jared Huffman
Hakeem S. Jeffries
Henry C. ""Hank"" Johnson, Jr.
Marcy Kaptur
William Keating
Joseph P. Kennedy, III
Daniel Kildee
Derek Kilmer
Ron Kind
Ann Kirkpatrick
Ann McLane Kuster
James R. Langevin
John B. Larson
Sheila Jackson Lee
John Lewis
Daniel Lipinski
Dave Loebsack
Alan S. Lowenthal
Nita Lowey
Ben Ray Lujan
Stephen F. Lynch
Carolyn Maloney
Carolyn McCarthy
Betty McCollum
Jim McDermott
James P. McGovern
Patrick E. Murphy
Grace F. Napolitano
Gloria Negrete McLeod
Rick Nolan
Gregory Meeks
Michael H. Michaud
George Miller
Gwen Moore
James P. Moran
Jerrold Nadler
Richard E. Neal
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Beto O’Rourke
Frank Pallone, Jr.
Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Ed Pastor
Donald M. Payne, Jr.
Ed Perlmutter
Gary C. Peters
Chellie Pingree
Pedro R. Pierluisi
Mark Pocan
David Price
Mike Quigley
Nick J. Rahall
Charles Rangel
Cedric Richmond
Lucille Roybal-Allard
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
Bobby L. Rush
Tim Ryan
Linda T. Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez
John P. Sarbanes
Janice D. Schakowsky
Adam B. Schiff
Allyson Y. Schwartz
Brad Sherman
Robert C. ""Bobby"" Scott
Jose E. Serrano
Terri A. Sewell
Carol Shea-Porter
Kyrsten Sinema
Albio Sires
Louise M. Slaughter
Jackie Speier
Mark Takano
Bennie Thompson
Mike Thompson
John F. Tierney
Dina Titus
Paul Tonko
Marc Veasey
Nydia Velázquez
Chris Van Hollen
Juan Vargas
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Maxine Waters
Melvin L. Watt
Henry A. Waxman
Peter Welch
Frederica Wilson
John A. Yarmuth
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363902,Violence in Egypt Is Focus of Hearing on Int’l Human Rights Day,2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Human rights abuses against Coptic Christians, moderate Muslims and other religious minorities, and the threats to stability and peace in Egypt were among the topics of a congressional hearing held by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees global human rights issues, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, the anniversary of the founding of International Human Rights Day. “It is fitting that we are holding this hearing today, on International Human Rights Day, because we are witnessing grievous violence and other abuses directed against religious and political minorities, particularly the Copts and other Christians, about which our government and the media has said far too little—which seems to be a pattern world-wide,” Smith said. “After President Mubarak resigned in February of 2011, the world hoped for a new Egypt, a just government for all Egyptians, which would not make President Mubarak’s mistakes—but reality has been just the opposite.” Smith said horrific anti-Christian persecutions have taken place under each of the post-Mubarak governments. “For some of these abuses, the governments bear the responsibility of inaction. For others they bear direct responsibility. In recent months, undercurrents of abuse and contempt for human dignity long existing in Egypt have turned into flash floods of violence.” Click here to read Chairman Smith’s opening remarks or click here to view video of his opening statement. “Human Rights Abuses in Egypt,” a joint hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, offered witnesses on the role of moderate Muslims, the plight of the Coptic minority and the need to protect religious freedoms. Smith’s hearing included testimonies from Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom; Tad Stahnke, Director of Policy and Programs, Human Rights First; Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., Vice Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; Samuel Tadros, Research Fellow, Center for Religious Freedom, Hudson Institute, and Dr. Morad Abou-Sabe, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University (Former President of Misr University for Science & Technology). Click on names to read their testimonies. “The events of June 30, 2013 in Egypt, which resulted in the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, were in response to the massive and unprecedented protests by the Egyptian People,” said Abou-Sabe. “Morsi’s overthrow was supported and facilitated by the Egyptian Military. Since Morsi’s ouster, the US-Egyptian relations have gone through abrupt changes that threatened and continue to threaten the special relationship between the two countries. Click here to read Abou-Sabe’s testimony. “As Egyptian Americans, we are keen on seeing Egyptian democracy built on the same values we have in the US, where separation of Church and State is one of the bedrocks of our democracy, we aspire to have that be the system of choice for Egypt and all Egyptians,” Abou-Sabe said. The significance of Human Rights Day and the planned hearing on the day proclaimed in 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly as ‘Human Rights Day’ was not unnoticed by Bishop Angaelos, who is in Washington to testify. “This day was chosen to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the tenets of which are at the core of this testimonial statement, and are the entitlement of every Egyptian and every member of our shared humanity,” Bishop Angselos said. “Christians in Egypt have been suffering persecution and marginalisation, even before the uprising. In its aftermath however, this suffering has intensified significantly. The frequency in attacks on Christians and other religious minority groups, their communities and places of worship is increasingly disturbing. Carried out by radical elements in society, these attacks are not merely on individuals but on the Christian and minority presence in its entirety. Those intolerant to religious minorities are partly enabled by the breakdown in law and order and the growing culture of impunity that Egypt has witnessed in previous years. Moreover, the persecution of religious minorities over the past decades has not manifest itself solely in physical attacks, but has frequently been embedded in process and policy, then translated into dealings with citizens on unequal grounds, inevitably having resulted in greater division and marginalisation. It is not only Christians who suffer marginalisation, persecution and attacks, but other religious minorities such as Bahá’is, Jews and Muslim minorities such as Sufi’s and Shiites.” Click here to read the Bishop’s opening remarks for the hearing.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-calls-governor-christie-use-aca-funds-outreach-and-education-new-jersey,Pallone Calls on Governor Christie to Use ACA Funds for Outreach and Education in New Jersey,2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) sent a letter to Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), calling on him to immediately use the funds from the federal grant awarded to New Jersey under Section 1311 of the Affordable Care Act. Congressman Pallone called on Governor Christie to use the approximately $7.5 million that the state was awarded for outreach and education on the ACA and to facilitate enrollment in the new health care marketplace that opened on October 1, 2013. These measures could help more New Jerseyans get access to the coverage they need at no cost to the state.
Below is the full text of the letter:
December 10, 2013
Governor Chris Christie
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
Dear Governor Christie:
I am writing to urge you to immediately re-scope the federal grant awarded to New Jersey under Section 1311 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would allow the state to help educate New Jerseyans about the ACA, as well as facilitate enrollment in the new health care marketplace that opened on October 1, 2013.
It is critical that you take action on behalf of New Jersey families to find appropriate ways to spend the approximately $7.5 million that the State has access to. While this money may not be enough to reach each and every family in need, it can be a great start in telling New Jerseyans about their health coverage options.
There is a clear need for outreach and education in New Jersey, and these funds can facilitate this at no cost to the state. In addition, any further delay in this outreach could cost many families the ability to get coverage by January 1, 2014. While the federal marketplace enrollment period will end on March 31, 2014, families must sign up by December 23, 2013 in order to get coverage on the first day of the New Year.
New Jersey families deserve their health care needs to be met, and not using these grant funds endangers the opportunity for New Jerseyans to benefit from affordable, quality health insurance that is available as a result of the ACA.
The ACA is the law of the land, and every day it is helping more people get access to the coverage they need – some for the first time. I urge you to spend this grant funding so that New Jersey families can realize the full benefits of the law.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress
6th District of New Jersey
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sires.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-sires-statement-on-former-south-african-president-nelson,Congressman Sires’ Statement on former South African President Nelson Mandela,2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Albio Sires,S001165,sires.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, D.C.)- Today, Congressman Sires released the following statement on the passing of former South African President Nelson Mandela:
“Today, I mourn along with those around the globe on the passing of Nelson Mandela,” Congressman Sires said in a statement. “As we live on we should continue to be reminded of Madiba’s legacy of freedom and equality not just today but every day.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363857,Int’l Human Rights Day Tues. Dec 10,2013-12-09,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The threats to stability and peace in Egypt will be the topic of a congressional hearing Tuesday chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees global human rights issues. “Human Rights Abuses in Egypt,” is the title of a joint hearing to be held before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations and the Subcommittee Middle East and North Africa. Witnesses will focus on role of moderate Muslims, the plight of the Coptic minority and the need to protect religious freedoms. Who: Chairman Smith, and other members of the House subcommittees, and witnesses:
Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., Vice Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom
Samuel Tadros, Research Fellow, Center for Religious Freedom, Hudson Institute
Dr. Morad Abou-Sabe, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University (Former President of Misr University for Science & Technology)
Tad Stahnke, Director of Policy and Programs, Human Rights First
When: Tues., Dec. 10 at 9 a.m.
Where:
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2172 (first floor)
The significance of Human Rights Day and the planned hearing being held on the day proclaimed in 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly as ""Human Rights Day"" was not unnoticed by Bishop Angaelos, who is Washington to testify.
“This day was chosen to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the tenets of which are at the core of this testimonial statement, and are the entitlement of every Egyptian and every member of our shared humanity,” Bishop Angselos said. “Christians in Egypt have been suffering persecution and marginalisation, even before the uprising. In its aftermath however, this suffering has intensified significantly. The frequency in attacks on Christians and other religious minority groups, their communities and places of worship is increasingly disturbing. Carried out by radical elements in society, these attacks are not merely on individuals but on the Christian and minority presence in its entirety. Those intolerant to religious minorities are partly enabled by the breakdown in law and order and the growing culture of impunity that Egypt has witnessed in previous years. Moreover, the persecution of religious minorities over the past decades has not manifest itself solely in physical attacks, but has frequently been embedded in process and policy, then translated into dealings with citizens on unequal grounds, inevitably having resulted in greater division and marginalisation. It is not only Christians who suffer marginalisation, persecution and attacks, but other religious minorities such as Bahá’is, Jews and Muslim minorities such as Sufi’s and Shiites.” Click here to read the Bishop’s opening remarks (EMARGOED UNTIL 9 a.m. Dec. 10), for the hearing. “Tragically, the promise and hope of Egypt’s ‘Arab Spring’ have not yet brought about basic human rights to the Egyptian people, such as religious freedom, freedom of expression and association, and due process of law,” said Smith (NJ-04). “This hearing will examine human rights violations in Egypt today, and how Christians and other religious minorities, as well as moderate Muslims, continue to be victimized. It is appropriate to hold this hearing on International Human Rights Day.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-calls-attention-sudden-cardiac-arrest-children-and-young-adults,Pallone Calls Attention to Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Children and Young Adults,2013-12-09,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) visited South Plainfield Middle School in South Plainfield, NJ to increase awareness among parents, schools and health professionals of pediatric cardiomyopathy and the risk of sudden cardiac arrest Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) that many children face. He also discussed the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Risk Assessment and Training in the Schools (HEARTS) Act, which Congressman Pallone reintroduced in February 2013.
“Cardiomyopathy is a silent killer, and unfortunately it has struck right here in central New Jersey,” said Congressman Pallone. “Raising awareness is the first step and the HEARTS Act can help prevent these tragic deaths.”
Congressman Pallone was joined by Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-NJ), Lisa Yue, founding executive director of the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation, which she and her husband established after losing two children to cardiomyopathy. Lisa Salberg, CEO and Founder of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association was also in attendance along with the Torok family, whose daughter, Anna, lives with dilated cardiomyopathy.
SCA is the leading cause of death on school property. The HEARTS Act was introduced following the death of two young student athletes in Middlesex County. The Congressman attended a game honoring the two students in September 2010 in Edison called “Helmets for Hearts.” The event also helped spread the word about cardiomyopathy, while encouraging families to get their children tested.
The bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control, and national patient advocacy and health professional organizations to develop educational materials and resources on cardiomyopathy for public awareness and distribute materials to schools, teachers and parents. It also will encourage schools to be aware of and prepared for a cardiac emergency.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20140222035801/http://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-joins-effort-protect-volunteer-fire-companies-negative-consequence-obamacare,LoBiondo Joins Effort to Protect Volunteer Fire Companies from Negative Consequence of Obamacare,2013-12-09,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"MAYS LANDING, N.J. – Facing a serious threat to future operations of volunteer fire departments in South Jersey and across the country by a provision in Obamacare, U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) has petitioned the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel to issue agency guidance that would prevent companies from having to “dissolve or convert to paid departments in order to shift the costs to their municipal government.”
LoBiondo, a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, also outlined a possible solution to ensure volunteer emergency personnel and the communities they serve are protected. LoBiondo was made aware of the issue by local municipal officials working with South Jersey fire chiefs to ensure compliance with Obamacare. LoBiondo is looking at legislative options with his colleagues in the event that the IRS does not take corrective action.
The full text of LoBiondo’s letter to the Acting IRS Commissioner is as follows:
December 6, 2013
Dear Acting Commissioner Werfel:
It has come to my attention (as an active member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus) that many of my colleagues are trying to get clarification about the effects of the Employer Shared Responsibility Provisions (ESRP) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on our volunteer emergency responders. Therefore, I too would like to be on the record with my serious concern about the unintended consequences this portion of the PPACA may have on a vital segment of our communities.
In particular, I have heard from volunteer fire departments in my district that if the PPACA “is interpreted to require that volunteer companies provide health benefits, it would seem that the companies would either have to dissolve or convert to paid departments in order to shift the costs to their municipal government.” I think you would agree that this outcome would be detrimental to those municipalities that rely on these heroes day in and day out to provide services their local governments are unable to afford as full-time paid positions.
Therefore, I urge you to officially release guidance that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will recognize these nominally compensated first responders as non-employees of the agencies they are associated with, for the purposes of the ESRP of the PPACA.
As others have outlined to you, there is currently a definition within the Fair Labor Standards Act which allows for volunteers to receive “paid expenses, reasonable benefits, a nominal fee, or any combination thereof, for their service without losing their status as volunteers.” I urge you to consider this as a solution, as it is already a long-standing and widely recognized definition.
If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office. I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=3,"Senators Menendez, Booker Announce More Than $1.5 Million for New Jersey Highway Safety",2013-12-09,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Cory Booker,B001288,www.booker.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 9, 2013
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has awarded $1,568,292 to the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
These grants can be used to implement systems to promote, track, and enforce seatbelt and child seat safety programs, ignition interlock and impaired driving prevention programs, motorcyclist safety programs, and efforts to improve New Jersey's traffic safety information systems. The funding will be distributed to programs designed to reduce highway deaths and injuries from drunk driving, unsafe operation of a motorcycle, and riding unrestrained or improperly restrained in motor vehicles.
“These federal funds will help make New Jersey’s roads safer for drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists,” said senator Menendez. “New Jersey’s economy depends on reliable means of transportation, and each of these grants will help strengthen our transportation system while safeguarding our loved ones by putting an end to preventable and senseless roadway incidents.”
“These federal grants will enable important investments that will make New Jerseyans safer, improving the vital arteries necessary for doing business and supporting jobs throughout the state,"" Sen. Booker said.
The funding was awarded through the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety received:
$938,546.75 for Impaired Driving Countermeasures.
$342,160.57 to support Occupant Protection based on identified problems.
$257,976.67 in Traffic Safety Information Systems grants.
$29,608.11 to Support Motorcyclist Safety based on identified problems.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364039,Smith Criticizes U.N. Security Council for Delaying ‘Truly Effective Action’ on the Central African Republic,2013-12-06,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The United Nations Security Council yesterday passed a watered down resolution transitioning responsibility of the African-led International Support Mission in the Central Africa Republic (MISCA), to the African Union (AU) while postponing preparations for a United Nations-led Peacekeeping Mission by at least three months, said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who chaired a recent congressional hearing on the crisis in the Central Africa Republic (CAR). “In effect, the Council has deferred taking truly effective action, the result of which will likely be not only lost time, but also lost lives,” Smith said. “We have been down this road before.” Smith noted that in August 1997, the Security Council approved an AU-led Mission for the Surveillance of the Bangui Accords, MISAB, coupled with French military support, to restore order in the CAR. By January 1998, the mission proved incapable of fulfilling its mandate, France scaled back its presence, and the U.N. was left with the “only viable option” of deploying a half-hearted and poorly-funded U.N. peacekeeping operation. Smith called for “a robust effort to get ‘blue helmets’ – U.N. peacekeepers with a U.N. Charter mandate – on the ground in the CAR.” “Nothing to precludes us from working simultaneously to get this under U.N. auspices while at the same time supporting African forces that are already on the ground,” though he noted that three civil society witnesses at his recent congressional hearing on the troubled nation, including a CAR bishop, believed that the existing forces were ineffective and had called for deployment of U.N. peacekeepers as soon as possible. “If the international community is serious about its commitment to stop genocide, and ‘Never Again’ is to be more than a bumper-sticker sentiment, this is the moment to get it right,” Smith said. “Yes: we must provide rapid and robust support the AU and French mission to ensure their success, but we must also be as prepared as possible should they falter. These efforts are not mutually exclusive. The Security Council should immediately begin preparations for a rapid transition of MISCA into a robust UN peacekeeping operation with the mandate and resources necessary to protect civilians from mass atrocities and restore immediate stability.” Smith held a Nov. 19 hearing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations entitled “Crisis in the Central African Republic” featured Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Robert P. Jackson, Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State; Bishop Nestor-Désiré Nongo-Aziagbia, Bishop of Bossangoa in the CAR; Search for Common Ground, and; Human Rights Watch. Click here to read their testimony. At the hearing, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jackson cited reports that five to ten women per day are being raped, violence that continues with “total impunity” since not one accused rapist has yet to be brought to justice. He also stated concern about the continued activity of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in southeastern CAR, where in 2013 the LRA has continued to commit attacks against civilians, Jackson said. According to U.N. sources, from January to September 2013, presumed LRA fighters committed 21 attacks, resulting in 33 deaths and 128 abductions in the CAR. An estimated 21,000 Central Africans remain internally-displaced and over 6,000 are living as refugees as a result of the LRA threat. The United States continues to support efforts by the regional forces of the AU Regional Task Force to end the LRA threat and bring its top commanders to justice.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363582,Daughters Call on Obama/Biden to Seek the Release of Their Fathers,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Amid powerful and often emotional testimony, five young women appealed to Vice President Joe Biden, who is now in China, to bring their unjustly-imprisoned fathers’ plights to the attention of the Chinese government, and seek their release. They spoke passionately at a hearing held by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and chair of its subcommittee on global human rights. “I join with my fellow sisters here today to request Vice President Biden to ask Chinese leaders to release our fathers, and to request an Oval Office meeting with President Obama to share our stories,” said Lisa Peng, daughter of Peng Ming. “I know that my dream to be reunited with my father and my father’s dream for his country can come true with your support, persistence, and affirmation of the universal and fundamental values of our country: freedom, democracy, and justice."" As a second child to her parents, she dodged the nation’s brutal one-child policy, which forces women to undergo abortions against their will for such reasons as failing to have a birth permit, being an unwed mother-to-be or being a second child. “Because I was a survivor of the one-child forced abortion policy I was considered a non-entity, couldn’t go to school and even when my mom would drive my brother to school and I was in the car, the government would have four secret police tailgate us and bump into us as we were driving to school,” Peng told the panel. “There was no future for me in China. The fact that I safely escaped and was accepted by the United States, and respected in classrooms, and my voice was heard in classrooms, and I have opportunities—unimaginable opportunities—to do whatever I want in the future and to give back to the community that has given me so much—that’s what makes me feel so grateful and hopeful every day.” Peng, who came to the U.S. in 2001 as a political refugees with her father, an environmentalist, an economist, author and a human rights activist, said he was lured by eight Chinese secret police to the border of Thailand and Burma and kidnapped in 2004. After nearly 10 years in prison suffering heart attacks, arthritis, malnutrition, and kidney stones with no medical care, her father perseveres and remains hopeful. “The Chinese government today is in the business of breaking minds, bodies and hearts,” said Smith. “When China bullies, incarcerates, tortures—and even executes—a prisoner of conscience, their entire family and friends suffer an excruciating sense of loss, bewilderment, emotional pain and agony. Often members of the family are themselves subjected to interrogation, mistreatment and house arrest in order to amplify the hurt. In a very real sense, everyone close to a prisoner of conscience goes to jail and lives a seemingly unending nightmare. Every day, family and friends are left to wonder what terrible abuse awaits dad or mom or a brother or sister or child. Every day, the tears flow. Click here to read Chairman Smith’s opening remarks, made at a hearing entitled, “Their Daughters Appeal to Beijing: ‘Let Our Fathers Go!’”
Testifying were Lisa Peng, daughter of Peng Ming; Grace “GeGe” Geng, daughter of Gao Zhisheng; Ti-Anna Wang, daughter of Wang Bingzhang; Bridgette Chen, daughter of Liu Xianming, and; Danielle Wang, daughter of Wang Zhiwen. Also testifying were Bob Fu, Founder and President, ChinaAid Association; Chen Guangfu, in the U.S. from China for the hearing, the brother of blind human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng and father of Chen Kegui, and; Devra Marcus, M.D., physician and activist. Click here to read summary of witness biographies. Grace “GeGe” Gao, daughter of human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng said she was grateful she has for the past five years been living in the country with the most freedom in the world, but still feels pain in her heart because of her father’s imprisonment. “Freedom has not yet come to my dad, so it still has not genuinely arrived for me and my whole family,” said Grace Gao. “I wish that President Obama and Vice President Biden could mention about my father’s name Gao Zhisheng in public occasions and urge the immediate release of my father without conditions. I wish that staffs from US Embassy in China could go to visit my father in the prison. It has been almost a year now that no family or lawyer visit was allowed to see my father.” Gao said policemen took her to school every day, and went in and sat behind her in the classroom. They even went in the restroom with her and did not let her close the door. Her three-year-old brother was escorted to the kindergarten in the police car as well, and his classroom was the only kindergarten room with a surveillance camera. Gao said she wished people in the world could write postcards to her father. Though he could not see what they say, but the Chinese communist regime “will hear our voice.” The “concern and care for my father is the greatest protection over him.” Bridgette Liu recalled the plight of her father, Liu Xian Bin, as a daughter and a witness, and asked the Vice President Joe Biden to help. “My father has been in prison three times which totals up to 14 years because of his political views,” said Bridgette Liu, noting that when he was temporarily released from prison in 2008, it was so hard for him to believe that she had already grown up. He was again taken away from her life by the policemen in 2010. Liu told the congressional panel, at one point invoking the spirtit of Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence: “I sincerely ask the U.S. Government, Mr. Biden, and the President to [have] more concern of the families of prisoners of conscience and help us to free our fathers! And I ask for an Oval office meeting with President Obama for a more direct and detailed conversation in order to reunite our families.” Ti-Anna Wang, born in 1989 and named after the Tiananmen Square democracy movement and massacre, called attention to the plight of her father, Dr. Wang Bingzhang a political prisoner currently serving a life sentence and in solitary confinement in China. Her father is a New York-based permanent U.S. resident and a prisoner in the 11th year of a life sentence for his prodemocracy activism. He was kidnapped in Vietnam and forced back into China where he was taken into custody by Chinese police and convicted in a sham trial. “I unabashedly ask the leaders of the US government, including President Obama, Vice-President Biden, Secretary of State Kerry, and Ambassador Powers to seize all diplomatic opportunities with China to seek the release of our fathers,” TiAnna Wang said. “I believe high-level diplomacy is our fathers’ best chance for freedom, and their releases must be discussed on occasions such as Vice-President Biden’s recent trip to Beijing. “I ask the Obama administration to meet with the five of us and listen to our first hand experiences as witnesses of China’s human rights abuse,” Ti-Anna Wang said. “I want our stories and our efforts to be heard, acknowledged, and taken into serious consideration when the US devises its foreign policy.” “Here in the United States, many families are getting ready to gather for Christmas and New Year’s,” said Danielle Wang, whose father Zhiwen Wang is one of the millions of Falun Dafa practitioners in China under persecution by the Chinese government. “In China, we would be starting to look forward to Chinese New Year. But this time of year is always bittersweet for me, because of the painful absence in my family since my father’s summary arrest and detention in July of 1999. “A lot happens in 15 years,” Danielle Wang said. “Being away from Dad and growing up without him has been so hard. I hope that the decisions I’ve made in my life would make him proud. At my wedding we placed a single rose on his chair to symbolize his presence and celebrate his place in my life. I continue to keep that rose safe and present until the day we meet again and I can hand it to him and tell him the story of how he has always been with me.” Click here to read all the witnesses’ statements. “Far too many of us who live in freedom often fail to exert ourselves in a meaningful way to assist prisoners of conscience and their loved ones—in China and elsewhere,” Smith said, co-chair of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China. “Far too many of us fail to empathize with their plight. Or to see what’s just below the façade of the purported harmonious society. The repression is systematic, pervasive, unrelenting and unnecessary—the people of China love their nation and deserve better treatment.”
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http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363707,Smith on passing of Nelson Mandela,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Smith on passing of Nelson Mandela
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Washington,
Dec 5, 2013
Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), a longtime human rights advocate in Congress, released the following statement on the death of Nelson Mandela:
""It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Nelson Mandela,"" Smith said. ""President Mandela waged a long and arduous struggle to end the racist policy of apartheid. In prison for 27 years, he chose the path of truth and reconciliation over violence and famously said that ‘as I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.’"" A senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Smith is chairman of the House Africa, Global Health , Global Human Rights and International Organizations Subcommittee.
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http://lobiondo.house.gov/event/new-years-day-2,New Years Day - Offices Closed,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"New Years Day - Offices Closed
Start:
January 1, 2014
End:
January 1, 2014
Dec 5, 2013",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://lobiondo.house.gov/event/second-session-113th-congress-convenes,Second Session of 113th Congress Convenes,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Second Session of 113th Congress Convenes
Start:
January 7, 2014 6:30 pm
End:
January 7, 2014 6:30 pm
Location:
US Capitol, Washington, DC
Dec 5, 2013",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://payne.house.gov/press-release/payne-statement-passing-president-nelson-mandela,Payne Statement on the Passing of President Nelson Mandela,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Donald Payne,P000604,payne.house.gov,,,legacy,"Newark, N.J. – Today, Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) released the following statement after the passing of Nelson Mandela:
“Nelson Mandela was a hero for social justice and a model of leadership for me and leaders around the globe. Born during the years of apartheid, he was a resilient democratic leader, peacemaker, and inspiring fighter for racial equality. President Mandela never let his 27 years in prison deter him from doing what he knew was right by ending apartheid and bringing democracy to the country that he loved.
“Even in the face of extreme adversity, he has proven that with a noble cause and an eternal will, one person can change the tide of oppression, an entire country, and the world. Whether it was during his 27 years in prison or during his time as President of South Africa, he has demonstrated exceptional strength, supreme moral courage, and principled forgiveness. People all around the world suffering from oppression, hatred, and discrimination will forever be grateful for the incredible leadership of Nelson Mandela.
“Although I did not have a chance to meet President Mandela, he has always been a role model to me and likewise was an inspiration to my father. I am thankful for his tireless years of service, and for being an example of true leadership. My condolences and prayers go out to the Mandela family and to the country of South Africa as the entire world mourns such a great loss. Although Madiba is gone, his work and the imprint he made on this world will never be forgotten.”
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http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363453,Daughters of China Plea for Release of their Fathers,2013-12-04,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The congressional hearing “Their Daughters Appeal to Beijing: ‘Let Our Fathers Go!’” will be held by Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04), head of the global human rights subcommittee in the House of Representatives, and co-chairman of the U.S. Commission on China. Who: Chairman Smith, (NJ-04) co-chair of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on
China, Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and chair of its subcommittee on global human rights; other members of the subcommittee, and witnesses: *Lisa Peng, Daughter of Peng Ming
*Grace Ge Geng, Daughter of Gao Zhisheng
*Ti-Anna Wang, Daughter of Wang Bingzhang
*Bridgette Chen, Daughter of Liu Xianming
*Danielle Wang, Daughter of Wang Zhiwen
*Bob Fu, Founder and President, ChinaAid Association
*Chen Guangfu, Brother of Chen Guangcheng and father of Chen Kegui
*Devra Marcus, M.D., Physician and Activist What: “Their Daughters Appeal to Beijing: “Let Our Fathers Go!”” When: Thursday, Dec. 5 at 11 a.m. Where: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building (first floor).",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363743,Cong. Smith Greets 'Teacher of the Year',2013-12-04,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Cong. Smith Greets 'Teacher of the Year'
Monmouth County professor one among only 36 across USA to receive honor
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Dec 4, 2013
Brookdale Community College’s Linda Wang, Professor of Mathematics (center) was recently honored in a Washington DC ceremony in which she and 36 other teachers across the country were selected for the prestigious Professor of the Year award offered by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The program salutes “the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country—those who excel as teachers and influence the lives and careers of their students.”
Nominated by her peers and students Professor Wang was selected for both her dedication to the academic success of her students as well as the lasting mark she left on those who she interacted with. In addition to teaching a broad number of math courses at Brookdale—ranging from pre-Algebra to Calculus—Professor Wang also serves as the Faculty Advisor for the Asia Society at Brookdale Community College. Professor Wang is also one of the Founding Members of the Diversity Council at Brookdale which helps to bring awareness of diversity and promote the understanding and respect of individuals’ different cultures and backgrounds.
In her nomination packet, former students noted that Professor Wang made remarkable impacts on their lives. A former student said about Professor Wang’s Math 091 class: “It was in my math class, where I gained the confidence needed to be a successful student. It was in my math class, where I learned perseverance and never to give up. It was in my math class that I saw the dedication of a teacher, I’ve tried to emulate over the years since I joined the ranks of the teaching profession.” A colleague noted that “Linda exemplifies the community college mission—she is dedicated to teaching excellence. In the early 1990s, Linda took the lead in using links to websites and videos to make her classes more enjoyable… .” Following the award ceremony Professor Wang and BCC Math Department Colleague Barbara Tozzi (right) met with Rep. Smith (left) and discussed the importance of higher education—both in the United States and globally—in the function and advancement of civil society. They also discussed ongoing human rights abuses in China including the plight of many jailed dissidents.
Smith, a senior member of Congress, represents large parts of Monmouth, Mercer and Ocean counties including Brookdale Community College’s Main Campus in Lincroft. He is the Dean of the New Jersey Delegation, and is chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee's global human rights subcommittee, and Co-Chairman of the Congressional Executive Commission on China.
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http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-recognizes-22nd-anniversary-nagorno-karabakhs-movement-towards-liberation,Pallone Recognizes 22nd Anniversary of Nagorno Karabakh's Movement Towards Liberation,2013-12-04,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC — On Tuesday, December 03, 2013, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) recognized the Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s movement towards liberation. An event in the Capitol building was organized by the Congressional Armenia Issues Caucus, of which Congressman Pallone is the co-chair and founder, in cooperation with the Armenian Embassy, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic office in the U.S. and Armenian-American organizations to mark the anniversary. It has been 22 years since the referendum in Nagorno Karbakh took place and the nation adopted its constitution.
Congressman Pallone welcomed Nagorno Karabakh Republic Speaker Ashot Ghoulian as the event’s keynote speaker, along with Armenian Ambassador Tatoul Markarian. Nagorno Karabakh’s representative Robert Avetisyan, who helped organize the event, was also in attendance. The leaders discussed the ongoing commitment to democracy and freedom in Nagorno Karabakh, and the importance of U.S. support in the region.
“For the past 22 years, Nagorno Karabakh has firmly demonstrated its commitment to democratic values and has proven to be a reliable partner to the international community,” said Congressman Pallone. “Tonight’s event is an opportunity to commend Nagorno Karabakh’s meaningful contribution to regional stability and continued pursuit of restoring a war torn economy, strengthening a blossoming democracy, and promoting continued development and prosperity of an independent republic.”
In 1991, as Armenia and Azerbaijan followed most soviet states in succession from the USSR, Nagorno Karabakh also voted to succeed. In an internationally monitored referendum, the Nagorno Karabakh population overwhelmingly voted to establish an independent Nagorno Karabakh Republic, currently known as NKR. However, the territory is still not recognized internationally.
Congressman Pallone has called for NKR’s international recognition and official separation from Azerbaijan as a solution to the regional conflict and continued violence against the people of Nagorno Karabakh. He has also advocated for U.S. foreign aid to be provided to NKR in support for important projects that help rebuild infrastructure and public works programs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20131206021954/http://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-larsen-applaud-committee-passage-their-sleep-apnea-legislation-ensure-safety,"LoBiondo, Larsen Applaud Committee Passage of Their Sleep Apnea Legislation to Ensure Safety of the Skies",2013-12-04,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Subcommittee on Aviation Chairman Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (WA-02) today applauded committee passage of their bipartisan legislation (H.R. 3578) to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducts an open rulemaking process before making changes to medical certification requirements for pilots with sleep disorders.
“Safety remains my and the subcommittee’s top priority. While sleep apnea has never been identified as a primary cause or contributing factor of an aviation accident, health issues can arise unexpectedly which is why I have always supported reasonable, effective, and proactive efforts to improve aviation safety,” said Chairman LoBiondo. “Should a revision to existing policies on sleep disorders be warranted, then the FAA should engage in an open rulemaking process to ensure all viewpoints, including those of medical experts, are heard and carefully considered.”
“When it comes to flying, safety is my top priority,” Ranking Member Larsen said. “The FAA needs to address the issue of sleep apnea in an open and transparent way that lets all stakeholders and safety experts provide input. I thank Chairman LoBiondo for his leadership on this issue and I look forward to working with the FAA, pilots, airlines and others to continue making flying safer.”
Current FAA requirements dictate a pilot or air traffic controller diagnosed with sleep apnea to report their condition and seek treatment. The Aviation Medical Examiners Guide – a comprehensive document detailing the FAA’s medical certification regulations, dispositions, and protocols – includes an established process that provides the FAA with the authority to issue or re-issue an airman medical certificate to an applicant that is diagnosed with sleep apnea. After a review process, the FAA ultimately decides whether or not to issue a medical certificate.
In November, FAA officials announced their intent to subject all pilots with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more - who might be at risk of having a sleep disorder even in the absence of any clinical evidence - to potentially expensive testing and evaluation. The FAA also indicated their intention to eventually broaden this policy to apply to air traffic controllers and possibly to pilots with a lower BMI. The LoBiondo-Larsen legislation approved today does not prohibit the FAA from implementing new medical certification requirements for sleep apnea. It does, however, require the agency to conduct an open rulemaking process if they choose to propose new sleep disorder requirements.
Modeled after similar legislation (H.R. 3095) signed into law on October 15th affecting commercial truck drivers, H.R. 3578, introduced by LoBiondo and Larsen with Representatives Larry Bucshon (IN-08), Daniel Lipinski (IL-03) and Sam Graves (MO-06) as original cosponsors, was marked up and approved by the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure today. It now heads to the full House for consideration.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363333,Smith Chairs Hearing on State of Victims in Philippines from Typhoon,2013-12-03,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The typhoon-ravaged Philippines, the findings of the bipartisan congressional delegation (CODEL) led by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) to the Philippines from Nov. 22-26, and the responses of U.S. government and international aid organizations were the focus of a hearing on Tuesday before the House global health panel chaired by Smith. Super-typhoon Haiyan made its first landfall November 8th with wind speeds of 195 mph, making it the strongest storm in history at the time of landfall. An estimated 13.2 million Filipinos have been affected by the catastrophic storm that claimed thousands of lives and leveled homes, towns and entire cities, and 3.4 million people who lived directly in the typhoon’s path are now internally displaced. “I led a congressional delegation to the Philippines to witness the devastation unleashed by Typhoon Haiyan—known locally as Typhoon Yolanda—and to gain a better understanding of the unmet needs going forward,” said Smith, Chairman of the global health subcommittee on the Foreign Affairs Committee. “I met with numerous survivors who told us heartbreaking stories yet radiated a calm and inner peace. One man told us how his father drowned only a few feet from where we stood and how he had stoically carried many waterlogged dead bodies to a mass grave. He said he nearly collapsed emotionally, however, when he carried the lifeless body of a three year-old girl. He said he just broke down, overwhelmed, and felt he could continue no more. Yet amazingly, a few hours later, there he was—determined to rebuild and overcome and full of faith in God. ” Smith summed up the morale of the survivors by employing the words of by Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu who said, “the Typhoon was the strongest in the world…but our faith in the Lord is even stronger…no calamity or natural devastation can quench the fire of our hope. The Filipino soul is stronger than Yolanda.” Click here to read Smith’s opening remarks. Click here or on image below to view video of statement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA195quM2ps&feature=player_embedded
On the CODEL, Smith was joined by Reps. Trent Franks (AZ-08) and Al Green (TX-09). They met with U.S. military personnel, U.S. government aid leaders, and non-government organizations on the ground. “The Philippines is a major American ally and trading partner. There are an estimated 350,000 Americans living in the Philippines, and 4 million Filipinos living in the United States. We have an important stake in seeing that our friends and neighbors in the Philippines can recover from this devastating storm,” Smith said. Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator from Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), was the lead witness. “Thank you also for your continued support for our humanitarian programs around the world, which make a positive difference every day in the lives of millions,” Lindborg said. “I’d also like to especially thank Chairman Smith for leading a Congressional Delegation to visit our response efforts in the Philippines firsthand. “I traveled to the Philippines one week after the storm made landfall. During my visit, I saw staggering devastation, but I also saw the kind of hope and humanity that somehow manages to surface in times of crisis,” Lindborg said. “And I saw a comprehensive relief effort in full swing. I arrived on day eight, on a U.S. military C-130 carrying life-saving supplies that were then dispatched from the Tacloban Airport to surrounding areas and loaded on U.S. military Osprey and Black Hawk helicopters to reach locations further afield.” Sean Callahan, Chief Operating Officer for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) testified that the CRS presence in the Philippines is its oldest continuously operating country program, prompted by the mass destruction and loss of life in the Philippines during World War II. More recently it responded to the earthquake in the Bohol province in October 2013. “Our assessment found that people’s most urgent needs included shelter, water, hygiene and sanitation, and food, “Callahan said. “As we meet these needs, large amounts of debris still keep families from returning to their homes, and pose public health threats if not addressed soon.” Chris Palusky, Senior Director, Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs at World Vision, thanked Smith for holding the hearing. “For years you have worked tirelessly on behalf of vulnerable people around the world, especially children,” Palusky said. “You have led important legislation aimed at protecting children in the United States and around the world, prioritizing initiatives designed to strengthen child protection systems. An essential element has been recognizing that children caught up in emergencies are significantly less vulnerable when responses strive to rebuild the informal and formal systems meant to protect children and their families. Congressional oversight can help strengthen the efforts of the U.S. Government and humanitarian community and Congressional engagement. This hearing offers a timely opportunity to examine how efforts to date address the needs and aspirations of the disaster-affected families in the post-typhoon context.” Click here to read their testimonies or watch the hearing. Click here to watch the CSPAN library video.
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http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363344,"Of 112 Obamacare Plans for Congress and Staff, 103 are Pro-Abortion",2013-12-03,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"With a December 9th deadline for Members of Congress and congressional staff to sign up for Obamacare health insurance, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) released new evidence of President Obama violating pro-life laws and providing taxpayer funding for insurance plans that include abortion on demand. “In the run-up to passage of Obamacare, Americans were repeatedly told and reassured by President Obama himself, including in a speech to a joint session of Congress in October 2009, that ‘under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortion.’ Obama even issued the infamous Executive Order that claimed, ‘the Act maintains current Hyde Amendment restrictions governing abortion policy and extends those restrictions to newly created health insurance exchanges,’” said Smith. “Once again we see those promises ring hollow—what the President said simply isn’t true today. In the most recent example, 103 of the 112 insurance plans that Members of Congress and congressional staff are being directed to INCLUDE ELECTIVE ABORTION coverage. Only nine plans offered exclude elective abortion,” Smith continued. (Click here to view flyer regarding the nine plans.) Congressional employees have until just Dec. 9, 2013 to sign up for an employer-sponsored insurance plan on the Obamacare exchange offered in the District of Columbia (DC Health Link). Doubtlessly many congressional staff will—knowingly or unknowingly—sign up for these abortion plans marking a distinct departure from the Smith Amendment, a longstanding law prohibiting abortion coverage in plans provided to federal employees. The amendment offered by Chris Smith three decades ago to ban abortion funding in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Programs is still current law. Like the Hyde Amendment, the Smith Amendment prohibits the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from funding or even engaging in administrative activities in connection with any plan that includes abortion. However, the Obama Administration is now violating the Smith amendment since OPM has begun to administer a system for Members of Congress and their staff to obtain taxpayer-subsidized insurance coverage that pays for the destruction of innocent unborn children. “Only in response to public pressure did D.C. Health Link release a FAQ explaining how to decipher which plans exclude elective abortion coverage. To date, Secretary Sebelius has failed to provide any information about abortion coverage in plans sold in dozens of states on the Federally Facilitated Marketplace– even after promising to do so over a month ago,” said Smith. “This failure to disclose is a problem indicative of Obamacare plans nationwide and is why I have introduced the ‘Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act’ (H.R. 3279), a bill that requires information regarding either inclusion or exclusion of abortion coverage as well as the existence of an abortion surcharge to be ‘prominently displayed.’ To rid Obamacare of its massive expansion of abortion-on-demand facilitation and funding, I have also introduced the No Taxpayers Funding for Abortion Act, (H.R. 7),” Smith continued. “Abortion isn’t health care — it kills babies and harms women. We live in an age of ultrasound imaging — the ultimate window to the womb and the child who resides there. We are in the midst of a fetal health care revolution, an explosion of benign interventions designed to diagnose, treat and cure the youngest patients,” said Smith. “Once again it is clear that Obamacare’s abortion mandate violates federal law and makes taxpayers complicit in the culture of death. This is not reform,” said Smith.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363179,Smith CODEL to Philippines in Wake of Typhoon to Be Focus of House Hearing,2013-12-02,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The findings of the bipartisan congressional delegation led by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) from Nov. 22-26 to the typhoon-ravaged Philippines, and the responses of U.S. government and international aid organizations, will be the topic of a congressional hearing on Tuesday before the House global health panel chaired by Smith. Who: Congressman Smith, Chairman of the global health subcommittee on the Foreign Affairs Committee; other Members of the subcommittee and the Smith CODEL and; witnesses:
Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Sean Callahan, Chief Operating Officer, Catholic Relief Services
Chris Palusky, Senior Director, Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs, World Vision
What: “The United States’ Post-Typhoon Response in the Philippines”
When: Tuesday, Dec. 3 @ 3 p.m.
Where: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building on the first floor.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-calls-boost-support-hunger-and-nutrition-programs-federal-budget-elijah%E2%80%99s,"Pallone Calls for Boost in Support of Hunger and Nutrition Programs in Federal Budget at Elijah’s Promise Soup Kitchen, New Brunswick",2013-12-02,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"New Brunswick, NJ – On Monday, December 2nd, 2013 at 10:30 a.m., Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) visited Elijah’s Promise in New Brunswick, New Jersey, decrying cuts to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) on the heels of House Republicans’ latest effort to disable the program. In September, Republican leadership in the House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill to cut roughly $39 billion from the SNAP program over the next decade.
Pallone was joined by New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill, Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, Lisanne Finston, Executive Director, Elijah’s Promise and Adele LaTourette, Director, New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition.
“In the wealthiest country in the world, it is unacceptable to allow our children and families to go hungry,” said Congressman Pallone. “SNAP is our nation’s most important anti-hunger safety net program and is one of the most effective and efficient federal programs, with one of the lowest – if not the lowest – rates of fraud, waste and abuse. The Republicans’ never ending effort to dismantle this program is cruel and does not reflect our values as a nation.”
""New Brunswick works in partnership with its residents on a mission to lead a healthy lifestyle, and it is critical to the overall health of a community to ensure that all its residents have access to nutritious and affordable foods,"" New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill said. ""Instead of building a sustainable and just food system that provides the hungry and less fortunate with access to fresh, quality food - because all people should have access to good food – the additional $39 billion cut in SNAP funding is contrary all that a caring nation should stand for.""
""Freedom from hunger needs to be an inalienable right of every American and it should be incumbent upon the federal government to support programs for millions in our nation who are struggling to meet their basic needs, especially in tough economic times. The $39 billion in cuts come at an especially difficult time for New Jersey, where we have experienced a sharp increase in poverty in the past few years with more than 2 million, or 25 percent of our state's population reported to be living in poverty, according to a report released in September. I support Congressman Pallone and House Democrats in calling for a proposal to eliminate the GOP cuts to SNAP. It is the right thing to do and is in keeping with our principles as a humane society and a responsible government, said"" Assembly Deputy Speaker Upendra J. Chivukula (D-Somerset\Middlesex).
According to the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition, 394,240 children in New Jersey were living in food insecure households in 2011. More than 15% of Americans, including 22% of all American children, live in poverty. SNAP provides a basic nutrition benefit to many low-income Americans, including senior citizens and children, and has largely eliminated severe hunger and malnutrition in the United States. The Republican effort to further cut SNAP would mean more Americans, including children, will go hungry and malnourished, and an influx of pressure would be put on our community soup kitchens. The $39 billion in SNAP cuts would come on top of $5 billion in across-the-board SNAP benefit cuts that already went into effect on November 1st due to an expiring provision included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that provided a modest boost in SNAP benefits. Pallone and House Democrats are pushing for a proposal to eliminate the GOP cuts to SNAP as the House and Senate work on a compromise version of the Farm Bill, which funds the program.
Elijah’s Promise is a community soup kitchen, culinary arts school, catering business, and pay-as-you-can café that connects low-income individuals and families with social and health services. Elijah’s Promise serves 100,000 meals per year and trains previously unskilled workers for careers in the food service industry.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363072,FEMA OK’s $1.747M for Belmar Marina Facilities Destroyed by Superstorm Sandy,2013-11-27,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Sandy-battered community of Belmar will be receiving additional help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is awarding a $1.747 million grant to help pay for marina buildings, bridges, decks and other associated facilities damaged by Superstorm Sandy, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) said today. This latest Belmar grant follows previous federal funding totaling over $9 million for replacement of the boardwalk also destroyed as a result of Superstorm Sandy. Both grant awards are authorized under Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Act. “As someone who has been going to Belmar since I was a young boy, I can easily envision how these improvements will change the Belmar waterfront which was nearly unrecognizable to me when I first saw it days after Superstorm Sandy hit,” said Smith. “Boardwalks and marina facilities are the critical for many Jersey Shore towns, and rebuilding them and restoring them is essential to recovery.” The grant will help fund nine construction sites, four of which are completed and the others underway. “The switch from a 75-25 percent federal-local cost share to a 90-10 split will obviously make a huge difference for the people of Belmar and the town’s budget,” Smith said, who earlier this year took a lead role in obtaining $60 billion in federal disaster relief funding for Superstorm Sandy victims. He later pressed FEMA to fund 90 percent of municipal clean-up and rebuilding costs, instead of the standard 75 percent. At a June meeting with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate in Smith’s Washington Office, Smith asked for 90-10 federal share for FEMA funding for Belmar and other towns. Fugate approved the 90 percent ratio several weeks later. The higher cost share resulted in $290,000 additional aid in this grant.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363073,FEMA OK’s $2 Million+ Grant for Water Pump Station Destroyed by Superstorm Sandy,2013-11-27,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The South Monmouth Regional Sewage Authority (SMRSA) is slated to receive a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help pay for the replacement of the Lake Como Water Pump Station that was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. This new funding follows over $1 million previously received by SMRSA for damages to the Authority’s Pitney Avenue Pump Station, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) said today. The grant will provide $2,083,016 in Federal funding to pay for 90 percent of the cost to replace the pump station, allowing it to be permanently relocated from 501 North Boulevard in Lake Como to a new site at 1800 Parkway in Lake Como. “This pumping station has had a long history of flood damages,” Smith said. “This funding will help move it to a location intended to avoid or minimize future impairments and service disruptions.” The grant award follows a review by FEMA that evaluated potential environmental impacts. “Sandy damaged critical infrastructure up-and-down the coast,” said Smith, who toured damage throughout Monmouth and other counties in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. “This grant undoes a poor location decision made back in the 1970s.” Superstorm Sandy submerged the pump station in five to six feet of water, shutting it down until a temporary bypass system was set up. Smith earlier this year took a lead role in obtaining $60 billion in federal disaster relief funding for Superstorm Sandy victims. At a June meeting in Smith’s Washington Office, Smith personally appealed to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to approve a 90 percent federal share for FEMA funding going to Jersey towns to pay for cleanup costs—instead of the initially planned 75 percent. Fugate approved the 90 percent ratio several weeks later. The higher cost ratio will provide the authority with an additional $347,000 for the project.
The South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority (SMRSA) provides sanitary sewer conveyance and treatment for Monmouth County’s coastal towns of Belmar, Lake Como, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, Sea Girt, Manasquan, Brielle, and Wall Township.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363075,"Star Ledger news articleWhile touring ravaged Philippines, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith's plane diverts for rescue effort",2013-11-27,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"By Darryl Isherwood/NJ.com The Star-Ledger -
While traveling in the Philippines with a congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith's plane was diverted to aid in a helicopter rescue, the representative's spokesman said today.
Smith was traveling in the Philippines, ravaged earlier this month by Typhoon Haiyan, to meet with victims, emergency workers, and U.S. and Filipino government officials.
During the trip, the U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules Smith was traveling in was diverted to pick up two survivors of a helicopter crash into Manila Bay. The C-130 crew, from Villamor Air Base, found the passengers floating in the water and dropped flotation devices for them.
While in the devastated country, Smith toured the devastation in Tacloban City and surrounding areas in Leyte.
""It's mind numbing and heart numbing,"" Smith said. ""I've been to many places around the world when there have been catastrophic typhoons hurricanes, earthquakes and even more. It is powerful to witness the Filipino people's resiliency in the face of devastation, in the face the loss of life.""
Smith said he saw the importance of meeting with victims face to face during Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed huge portions of the New Jersey coast as well as inland areas.
""We saw with Superstorm Sandy in my own state the devastation and the U.S. government—federal government—had our back because we needed it,"" Smith said. ""Friends here in the Philippines, they have to know that we have their backs and I think that's what USAID is doing - Catholic Relief Services and the other non-government organizations - so that's the message I take away from here.""
The typhoon that walloped the country earlier this month left behind a death toll of at least 5,200 people, though that number continues to climb. It was the strongest storm - in terms of wind speed - ever recorded at landfall.
Smith was joined on the trip by U.S. Reps. Al Green (D-TX), and Trent Franks (R-AZ).
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/11/post_46.html",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363078,"The TrentonianCongressman Chris Smith takes trip to devastated Philippines",2013-11-27,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Smith, who serves Hamilton and Robbinsville, traveled to the region impacted by Super Typhoon Haiyan, according to a release on Tuesday.
“Its mind numbing and heart numbing,” Smith said, “I’ve been to many places around the world when there have been catastrophic typhoons hurricanes, earthquakes and even more. It is powerful to witness the Filipino people’s resiliency in the face of devastation, in the face the loss of life.”
The former U.S. territory suffered a direct hit on Nov. 8 by what officials say is one of the strongest storms in history. More than 4,000 people were killed and an estimated 4.4 million people have been displaced. The food supply has been hit hard with the typhoon damaging over 375,000 acres of local agriculture, including staples like rice, corn, and other vegetables. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that one million farmers and fishermen have lost their livelihoods, no longer able to contribute to the food supply, according to the release.
The congressman joined Reps. Al Green (D-TX-09) and Trent Franks (R-AZ-08), and upon arrival the three met with Filipino Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.
Smith expressed to him that the U.S would continue working with his government to bring life-saving supplies, the release said. The American and Filipino peoples have had an enormous bond for “well over a century,” Smith said.
The delegates assisted in handing out clean water kits and other basic supplies to help mitigate the spread of water borne diseases.
“It’s all about generosity,” Smith said, “We saw with Superstorm Sandy in my own state the devastation and the U.S. government had our back because we needed it. Friends here in the Philippines, they have to know that we have their backs.”
At one point, the aircraft Smith was traveling in was diverted en route to pick up two survivors of a helicopter crash into Manila Bay. The crew located the two passengers of the helicopter floating on the water and dropped flotation devices for them.
As he was preparing to embark on the trip, Smith said there is value to boots-on-the-ground contact at disaster sites.
“You listen to the victims and talk directly to the people who are leading the humanitarian response efforts so you can see where there is an unmet need and how federal resources can help,” the congressman said.
According to the release, a significant part of the trip was planned to spend time at emergency humanitarian staging areas of Catholic Relief Services, World Vision and other relief agencies that work out the logistics of delivering food, clothing and other essentials to those who need it the most. http://www.trentonian.com/general-news/20131126/congressman-chris-smith-takes-trip-to-devastated-philippines",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362963,Rep. Smith Statement on Supreme Court Decision to Hear Religious Freedom Cases,2013-11-26,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman of the Congressional Pro-life Caucus, today released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to take up Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood’s Religious Freedom cases. “President Obama’s use of the coercive power of the state to force people of faith and people of conscience to violate their fundamental convictions or suffer severe penalty is unconscionable and violates the basic principles of religious freedom that are so central to our Constitution,” Smith said. “The Supreme Court’s decision to take up the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood cases gives reason to hope that they will provide much needed relief for family-owned businesses who find themselves in the impossible position of being forced to violate their moral or religious beliefs or face ruinous fines.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363074,"Washington Times Op-EdSMITH: Ensuring that Typhoon Haiyan doesn’t trigger a sex-trafficking epidemic",2013-11-26,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Typhoon Haiyan — perhaps the strongest tropical storm ever to make landfall — has shifted the international humanitarian-assistance machine into high gear.
On Nov. 22, I led a bipartisan fact-finding congressional delegation that included Reps. Al Green, Texas Democrat, and Trent Franks, Arizona Republican, and senior staff to the Philippines. We visited storm-ravaged areas, including Tacloban and Ormoc. In Manila, we visited government officials, church representatives and leaders of numerous nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). I plan on chairing a hearing in early December to report on our findings and to hear from experts on the next steps.
The United Nations has issued a worldwide immediate appeal for $301 million — an amount that is likely to increase. Emergency shelter, food, water and medicine are being shipped in to meet the needs of the approximately 10 million victims, including at least 4 million who have been displaced.
The U.S. government has spent or pledged almost $50 million to help. As was the case after the devastating 2004 tsunami, America has deployed an aircraft carrier — this time, the USS George Washington — and other military assets to provide emergency assistance.
Catholic Relief Services alone has committed $20 million to “assist people’s immediate needs for survival, and their long-term support for full recovery.” Two Sundays ago, Catholic churches throughout the United States collected funds to aid the victims.
However, there are two post-storm dangers that must receive immediate attention as well: the threat of epidemics and rising levels of human trafficking.
In natural disasters such as a typhoon, epidemics are likely a result of contaminated water systems and the breakdown of medical services. Diseases such as cholera, hepatitis A, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, typhoid fever, shigellosis, leptospirosis and polio are often seen. Crowded or other uncertain living conditions contribute to the kind of water contamination that breeds epidemics, and more than 707,000 houses were damaged or destroyed by this megastorm.
The specter of human trafficking requires serious integration of protection initiatives into both emergency relief and recovery efforts. This must be a very high priority. As the prime author of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, America’s landmark anti-human-trafficking law, I am deeply concerned that vulnerable women and children are at risk of being victimized by traffickers, who prey on the utter desperation of people suddenly placed in life-and-death situations and take advantage of the ensuing post-storm chaos. We’ve all seen the television images of Filipinos begging desperately for help or looting to survive. Many are at risk, especially women and children.
According to the current State Department report on human trafficking, the Philippines is a Tier 2 country, meaning it does not fully comply with the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking. It is a source country and, to a lesser extent, a destination and transit country for men, women and children caught in the web of sex trafficking and forced labor.
The 2013 State Department trafficking report cites an enhanced trafficking danger for Filipino children: “Child sex tourism remained a serious problem in the Philippines, with sex tourists coming from Northeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America to engage in the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Increasingly, Filipino children are coerced to perform sex acts for Internet broadcast to paying foreign viewers. An NGO reported an increasing risk of boys becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation.”
A robust zero-tolerance anti-human-trafficking initiative needs to be fully integrated into relief efforts.
As we endeavor to meet emergency needs, the world’s response to Typhoon Haiyan must include serious and sustained efforts to combat potential disease epidemics and the cruelty of sex trafficking. The arduous job of post-storm recovery requires no less of a commitment and resources over the longer term.
Rep. Christopher H. Smith, a New Jersey Republican, is chairman of the Foreign Affairs’ global health subcommittee.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363076,"NJ.com news articleN.J. Congressman tours typhoon-stricken areas in PhilippinesN.J. Congressman tours typhoon-stricken areas in Philippines",2013-11-26,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"After witnessing Hurricane Sandy’s impact on his own district, a New Jersey congressman is surveying a devastating typhoon’s damage half way around the world.
Congressman Chris Smith (R-4th) and his bipartisan congressional delegation traveled to the region impacted by Typhoon Haiyan to meet with victims of the typhoon, emergency workers and U.S. and Filipino government officials.
“You listen to the victims and talk directly to the people who are leading the humanitarian response efforts so you can see where there is an unmet need and how federal resources can help,"" Smith said in a Tuesday press release.
Smith is no stranger to disaster zones. He gained a working knowledge of on-the-ground disaster relief and response operations domestically and around the world, including during the 2004 Tsunami and most recently in New Jersey when parts of his congressional district were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
Smith, who is joined on the trip by Reps. Al Green (D-TX), and Trent Franks (R-AZ), saw for himself the typhoon's devastation in Tacloban City and surrounding areas in Leyte.
“It’s mind numbing and heart numbing,” Smith said. “I’ve been to many places around the world when there have been catastrophic typhoons hurricanes, earthquakes and even more. It is powerful to witness the Filipino people’s resiliency in the face of devastation, in the face the loss of life.”
Upon arrival, the Smith delegation met with Filipino Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario. Smith expressed to him that the U.S would continue working with his government to bring life-saving supplies. The American and Filipino peoples have had an enormous bond for “well over a century,"" Smith said.
Smith and the delegation toured much of the devastation and at some staging areas assisted in handing out clean water kits and other basic supplies to help mitigate the spread of water borne diseases.
“It’s all about generosity,” Smith said. “We saw with Superstorm Sandy in my own state the devastation and the U.S. government—federal government—had our back because we needed it. Friends here in the Philippines, they have to know that we have their backs and I think that’s what USAID is doing, CRS (Catholic Relief Services) and the other non-government organizations so that’s the message I take away from here.”
At one point, the U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules the Smith CODEL was traveling in was diverted en route to pick up two survivors of a helicopter crash into Manila Bay. The C-130 crew, from Villamor Air Base, located the two passengers of the helicopter floating on the water and dropped flotation devices for them.
“I am extremely impressed with U.S. servicemembers performing such critical humanitarian work,” Smith said.“USAID is doing a wonderful job - this is really a textbook example of how it should be done.”
The Philippines, a former U.S. territory, and one of the U.S.’s closet allies in the Far East, suffered a direct hit by one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in history on November 8. More than 4,000 people were killed and many more thousands were injured. An estimated 4.4 million people have been displaced.
Smith arrived in thed Philippines Saturday. Last week, he said that the U.N. has called for $301 million in worldwide humanitarian aid and the U.S. is among the donor nations offering assistance.
“The U.S. government has spent or pledged almost $50 million to help. Emergency shelter, food, water and medicine are being shipped in to meet the needs of the victims, many of whom have immediate relatives in the United States,” Smith said. “As was the case after the devastating 2004 tsunami, America has deployed an aircraft carrier—this time the USS George Washington—and other military assets to provide emergency assistance.""
Smith said secondary concerns in the storm’s aftermath are the threat of human trafficking and disease.
“However, there are two post-storm dangers that must receive immediate attention as well: the threat of epidemics and rising levels of human trafficking,” Smith said. ""The Philippines is a known source country for trafficking victims who are fooled by promises of careers in other countries. Now there is great concern for the protection of adolescent girls from scurrilous sex traffickers who will use the crisis to exploit these young women.
Smith also expressed concern for the added threat of typhoid and cholera and other diseases that can manifest in the storm’s aftermath.
""I’m hoping that those displaced by the storm will be properly protected from the epidemics that could ensue in the days and weeks that follow such a devastating natural disaster. Epidemics are likely due to contaminated water systems and the breakdown of medical services."" http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2013/11/nj_congressman_tours_typhoon-stricken_areas_in_philippines.html",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362842,"Smith Congressional Delegation Meets with Victims of Typhoon, Filipino Gov't",2013-11-25,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) and his bipartisan congressional delegation (CODEL) traveled to the region devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan, locally called Typhoon Yolanda, meeting with victims of the typhoon, emergency workers and U.S. and Filipino government officials. “It’s mind numbing and heart numbing,” Smith said. “I’ve been to many places around the world when there have been catastrophic typhoons hurricanes, earthquakes and even more. It is powerful to witness the Filipino people’s resiliency in the face of devastation, in the face the loss of life.”
Smith, who is joined on the trip by Reps. Al Green (D-TX-09), and Trent Franks (R-AZ-08), saw for himself the typhoon's devastation in Tacloban City and surrounding areas in Leyte.
Upon arrival, the Smith delegation met with Filipino Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario. Smith expressed to him that the U.S would continue working with his government to bring life-saving supplies. The American and Filipino peoples have had an enormous bond for “well over a century,"" Smith said.
Smith and the delegation toured much of the devastation and at some staging areas assisted in handing out clean water kits and other basic supplies to help mitigate the spread of water borne diseases.
“It’s all about generosity,” Smith said. “We saw with Superstorm Sandy in my own state the devastation and the U.S. government—federal government—had our back because we needed it. Friends here in the Philippines, they have to know that we have their backs and I think that’s what USAID is doing, CRS (Catholic Relief Services) and the other NGOs (non-government organizations) so that’s the message I take away from here.” At one point, the U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules the Smith CODEL was traveling in was diverted en route to pick up two survivors of a helicopter crash into Manila Bay. The C-130 crew, from Villamor Air Base, located the two passengers of the helicopter floating on the water and dropped flotation devices for them. “I am extremely impressed with U.S. servicemembers performing such critical humanitarian work,” said Smith, who also had praise for the U.S. civilian workers.
“USAID is doing a wonderful job,” he said. “This is really a textbook example of how it should be done.” Smith has working knowledge of on-the-ground disaster relief and response operations domestically and around the world—including during the 2004 Tsunami and most recently in New Jersey when parts of his congressional district were severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy. As he was preparing to embark on the trip, Smith said there is value to “boots-on-the-ground” contact at disaster sites. Smith said, “You listen to the victims and talk directly to the people who are leading the humanitarian response efforts so you can see where there is an unmet need and how federal resources can help."" A significant part of the trip was planned to spend time at emergency humanitarian staging areas of Catholic Relief Services, World Vision and other relief agencies that work out the logistics of delivering food, clothing and other essentials to those who need it the most. In addition to his concerns about the threat of health epidemics, Smith is also working to combat an increase in human trafficking which often takes place after a natural disaster. Smith, who serves as the chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees global health and is also the author of our nation’s landmark anti-human trafficking legislation, the Trafficking Victim’s Protection Act, said “there are precautions that can and must be taken immediately to protect young women and children who have been rendered homeless by the typhoon. Tragically, experience shows there are thugs and predators who will deceive and coerce victims into life of human trafficking.” The former U.S. territory, and one of the U.S.’s closet allies in the Far East, suffered a direct hit by one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in history on November 8. More than 4,000 people were killed and many more thousands were injured. An estimated 4.4 million people have been displaced. The food supply has been hit hard with the typhoon damaging over 375,000 acres of local agriculture, including staples like rice, corn, and other vegetables. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that one million farmers and fishermen have lost their livelihoods, no longer able to contribute to the food supply.
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http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363077,U.S. Marine Corps HQ: Marines rescue downed aviators amid Operation Damayan,2013-11-25,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"By 1st Lt. Luke Kuper | Headquarters Marine Corps | November 25, 2013 -
Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 assisted in rescue efforts of two pilots involved in a civilian helicopter crash Nov. 24 over Manila Bay.A KC-130J Super Hercules assigned to the squadron was returning to Villamor Air Base from Tacloban after delivering relief supplies in support of Operation Damayan, the U.S. military response to Typhoon Haiyan. Maj. Jason Kauffman, a pilot with the squadron, heard a mayday call come through his radio approximately 18 nautical miles northwest of North Harbor. “We were inbound to approach into Manila … we heard a mayday call from a helicopter that just crashed into Manila Bay,” said Kauffman. “We set up in orbit, we got eyes on the survivors, there were two of them in the water.” The crew immediately prepared to deploy a life raft. “The four crew members in the back got the raft ready to go and cleared all the loose equipment away from the door,” said Sgt. Chris Weins a crew member with the squadron. “On the aircraft commander’s call, we threw the raft out, and it deployed as it was supposed to about 300 feet away from the (survivors).” The Marines' quick response ensured the pilots did not remain in open water long. “A local fisherman responded 20-30 minutes later,” said Kauffman. “They came up alongside the raft we kicked out and loaded the two helicopter pilots into the fishing boat.” Representatives with the U.S. Agency for International Development were passengers in the KC-130J, returning from Tacloban to help with relief efforts. “(Operation Damayan) has been a textbook example, it’s a model, of what we can do when we all work together,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, a USAID representative and passenger aboard the Super Hercules. “It’s always nice to learn from what’s gone right.” Also aboard the aircraft were congressmen Trent Franks (Ariz.), Chris Smith (N.J.), and Al Green (TX), who traveled to the Philippines to observe the relief and recovery efforts of the U.S. military. “In an absolutely amazing example of military precision, (the crew) dropped a life raft to where the people could swim to it,” said Franks. “It seems like (Kauffman’s) call sign ‘Rescue’ was emphasized again. I believe that the military (members) of the U.S. are the most noble figures in human society.” The cause of the helicopter crash is under investigation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=770,The Record: Congress in Class,2013-11-25,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Record: Congress in Class
Posted: November 7, 2013
Please take a look at this article, published by The Record, regarding my visit to Passaic Valley High School!",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=771,Jackson: Morris County Republican Frelinghuysen is the new guardian of the defense budget,2013-11-25,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Home | Site Map| Privacy Policy
2306 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-3011 (202) 225-5034 Open: Mon. - Fri., 9am to 5:30pm
30 Schuyler Place, Second Floor Morristown, NJ 07960 (973) 984-0711 Open: Mon. - Fri., 9am to 5pm",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362668,Smith Leads Bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Philippines,2013-11-22,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) is expected to arrive in the Philippines Saturday leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to the region devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan. The former U.S. territory, and one of the U.S.’s closet allies in the Far East, suffered a direct hit by one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in history on November 8. More than 4,000 people were killed and many more thousands were injured. Basic necessities, including food, clean water, housing and sanitation, have to be provided to thousands of the estimated 4.4 million people who have been displaced. The food supply has been hit hard with the typhoon damaging over 375,000 acres of local agriculture, including staples like rice, corn, and other vegetables. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that one million farmers and fishermen have lost their livelihoods, no longer able to contribute to the food supply. Smith noted that the U.N. has called for $301 million in worldwide humanitarian aid and the U.S. is among the donor nations offering assistance, “The U.S. government has spent or pledged almost $50 million to help. Emergency shelter, food, water and medicine are being shipped in to meet the needs of the victims, many of whom have immediate relatives in the United States. As was the case after the devastating 2004 tsunami, America has deployed an aircraft carrier—this time the USS George Washington—and other military assets to provide emergency assistance."" “However, there are two post-storm dangers that must receive immediate attention as well: the threat of epidemics and rising levels of human trafficking,” added Smith, who serves as the chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees global health and is the author of our nation’s landmark anti-human trafficking legislation, the Trafficking Victim’s Protection Act. ""The Philippines is a known source country for trafficking victims who are fooled by promises of careers in other countries. Now there is great concern for the protection of adolescent girls from scurrilous sex traffickers who will use the crisis to exploit these young women. There is an added threat of a climbing death count attributed to typhoid and cholera and other diseases that manifest after the fact,” said Smith. ""I’m hoping that those displaced by the storm will be properly protected from the epidemics that could ensue in the days and weeks that follow such a devastating natural disaster. Epidemics are likely due to contaminated water systems and the breakdown of medical services."" Smith has a working knowledge of on-the-ground disaster relief and response operations domestically and around the world—including during the 2004 Tsunami and most recently in New Jersey when parts of his congressional district were severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy. Commenting on the value of boots-on-the-ground Smith said, “You listen to the victims and talk directly to the people who are leading the humanitarian response efforts so you can see where there is an unmet need and how federal resources can help."" “With overseas disasters it’s further complicated by the greater potential for deadly or debilitating diseases including cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, and polio that often arise, adding to the suffering and to numbers of lives lost. “Crowded or unsanitary living conditions contribute to the kind of water contamination that breeds epidemics. The utter devastation of more than 707,000 houses by this mega storm has created a crisis of enormous size with a dangerous potential for outbreaks of disease not seen in recent times."" A significant part of the trip will be time spent at emergency humanitarian staging areas of Catholic Relief Services, World Vision and other relief agencies that work out the logistics of delivering food, clothing and other essentials to those who need it the most. “Catholic Relief Services alone has committed $20 million to ‘assist people’s immediate needs for survival, and their long term support for full recovery,’” Smith noted. “Last week Catholic churches throughout New Jersey and the entire United States collected funds to aid the victims. The coordination of faith-based and other charitable contributions with federal resources will help ensure the best results for those most affected by this devastation.” Joining Smith on the trip are Reps. Al Green (D-TX-09), and Trent Franks (R-AZ-08). Smith is a 33-year member of the House, and a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. “We will meet with government officials, church representatives and leaders of numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are delivering aid and working to ensure the protection of children who have become separated from their families to learn what is working and what still needs to be done, "" Smith said. “Upon return, I plan on chairing a hearing in early December to report on our findings and to hear from experts on next steps.”
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Added historical note: The United States has deployed the USS George Washington aircraft carrier to the archipelago near the Leyte region, an area close to the location where U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur's forces landed on Oct. 20, 1944. In one of the Allies’ most storied victories of World War II, MacArthur fulfilled his famed vow ""I shall return,"" more than two years after he had been forced to leave the Philippines to avoid capture by Japanese invasion forces.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362786,Smith Introduces Legislation to Promote Extradition of Fugitives Back to U.S.,2013-11-22,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"After decades of elusive justice and failed U.S. government efforts to extradite the convicted murderers of a New Jersey State trooper and a World War II veteran, as well as other fugitives, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Rep. Albio Sires (NJ-08) today unveiled the “Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act” (H.R. 3585). “The bill is named after Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster because they were both brutally murdered by people who have been convicted, escaped prison and simply moved abroad, where they live with no consequences or accountability and taunt the surviving relatives and friends of the people they killed. Despite some efforts, our government has failed to bring back the criminals in either case,” said Smith. “These are two of the most egregious cases, but it’s clear that there are many others. Passage of H.R. 3585 would enable us to properly assess the information on actions taken across various federal agencies, reevaluate our efforts and ultimately make policy changes aimed at bringing back criminals who have fled the U.S. justice system. The surviving family members and friends deserve no less.” The bill, sponsored by Smith, would require the executive branch to report to Congress on the number of fugitives which our government is seeking to extradite, the efforts it has undertaken to secure their return, how often it is successful, and factors that have prevented their return. The information would allow Congress to evaluate and strengthen the executive branch’s efforts to extradite fugitives. Walter Patterson was murdered by George Wright at Patterson’s gas station in Wall, N.J., during a Nov. 23, 1962 robbery and convicted. In 1970 Wright escaped from the New Jersey state prison in Leesburg, N.J., later hijacking a plane and fleeing the country. Due to cold case work initiated by FBI investigator R.J. Gallagher, in 2011 Wright was discovered living in a coastal resort area of Portugal, but the Portuguese government refuses to extradite him. (Click here to read about Rep. Smith’s 2012 hearing on the Wright case.) Trooper Foerster was murdered by Joanne Chesimard on the New Jersey Turnpike on May 2, 1973. Chesimard escaped from a New Jersey state prison near Clinton, N.J. in 1979 and made her way to Cuba, which has supported her at Cuban government expense. Rep. Sires, the lead Democratic co-sponsor of the bipartisan legislation, said, “My thoughts and prayers remain with the families of Trooper Werner Foerster and Walter Patterson whose pain and suffering have only been exacerbated by the inability to bring the killers of their loved ones to justice. It has been 40 years since Joanne Chesimard murdered New Jersey State Trooper, Werner Foerster. I stand with the brave men and women of the New Jersey State Police who remain committed in bringing Joanne Chesimard to justice. It is unconscionable albeit not surprising that the Castro regime, suppressors of the freedom loving people of Cuba, will allow a convicted killer to walk freely and enjoy the liberties it denies its own people while knowingly persecuting and imprisoning Cubans advocating for basic human rights and the freedom to speak freely, worship and assemble without reprisal. This bill honors the lives of Werner Foerster and Walter Patterson in its aim to have Congress ensure that our government remains steadfast in its efforts to retrieve Joanne Chesimard, George Wright, and the countless other fugitives eluding justice abroad.” Ann Patterson, of Monmouth County, N.J., the daughter of Walter Patterson, said, “Once again as the calendar reminds me of that dreadful night, November 23, 1962, I remember the heartbreaking events that mark the 51st anniversary of my father, Walter Patterson’s brutal beating and murder. George Wright, who administered the beating, has not paid his debt to society, nor to the Patterson family as he escaped from prison, hijacked a plane, held 86 passengers as hostages, and threatened others with bodily harm and death. The family of Walter Patterson has not given up hope that the United States government, both the State Department and the Department of Justice, will pursue all avenues so that justice will be served and we will have some measure of closure.” Chris Burgos, President of the State Troopers Fraternal Association of New Jersey, said, “This piece of legislation is a clear reminder that we will not forget the brutal cold-blooded murder of Trooper Foerster over 40 years ago, and that we will not relent on seeking justice done for those responsible. We applaud Congressman Smith on his efforts.” Walter Patterson’s granddaughter, Jackie, added: “As the anniversary of my grandfather’s death approaches, I think about the holidays George Wright is able to spend with his family while my family will once again be missing a family member. Having this bill passed in honor of my grandfather is a step towards obtaining justice for the Patterson family. We continue to hope that one day George Wright will serve the remainder of his sentence, but in the meantime, we will continue to honor my grandfather by setting up a scholarship in his name. Hopefully this bill will prevent other families from experiencing the disappointment that our family has faced.” Terry, another granddaughter, said Wright should serve out the rest of his sentence: “Where he decides to hide out for 40 years, or the amount of time that has passed does not erase the crimes committed, nor does it erase the fact that he is a convicted criminal who has not fulfilled his sentencing. The amazing part of the story is that after 40 years, and who knows how many aliases later, the FBI agents and U.S. Marshalls tracked down this murderer. The more amazing part of the story is that after they invested numerous hours and resources, the murderer is still living as a free man.” Terry said that Wright’s dodging his debt to society sends the wrong message about the U.S. criminal justice system. “If anything positive comes out of the murder of my grandfather, I can only hope that other criminals are brought to justice, no matter where they decide to try to hide, or what country they flee to.” Smith added, “In 2012, when it became clear that our government’s efforts to extradite George Wright from Portugal had failed, I held meetings with the Portuguese ambassador and the Department of Justice, and chaired a hearing on the Wright case and the extradition process. It was apparent right away that the process is failing far too many people–above all for those who see people who have killed their loved ones living openly abroad, apparently outside of our government’s reach. It was also apparent that, while our government has certainly taken the Wright and Chesimard cases very seriously, there are experts currently outside our government who have ideas for a more vigorous, creative pursuit of these criminals. This bill will give Congress the relevant facts with which to jump-start new approaches to extradition.” For more information on the case of George Wright: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-hunt-for-mr-wright/ AP article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/02/nyregion/george-wright-fugitive-us-killer-avoids-extradition-from-portugal.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/29/nyregion/george-wright-tells-story-of-hijacking-from-portugal.html. For more information on the case of Joanne Chesimard, who in May of this year was added to the FBI’s “Most Wanted Terrorist” list: http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/may/joanne-chesimard-first-woman-named-most-wanted-terrorists-list. http://www.usnews.com/news/newsgram/articles/2013/05/02/joanne-chesimard-fugitive-living-in-cuba-named-to-fbi-most-wanted-terrorists-list Officers Down Memorial Page NJLAWMAN.com
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http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-remembers-jfk%E2%80%99s-legacy-maple-place-middle-school,Pallone Remembers JFK’s Legacy at Maple Place Middle School,2013-11-22,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, November 22, 2013, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) spoke at the Maple Place Middle School in Oceanport, NJ to mark the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination. Pallone was greeted by honor students, after which he read from Kennedy’s inaugural address in the school’s cafeteria. Pallone talked to seventh and eighth grade students about the 50th anniversary of JFK's death and discussed his own memory of the assassination as a seventh grader at the time.
Pallone also shared his experiences of having attended Kennedy’s funeral in Washington, D.C. in 1963. “President Kennedy was an incredible inspiration for so many Americans and his death was a tragedy that changed the nation, which is still felt today,” said Pallone. “His message of service inspired me to give back to my country and it is a message that should be passed to new generations of Americans. I will never forget my experience attending President Kennedy’s funeral. I was in seventh grade, just like the students at Maple Place Middle School and today was a good opportunity to share my memories of President Kennedy and encourage these young people honor his legacy by engaging in public service.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362547,Smith Chairs Congressional Hearing on Alzheimer's Crisis in the U.S. & World,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The national epidemic and potential world pandemic of Alzheimer’s Disease was the topic of a congressional hearing today before the House global health panel chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), who also co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease. Over five million Americans suffer from the debilitating disease. Some experts estimate that Alzheimer’s costs Americans over $180 billion annually, which could rise to over $1 trillion a year by 2050. Next month at the G-8 Dementia Summit in the United Kingdom, health ministers from G-8 countries will discuss strategies to address the global challenge of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. “Currently, more than 35 million people worldwide live with some form of dementia,” Smith said. “By 2050, this population is projected to triple and affect more than 115 million people. As populations age across the globe, today's crisis may become tomorrow's catastrophe.” Click here to read Congressman Smith’s opening remarks or here to watch. “The struggle to meet the challenge of HIV-AIDS has been tremendous, but it is one we have made great strides in addressing,” Smith said. “We must do no less in the struggle against Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.” Testifying at Smith’s hearing were: Matthew Baumgart, Senior Director of Public Policy, Alzheimer’s Association; Andrea Pfeifer, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, of Switzerland-based AC Immune, and; George Vradenburg, Chairman and Founder, USAgainstAlzheimer’s.
Baumgart drew attention to the bipartisan National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) (P.L. 111-375) –co-authored by Smith and former Rep. Ed-Markey of Mass—which passed Congress unanimously in 2010. The Act requires the creation of an annually-updated strategic National Alzheimer’s Plan to help those with the disease and their families today and to change the trajectory of the disease for the future, “Because of the Plan, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) finally has created a blueprint for Alzheimer’s research that includes a timeline and milestones toward the goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer’s by 2025,” Baumgart said. “The health ministers from the G8 nations will meet the first ever global summit on dementia to help improve management of the disease and accelerate the development of new treatments under the leadership of the UK government,” Pfiffer said. “The high-level summit, which is to be held in London on December 11, will host discussion to shape an effective international solution to dementia, including looking for effective therapies and responses to slow dementia’s impact... . The G8 have a unique chance to help people manage dementia better, lead healthier lives and deliver real improvements in care and substantial economic savings.” “I encourage this subcommittee to continue doing what you are doing in conducting invaluable oversight of U.S. and global efforts to address the Alzheimer’s crisis,” Vradenburg said. “I also urge you to consider opportunities to work with a growing body of parliamentarians in other nations–particularly the UK, the European Union, and Japan–who are also deeply interested in stopping Alzheimer’s and dementia and willing to engage in dialogue with fellow parliamentarians on this topic.”
Click here to watch the hearing or read the statements of the witnesses.
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http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362789,Rep. Smith’s Bill on Boosting U.S. Exports to Africa Approved by Committee,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"“The Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa Act” —legislation to support American jobs by growing U.S. exports to Africa—was passed Thurday by the full House Foreign Affairs Committee, which voted unanimously to pass the bill, written by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees African issues. H.R. 1777, “The Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa Act of 2013,” was passed as an amendment in the form of a substitute. Click here to read the final bill. “Improving the competitiveness of U.S. business in Africa is in America’s interests as well, since more prosperous Africans can afford U.S. manufactured goods,” Smith said. “This legislation focuses on increasing exports of U.S. goods and services to Africa by 200 percent in real dollar value within 10 years. According to the department of commerce every 1 billion in US exports creates some 6000 jobs in this country.” In 2012, Smith held a hearing on the legislation with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson, U.S. Assistant Trade Representative for Africa Florizelle Liser, and advocate and former star of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, was Isaiah Washington. The hearing was held before the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, chaired by Smith. Smith is author of the bill, and Rep. Bobby Rush (IL-01) is the coauthor. H.R. 1777 encourages members of the African Diaspora to increase their involvement in U.S.-Africa trade. Small and medium-sized businesses in the United States accounted for 60 percent of U.S. exports in 2010, and traditional and recent members of the African Diaspora are most evident in these categories. The legislation calls for not less than 25 percent of existing available trade financing be used for U.S.-Africa projects, especially small and medium-sized businesses. The legislation is intended to stimulate U.S. bilateral trade with Africa and boost American exports to Africa by 200 percent within 10 years. African officials have long encouraged American entrepreneurs to sell more of their products to Africa, such as irrigation equipment and other agricultural equipment and supplies. Such sales would not only increase jobs in the United States by expanding production for an expanding market, but it would allow African agricultural producers, for example, to become more efficient and productive. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, the United States is the world’s largest importer of African goods, receiving 20.2 percent of the continent’s total global exports. However, U.S. exports fell sharply during the height of the global recession. From 2008 to 2009, U.S. exports to Africa dropped 45 percent from $78.3 billion to $42.8 billion. According to estimates by the U.S. Trade Representative Office and the U.S. Department of Commerce, every $1 billion in exports supports more than 6,000 jobs. If the legislation’s goal of raising U.S. exports to Africa by 200 percent with 10 years (from $21 billion in 2011 to $63 billion) is achieved, the creation of over a quarter of a million new U.S. jobs could be realized.
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http://payne.house.gov/press-release/payne-pushes-fema-make-social-media-data-more-readable-first-responders-during-times,Payne Pushes FEMA to Make Social Media Data More Readable for First Responders During Times of Disaster,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Donald Payne,P000604,payne.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), sent a bipartisan letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator W. Craig Fugate urging FEMA to adopt open data standards to enhance social media alerts in a disaster situation.
In a June 4, 2013, Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, on which Rep. Payne, Jr. serves as Ranking Member, the committee examined the role of social media in an emergency situation and lessons learned from using social media during Hurricane Sandy. Witnesses, including Sgt. Greg Kierce, Jersey City Director of Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, noted certain obstacles undermining the dissemination of vital, life-saving information. Of particular note, the hearing revealed that a significant amount of government data is only available via PDF or another unusable format for emergency personnel.
“Social media has revolutionized the way we respond to disasters,” said Rep. Payne, Jr. “After Hurricane Sandy, survivors used social media to reconnect with loved ones; to share information about which gas stations, grocery stores, and pharmacies were open; and to coordinate volunteer efforts. Big data technologies can be used to facilitate more effective, efficient emergency response, but we need to make sure that the information made available is usable. That’s why it is critical FEMA provide our emergency responders the tools and life-saving information in a readable format so that they can respond more appropriately and effectively in times of emergency.”
“From the devastating tornados this past weekend in Illinois to Superstorm Sandy, we know the game changing power of social media from Twitter and Facebook to mobile applications to Google docs when disaster strikes,” said Swalwell. “Social media alerts can lead people to safety before a storm strikes and direct them to important resources like food and shelter after the event. I want to ensure that FEMA follows through on implementing the Executive Order in a timely fashion so their data is open and accessible for those who need it in a catastrophic emergency situation.”
An Executive Order issued in May 2013 by the Obama Administration directed government agencies to provide newly generated data in a publicly accessible machine readable and open format like CSV, SCML, and JSON. In turn, emergency managers, first-responders, volunteer organizations will have timely access to life-saving information, and innovators can take advantage of the data to develop new products, like mobile applications, that can assist in an emergency situation. In the letter, Rep. Payne, Jr. urged FEMA to comply with the Executive Order and provide an update on FEMA’s progress in collecting and creating data in an open format that is more readily available to first responders.
The letter was signed by Subcommittee Chairwoman Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Peter King (R-NY), and Steven Palazzo (R-MS).
A link to the letter can be found here.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362418,Smith a Leader in Effort Calling on Iranian Gov’t to Free American Pastor,2013-11-20,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) today led an effort in the House Foreign Affairs committee calling on the Government of Iran to release a U.S. citizen, Pastor Saeed Abedini, or face additional sanctions. By unanimously consent, the full committee accepted Smith’s amendment to broaden and revise pending legislation, H.Res. 147, introduced by Rep. Bill Cassidy back in April. The updated provisions, which Cassidy supports, reflect new and more serious dangers the unjustly imprisoned pastor faces and help ready the bill for consideration by the full House of Representatives. “Pastor Abedini has endured beatings, psychological torture and worse because he will not deny his Christian faith,” said Smith, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Smith noted with alarm that Abedini was recently transferred from a prison for political and non-violent inmates to a notorious prison housing hardened criminals, including murderers and rapists. “He is now in a prison where we are very fearful for his life.” The resolution which calls for the release of Abedini, an Iranian-American and resident of Idaho who has been imprisoned for more than a year, also calls on the United States Government to work aggressively for the quick release of Abedini by designating additional Iranian officials, as appropriate, for human rights abuses pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010. Smith quoted extensively from testimony given by the pastor’s wife, Naghmeh Abedini, also an America Citizen, at a March 2013 hearing in which she stated their two American-born children, ages 6 and 4, are deeply hurting from their father’s imprisonment: “A day does not go by that they do not long for him. Most nights they cry themselves to sleep, wanting daddy home… it is unfortunate that Christians are the number one persecuted people in the world, but not much attention and effort is taken to protect their religious liberty… because of his love for the Iranian people, including the least of these—the orphans and the widows—Saeed sought new ways to serve the people of Iran.” Smith noted that Naghmeh had testified in March that she was disappointed that the U.S. government was not doing more to help her husband. “I must tell you that I am disappointed in my government. I am disappointed that our President and our State Department have not fully engaged this case—disappointed that this great country is not doing more to free my husband, a U.S. citizen. Yes, we are both proud to be American citizens. And I expect more from our government.” Smith said the State Department must keep up the pressure to release Abedini. Pastor Abedini, an American citizen, went to Iran in 2012, on a routine humanitarian mission to complete an orphanage for Iranian children. Pastor Abedini had previously been arrested in Iran, but released and allowed to enter and exit the country for humanitarian aid work if he agreed to cease pastoring house churches. Pastor Abedini upheld his end of but bargain, but was suddenly arrested in September 2012—and put on trial for sharing his religious beliefs and allegedly undermining the security of Iran. During the non-public trial, he and his attorney were barred from participating in key portions of the proceedings—following which a judge sentenced him to eight years in prison. Pastor Abedini’s appeals have been denied. The resolution also calls on the Government of Iran, including the Ayatollah Ali Khameini in particular, to act consistently with their word and commitments. “The Government of Iran’s actions toward Pastor Abedini violates its promise of safe passage to him in his humanitarian work,” Smith said. “But it also violates Iran’s official international commitment to respect religious freedom and due process of law, as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights-- when Iran signs something, Iran should live up to it.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/subcommittee-health-reviews-pallone-bill-sudden-unexpected-death-early-life,Subcommittee on Health Reviews Pallone Bill on Sudden Unexpected Death in Early Life,2013-11-20,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, November 20, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing at which H.R. 669, the “Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act,” was reviewed. The bill, introduced by Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), the senior Democrat on the Subcommittee, would amend the Public Health Service Act to help better understand and enhance awareness about unexpected sudden death in early life. Laura Crandall, Executive Director of Advocacy for the CJ Foundation for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death) and Program Director & Founder of the SUDC (Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood) Program testified in support of the legislation.
Below is the partial text of the statement Congressman Pallone submitted at the hearing:
Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr.
House Energy and Commerce Committee
Subcommittee on Health
Hearing on “Examining Public Health Legislation to Help Local Communities”
Opening Statement
November 20, 2013
“Thank you, Chairman Pitts, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today; a very special welcome to Laura Crandall from New Jersey. She and I have worked together for many years on my bill that is before the Subcommittee today. Your strength and determination is commendable.
I am happy that the Subcommittee is having this hearing and moving forward with several public health bills. It is an important function of this Subcommittee to examine public health priorities and to move legislation to promote and protect the public health. I would like to say a few words about each of the seven bills before us today.
Firstly, I am particularly pleased that we will be examining a bill that I introduced, H.R. 669, the Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act. Stillbirth and sudden unexpected infant death affect tens of thousands of families every year, according to data from CDC, and sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of death for infants up to 12 months old. However, we currently lack the comprehensive, high-quality data we need to help better understand this problem. My bill seeks to enhance CDC’s activities in this area and would expand and standardize surveillance and data collection for stillbirth and sudden unexpected infant death and develop protocols and training for medical examiners for investigating these tragic deaths. I would like to submit for the record endorsement letters from 24 organizations, including the CJ Foundation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and First Candle…”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362114,Crisis in the Central African Republic Focus of Congressional Hearing,2013-11-19,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), where the notorious criminal Joseph Kony roams and abducts and forces children to serve as his soldiers, and where foreign Islamic radical fighters of the group called Seleka are wreaking death and destruction, was the focus of a hearing held Tuesday by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees Africa. Smith said that even since the committee first decided months ago to hold a hearing to spotlight the human rights situation in the CAR, the situation has rapidly deteriorated. “Today the country is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe,” Smith said. “And if that is not bad enough, elsewhere, the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, under the psychotic leader Joseph Kony is also loose in the Central African Republic. Both the LRA and Seleka are said to kidnap children to serve as soldiers, and UNICEF estimates that there are now as many as 3,500 child soldiers affiliated with armed groups in the country.” Click here to read Chairman Smith’s full statement.
The hearing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs’s Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations entitled “Crisis in the Central African Republic” featured Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Robert P. Jackson, Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State; Bishop Nestor-Désiré Nongo-Aziagbia, Bishop of Bossangoa in the CAR; Search for Common Ground Senior Programme Manager for Africa, Mike Jobbins, and; Human Rights Watch’s United Nations Director, Philippe Bolopion. Click here to read their testimony. Bishop Nongo-Aziagbia, whose diocese includes 623,000 people including 360,000 Catholics, said 35,000 people have taken refuge in his diocesan compound alone to escape violence, and there are as many as 440,000 refugees in a country of about 4.5 million. One in four are at serious risk of running out of food, he said. He urged the U.S. to rally the international community in the CAR’s moment of need. “Villagers have fled to escape the attacks, mass killings, rape, and plundering perpetrated by the roaming groups of Seleka militia,” said Nongo-Aziagbia. “Central Africans look up to the United States as the leader of the community of nations. You are a country and a people who many years ago fought to establish your own freedom from a foreign power. You endured a brutal civil war and reunited as one nation to rise to the world power that you are.” Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jackson cited reports that five to ten women per day are being raped, violence that continues with “total impunity” since not one accused rapist has yet to be brought to justice. “We remain concerned about the continued activity of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in southeastern CAR,” where in 2013 the LRA has continued to commit attacks against civilians, Jackson said. According to U.N. sources, from January to September 2013, presumed LRA fighters committed 21 attacks, resulting in 33 deaths and 128 abductions in the CAR. “An estimated 21,000 Central Africans remain internally-displaced and over 6,000 are living as refugees as a result of the LRA threat. The United States continues to support efforts by the regional forces of the AU [African Union] Regional Task Force to end the LRA threat and bring its top commanders to justice.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://lobiondo.house.gov/event/chamber-commerce-southern-new-jerseys-congressional-action-committee-breakfast,Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey's Congressional Action Committee Breakfast,2013-11-19,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Start:
December 6, 2013 9:00 am
End:
December 6, 2013 10:30 am
Location:
Pittsgrove, New Jersey",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361882,Smith Guest on BBC to Discuss China's Draconian One-Child Policy & Its Announced Modifications,2013-11-18,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chair of the House global human rights subcommittee and co-chair of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, was a guest on BBC to discussed China's brutal One Child Policy and the limited impact of the so-called revised one-child policy announced by China Nov. 15. “The announced minimal change in China’s one-child policy is grossly inadequate in light of the coercion they have employed for three decades against women and children,” Smith said. “Left unchanged is the Chinese government’s strangle-hold on deciding who can have children, when they can have children and how many children a family can have.
Click on image above or here to watch the interview the interview.
“The policy does nothing to address the regular use of forced abortion, when women are dragged into clinics where their children are then killed. “Until the Chinese government abolishes all coercion in their population control program, until they eliminate once and for all the use of forced abortion, its program will still be the most draconian in the world,” he said.
Smith cited reports indicating that it was not new-found respect for fundamental human rights that brought the minimal change, but rather the government’s desire to bolster its own economy and power.
“Perhaps motivated by the tens of millions fewer girls than boys as well as the ticking social time bomb of an aging population with fewer new workers and family members to care for the elderly, the token policy change now only allows a second child to live if that child has an urban-dwelling parent who is from a one child family. “This is currently allowed for rural families and does little to address the brutality of the program and the grave injustices Chinese women and families face if they seek to have children without government permission,” Smith said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-announces-more-16-million-bayshore-regional-sewerage-authority-repairs,Pallone Announces More than $16 Million for Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority Repairs,2013-11-18,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced an additional $16,596,224 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority (BRSA) to repair Superstorm Sandy damage to two sewerage incinerators at the facility—the Dorr Oliver Incinerator and the Niro Incinerator.
“Sandy severely damaged critical components of infrastructure at BRSA, and this grant will help make necessary repairs still affecting the Bayshore’s sewerage system, such as rebuilding the entire incinerator with refractory firebrick and repairing the fire sprinkler system,” said Pallone.
BRSA serves Hazlet, Union Beach, Holmdel, Aberdeen, Keansburg, Keyport, Matawan and parts of Marlboro. BRSA suffered extensive flooding as a result of Sandy causing damages of $20 million. This grant to BRSA is awarded in addition to two FEMA grants, totaling $3.4 million, announced earlier this year, to repair damage done to the raw sewage main pump station and three surrounding facilities.
Pallone visited BRSA in August to discuss the damage sustained during Sandy and the critical repair work necessary to repair this important infrastructure. Hurricane Sandy flooded the 24-acre facility with up to 3 feet of water causing. The Authority lost electric power for seven days, phone service for two weeks and internet for three weeks.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-applauds-senate-passage-bill-improve-safety-prescription-drug-compounding-and,Pallone Applauds Senate Passage of Bill to Improve Safety of Prescription Drug Compounding and Drug Supply Chain,2013-11-18,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) praised the U. S. Senate for passing a bill that will help to ensure the safety of compounded drugs and our nation’s pharmaceutical supply chain. Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee and a leader on this issue, was a coauthor of the bipartisan Drug Quality and Security Act, H.R. 3204 that passed the House in September 2013. The bill now goes to the President for his signature.
“I commend the Senate for passing this bill and taking a critical step forward in securing the safety of our drug supply chain by creating a product tracing system and improving the quality of compounded drugs, which unfortunately have operated in the past under a faulty law. This legislation will allow FDA to require higher standards for certain drugs and better protect the public health,” said Pallone. “I look forward to the President quickly signing this important bill into law.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361777,Reps. Smith & Waters Commemorate National Memory Screening Day,2013-11-16,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Reps. Smith & Waters Commemorate National Memory Screening Day
Bipartisan House Alzheimer’s Caucus and the Alzheimer’s Foundation Call Attention to No-Cost Screenings on Nov. 19
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), House co-Chairs of the Bipartisan, Bicameral Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, today encouraged participation in the 11th annual National Memory Screening Day on Nov. 19.
“Having worked with the dedicated men and women of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) for many years, I am grateful for their consistent workin raising Alzheimer’s awareness and the benefits of early detection and memory screenings. Their lead in a coordinated, organized effort helps ensure that Americans have access to the safe evaluation tools that can indicate if further evaluation is warranted,” said Smith.
“National Memory Screening Day is a wonderful opportunity for individuals with memory concerns to get free and confidential screenings for Alzheimer’s disease and other problems affecting memory,” said Waters. “It is also an opportunity to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and promote the value of memory screening and early detection.”
AFA initiated the first National Memory Screening Day in 2003 and holds the event in collaboration with local organizations and healthcare professionals each November during National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and affects more than 5.4 million Americans, one in eight seniors. The disease, which is characterized by steadily deteriorating loss of thinking, reasoning and memory skills, has a devastating impact on those with the disease but can also take an enormous toll on the 15 million family members and others who act as caregivers to those in need.
In New Jersey, an estimated 150,000 individuals over 65 have Alzheimer’s, and nearly 430,000 caregivers provide unpaid care. In California, over 600,000 have Alzheimer’s disease with 1.2 million family members providing care.
If left unaddressed, the national AD population is projected to triple to 16 million by 2050. It is important to ensure all Americans understand the disease and check out memory problems and memory screenings are an important tool to do so.
On Nov. 19th, local sites are offering free, confidential memory screenings to the public and distribute educational materials about memory concerns, dementia, caregiving and successful aging. Find a site by entering a zip code here: http://www.afascreenings.org/.
Last year, an estimated 85,000 people participated at more than 2,300 sites on National Memory Screening Day. This November, more than 7,000 sites nationwide are participating on November 19 itself or throughout the month.
“Just like people are concerned about the health of their bodies, they should also be concerned about the health of their brains. Likewise, just like doctors regularly test for conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, so should they monitor a person’s memory,” said Carol Steinberg, AFA’s president. “There is a lot to be said about being proactive when it comes to your memory.”
Memory screenings are a safe and cost-effective intervention leading individuals to seek appropriate clinical resources, thus reducing the costs of long-term care or hospitalization resulting from undiagnosed complications. A memory screening is not used to diagnose any illness but is used as an indicator to determine whether a person might benefit from further examination by a qualified physician. Screenings also greatly benefit those with normal scores, by allaying fears, providing a baseline for future screenings, and promoting chronic disease prevention and successful aging.
“We know that early diagnosis, treatment and access to support services have demonstrable benefits for an individual’s health and can lower the cost of long-term treatment,” said Smith. “Tuesday, you can learn more about memory problems and brain health, and get screened locally, at no cost. Everyone should sign up for this opportunity.”
“Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease improves treatment and helps individuals and families plan for their future,” said Waters. “I congratulate the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America for organizing the 11th annual National Memory Screening Day.”
For additional information on Alzheimer’s disease and memory screenings, visit:
www.nationalmemoryscreening.org.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362005,Hearing on Central African Republic Crisis Set for Nov. 19,2013-11-16,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Hearing on Central African Republic Crisis Set for Nov. 19
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Washington,
Nov 16, 2013
The ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic will be the subject of a hearing to be held Tuesday by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees Africa. The hearing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs’s Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations will be held in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing, entitled “Crisis in the Central African Republic” will feature the highest Administration official on African policy and a human rights leader.
Who: Rep. Smith, and other members of the House Africa subcommittee, and witnesses:
The Honorable Robert P. Jackson, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
The Most Reverend Nestor-Désiré Nongo-Aziagbia, Roman Catholic Bishop of Bossangoa, Central African Republic
Mike Jobbins, Senior Programme Manager, Africa, Search for Common Ground
Philippe Bolopion, United Nations Director, Human Rights Watch
When: Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m.
Where: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2172 (first floor)
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e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361775,China’s 'Eased' One-Child Policy Still the Most Draconian in the World,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House human rights subcommittee and co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China raised serious questions about the limited impact of the so-called revised one-child policy announced by China today. “Let’s be clear, nothing in today’s announcement changes the brutal, abusive elements of China’s population control program in which women’s cycles are monitored by the government. Women must still get a birth permit before they can have a child, and fines and penalties will continue for anyone who has a child without government permission. “The announced minimal change in China’s one-child policy is grossly inadequate in light of the coercion they have employed for three decades against women and children,” Smith said. “Left unchanged is the Chinese government’s strangle-hold on deciding who can have children, when they can have children and how many children a family can have. “The policy does nothing to address the regular use of forced abortion, when women are dragged into clinics where their children are then killed. “Until the Chinese government abolishes all coercion in their population control program, until they eliminate once and for all the use of forced abortion, its program will still be the most draconian in the world,” he said. Smith cited reports indicating that it was not new-found respect for fundamental human rights that brought the minimal change, but rather the government’s desire to bolster its own economy and power. “Perhaps motivated by the tens of millions fewer girls than boys as well as the ticking social time bomb of an aging population with fewer new workers and family members to care for the elderly, the token policy change now only allows a second child to live if that child has an urban-dwelling parent who is from a one child family. “This is currently allowed for rural families and does little to address the brutality of the program and the grave injustices Chinese women and families face if they seek to have children without government permission,” Smith said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-calls-secretary-commerce-include-sikh-community-census-reporting,Pallone Calls on Secretary of Commerce to Include Sikh Community in Census Reporting,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) sent a letter to the Honorable Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce, to formally request that the U.S. Census Bureau act to include the American Sikh community in census reporting data. The Census Bureau, which falls under the Department of Commerce, currently does not collect information on Sikh population numbers in the United States.
Pallone asked that the Bureau introduce a separate code on official forms for those who write in “Sikh” as their ethnicity, which would allow the Bureau to develop a more accurate number as to how many Sikhs are living in the United States. Taking these steps to collect official population information would allow the federal government to better consider the needs of the Sikh community when allocating resources and facilitate proper recognition of the community’s contributions to the country.
Below is the full text of the letter:
November 15, 2013
The Honorable Penny Pritzker
Secretary of Commerce
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20230
Dear Secretary Pritzker:
I am writing to request that the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Census Bureau take action to include the Sikh community in the census reporting data. I specifically ask that the Census Bureau introduce a separate code for those who write in “Sikh,” on census forms to ensure that the Sikh community can be correctly enumerated.
The census is used to make decisions about what community services to provide, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year and to inform a great number of different government decisions. The information provided by the census is vital and can be particularly important for minority communities. The census data allows the government, businesses and researchers to study the trends and patterns of growth and to better understand the needs of the communities.
Currently, Sikhs in the United States need to mark themselves as “Other Asian” and fill in the blank as “Sikh” in order to provide accurate information. However, that response is automatically coded by the Census Bureau as “Asian Indian.” There is no way to then disaggregate the data and develop an accurate number as to how many Sikhs there are in the United States.
This leads to a host of problems. Unfortunately, Sikhs are a minority community that has faced a lack of recognition by the government which has contributed to a lack of understanding among the general public. Following 9/11, Sikhs were the target of hate crimes because of this lack of understanding. Today many Sikhs continue to face racial profiling and harassment solely based on their appearance. It is difficult to ensure that the government is promoting awareness, addressing discrimination and providing assistance when we do not have official population information about the community.
Lastly, I understand that federal law prohibits the Census Bureau from asking for religious affiliation on a mandatory basis. However, many Sikhs believe it is important that they are able to list “Sikh” as their ethnicity and would like to do so voluntary while having it counted. There would not need to be any requirement that someone lists their religion.
Sikhs make many important contributions to the United States and to our local communities. It is time that the government acted to ensure that we have the information necessary to promote tolerance and fair treatment under the law.
Thank you for considering my request.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress
Cc: John H. Thompson, Director, U.S. Census Bureau",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sires.house.gov/importance-investing-safe-infrastructure-pedestrians-and-bicyclists,Investing in Safe Infrastructure for Pedestrians and Bicyclists,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Albio Sires,S001165,sires.house.gov,,,legacy,"STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD REPRESENTATIVE ALBIO SIRES NOVEMBER 15, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the importance of investing in safe infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists. I recently read a report presented by the Sierra Club and League of American Bicyclists, entitled The New Majority: Pedaling towards Equity, and as someone who rides a bicycle regularly, I think there’s a lot to be excited about in their findings.
Across the nation, bike ridership is up—and the numbers are impressive. From 2001 to 2009 there has been a 22% increase in bike trips among white Americans, 50% for Hispanics, 80% for Asian Americans, 100% among African Americans, and there’s plenty of room for those numbers to grow.
Unfortunately, concerns about access to safe infrastructure remains a barrier for many would-be riders. I believe we must do more in Congress to address that. It’s a simple fact that when we invest in complete streets with safe pedestrian and bicycle pathways, we create communities where businesses want to invest and families want to live. That is why I plan to introduce a bill in the coming weeks that will create innovative new ways of financing non-motorized infrastructure projects. I am hopeful that this legislation will attract bipartisan support here in Congress, so that Americans of all age and background can enjoy equitable access to safe roads.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=767,Frelinghuysen Statement: Department of Defense Resources Track Philippines Storm Relief Efforts,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"DOD Resources Track Philippines Storm Relief Efforts
Washington, DC -- The U.S. Department of Defense has launched web sources of updated information for residents interested in ongoing typhoon relief efforts in the Philippines Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) has announced.
“Our hearts go out to the many Filipino-Americans living in New Jersey who have lost loved ones or been otherwise affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan,” Frelinghuysen said. “In keeping with our finest humanitarian traditions, the United States is leading the way in to providing timely emergency assistance and relief.”
The government of the Philippines requested relief from the U.S. in the wake of one of the worst storms in that country’s history. The U.S. Marine Corps estimates 4.2 million people have been affected. The death toll has reportedly reached 2,275. That figure is expected to rise, perhaps significantly, when accurate information is collected from the entire disaster zone, which spreads over a wide area of the eastern and central Philippines.
The United States Navy, Marine Corps and the Agency for International Development are providing humanitarian relief efforts.
To assist, the Navy has dispatched the George Washington Strike Group which consists of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, cruisers USS Cowpens and USS Antietam, guided-missile destroyers USS Lassen and USS Mustin and cargo ship USNS Charles Drew, oceanographic survey ship USNS Bowditch, and submarine tender USS Emory S. Land.
About 300 U.S. Marines are currently on the ground aiding relief efforts in the Philippines. Another 900 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based on Okinawa are deploying aboard the dock landing ships USS Germantown and USS Ashland, and are expected to arrive in the Philippines next week. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft have been flying missions in the Philippines, and more of those aircraft are on the way.
Residents can keep track of U.S. military efforts to help the people of the Philippines here.
In addition, the Navy is coordinating relief and emergency assistance with partner navies such as Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, and Norway.
-30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361344,"Associated Press Article2 Nigerian networks designated as terrorist groups",2013-11-14,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"By DEB RIECHMANN - Associated Press -
Lawmakers who had long pushed for U.S. action against Nigerian Islamic extremists welcomed the State Department's decision on Wednesday to designate two militant groups as foreign terrorist organizations blamed for the deaths of thousands of people in Africa's most populous nation. Ansaru and Boko Haram, which have links to al-Qaida, are waging a brutal campaign against military, government and civilian targets, including Christians like Habila Adamu, who delivered emotional congressional testimony about being shot in the face because he refused to renounce his faith. Adamu recounted how masked gunmen came to his home in Yobe state around 11 p.m. on Nov. 28, 2012. ""I told them 'I'm ready to die as a Christian.' Before I closed my mouth, one of them fired at me with an AK-47. It passed through my nose,"" Adamu said, holding up photographs taken of the entry wound on his nose and exit wound on the side of his neck. ""I fell down. ... Blood is rushing everywhere. One of them followed me, stepped on me two times to confirm whether I am still alive or I am dead."" When they assumed he was dead, they shouted ""Allah akbar,"" which means ""Allah is great."" Even his wife thought he was dead. When she learned he was alive, she rushed to find help, only to learn that their neighbors, who also were Christians, had been killed. About seven hours later, Adamu was taken for medical treatment and survived. Today, he has a message for anyone who will hear his story: ""Do everything that you can to end this ruthless, religious persecution in northern Nigeria."" Adamu testified at a joint hearing of two House Foreign Affairs' subcommittees, on Africa and terrorism. New Jersey Republican Rep. Chris Smith, who chaired the hearing, said Boko Haram also is targeting their fellow Muslims who do not agree with their extremist views, Muslim religious leaders who criticize violence and people affiliated with the Nigerian government, which they see as corrupt and unjust. Smith said the two groups also participate in the global Islamic extremist movement. Boko Haram was responsible for a suicide bombing of the United Nations building in the capital, Abuja, in August 2011, which killed 21 people. In addition to being labeled foreign terrorist organizations, Boko Haram and Ansaru also were named to a list of specially designated global terrorist groups under federal law. The two designations mean that business and financial transactions with the organizations are blocked. ""By cutting these terrorist organizations off from U.S. financial institutions and enabling banks to freeze assets held in the United States, these designations demonstrate our strong support for Nigeria's fight against terrorism and its efforts to address security challenges in the north,"" Lisa Monaco, President Barack Obama's top counterterrorism adviser, said in a statement. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, told the lawmakers that the government of Nigeria needs to not only stop Boko Haram's attacks, but address long-standing complaints about government corruption and unfairness that attracts disaffected youth in northern Nigeria to the militant groups. Both citizens and security forces have been attacked, yet she said the U.S. remains concerned that some heavy-handed Nigerian security forces have committed human rights violations in response to Boko Haram. The Obama administration has urged Nigeria to develop a comprehensive approach to address the threat by creating a more professional security force, meeting the economic needs of the people in northern Nigeria, adhering to rule of law and government accountability. Nigerian Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke said in a statement that the U.S. action will ""assist this nation to deal with these renegades."" But Bashir Muhammad, who works with a non-governmental organization in Kano, worried that the U.S. action could embolden over-zealous Nigerian security officers to arrest noncombatants. ""I am in support of the action taken by the Department of State,"" he said. ""My fear is that may be innocent people can be victims of this action.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://payne.house.gov/press-release/payne-presses-administrator-pistole-tsa-spot-program-has-led-racial-profiling-newark,Payne Presses Administrator Pistole on TSA SPOT Program that Has Led to Racial Profiling at Newark Liberty International Airport,2013-11-14,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Donald Payne,P000604,payne.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Today, in the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) pressed TSA Administrator John Pistole on a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that concludes that the TSA Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program, a $878 million endeavor, has been ineffective in identifying terrorists, and may have even led to racial profiling, including at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Congressman Payne, Jr. specifically asked Administrator Pistole about a Behavior Detection Officer (BDO) manager at Newark Liberty International Airport who was fired for making racial comments and giving inappropriate direction to other BDOs regarding the profiling of passengers. Rep. Payne expressed concern about the nature of the program and the fact that BDOs were encouraged to identify and refer more passengers to be promoted. Administrator Pistole admitted that there was a perception amongst BDOs that the more referrals they made, the more likely they would be promoted. Payne said it harkens back to a time in a state like New Jersey that has had its fair share of issues with racial profiling in the past. Watch the exchange here.
Payne: The GAO report released yesterday cites to an incident where a BDO manager at Newark Liberty International Airport, which is my home airport, gave inappropriate direction to Behavior Detection Officers regarding profiling of passengers and made racial comments. It is my understanding that this BDO [manager] has been fired. It has also been brought to my attention that BDOs have been promoted based on the number of referrals they made, which has encouraged BDOs to racially profile to increase their referral rate. What degree of confidence do you have that no other BDO managers are encouraging or directing racial profiling through the SPOT program?
Pistole: One of the lessons learned from these multiple reviews that have been done is we could have done a better job in training and retraining and ensuring that there is no notion of profiling taking place. In fact as part of our retraining that we have done since these [GAO] reports have been done is required each BDO to take a pledge against profiling which I have and can share with the subcommittee. Every BDO other than those who are out on extended leave have taken that pledge to ensure that they understand that profiling has absolutely no place in a BDO’s work. It’s not good law enforcement. It’s not good security work. And it’s unconstitutional. So anyone that is found to have been profiling will be investigated and dealt with appropriately….Any violation of somebody’s civil rights and civil liberties is a significant issue for [TSA] and just undermines the entire program so that’s why it won’t be tolerated.
Payne: I hope it is not a culture that has been created because I am sensitive to this issue. Being from a state where my uncle is the author of the racial profiling bill in New Jersey, we have had many instances where this problem is an issue. So to see this here harkens back to issues that we have been dealing with in New Jersey, and now this at Newark Airport is troubling.
***
Payne: [What about] the point of BDOs being promoted on a number of referrals?
Pistole: I think there was a perception among some BDOs…that BDOs may be promoted more readily if they made a higher number of referrals. That is not the case, so we have gone back to retrain and clarify because we don’t want BDOs referring because they think they’ll be more readily promoted.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://payne.house.gov/press-release/payne-reacts-president-obama%E2%80%99s-decision-allow-individuals-stay-current-health-care,Payne Reacts to President Obama’s Decision to Allow Individuals to Stay on Current Health Care Plans Through 2014,2013-11-14,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Donald Payne,P000604,payne.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) released the following statement in reaction to President Obama’s decision to allow individuals to stay on their current health care plans through 2014:
“Unfortunately this was the only choice the President had due to the problems with the health care website. Even if the website is fixed by the end of November, that only leaves people with a month to enroll. We cannot leave people out in the cold without health care, and it only seems fair for those who have been unable to get onto the website and enroll in a health care plan.
“Despite website problems, I would encourage people to continue to enroll in the exchanges and compare their current insurance plans to the ones being offered through the marketplaces. Once people examine their current plans and see what their insurance covers, or doesn’t cover, they will realize that the Health Care Exchanges provide more comprehensive, preventive coverage that will likely suit their needs at a lower cost.
“In the coming months, I hope that my Republican colleagues will stop their selfish political motivations and end their obsession with sabotaging the Affordable Care Act. Millions of Americans are counting on this law to end the very predatory practices by insurance companies that have led to the canceling of insurance plans. They don’t need their Members of Congress actively betting against a law that will provide access to quality, affordable care.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://payne.house.gov/video/payne-urges-republicans-help-improve-aca-rather-work-ensure-it-fails,Payne Urges Republicans to Help Improve ACA Rather Than Work to Ensure It Fails,2013-11-14,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Donald Payne,P000604,payne.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) took to the House Floor to urge his Republican colleagues to work with Democrats to make the Affordable Care Act a success, rather than work overtime to see that it fails. Rep. Payne, Jr. said that millions of Americans could benefit from access to affordable, quality care, but instead of working to improve the law, Republicans are purely motivated by selfish political agendas and have become obsessed with making the law fail.
Rep. Payne, Jr. said:
“For millions of Americans, the dream of access to affordable health care is becoming a reality thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Over 2.2 million New Jerseyans have already gained access to free preventative care. Insurance premiums will lower by 20 percent in 2014. Seniors on Medicare already received a 50 percent savings on their prescription drugs. And more than 70,000 young adults in New Jersey are able to see a doctor because they can stay on their parents’ insurance.
“Sadly though, out of purely selfish political motivation, my Republican colleagues are obsessed with making this bill fail and are working overtime to take away the benefits millions of people are already enjoying. I challenge my Republican colleagues to channel that same energy into making the law work so that millions can get the life-saving care that they deserve.
“Look around your districts. How many of your constituents could benefit from access to life-saving health care? To free cancer screenings and reduced prescription drug costs?
“They don’t need a 47th or 48th or 49th vote to repeal the law. They need the affordable, quality care that the ACA provides, and they are counting on their leaders to make it work, not work against them to make it fail.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20140222035932/http://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-applauds-new-air-service-acy,LoBiondo Applauds New Air Service at ACY,2013-11-14,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02), Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, today applauded the announcement that United Airlines will now fly in and out of Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) from their hubs in Chicago and Houston. The announcement was made this morning by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie with representatives from United Airlines, the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey and the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) at Newark Liberty Airport, a hub for United Airlines.
“Today’s announcement is a win-win for South Jersey and United Airlines. I’ve long said that ACY is an attractive option for additional commercial carrier service, with its updated facilities, proximity to Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore as well as its convenience to the Philadelphia metropolitan region. Starting in 2014, United Airlines will capitalize on what ACY has to offer while giving South Jersey consumers and businesses greater access to the nation’s vast aviation network,” said LoBiondo. “For our tourism-based economy, connecting additional regions of the country to South Jersey is critical and will bring additional economic opportunities and the potential for new jobs.”
On July 1st, an agreement between the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey and the STJA took affect with the Port Authority providing general management services, including overseeing the daily business operations of ACY. The SJTA maintains operations and direction over the airport. At that time the Port Authority stated the goal of bringing additional commercial carrier services to ACY. Spirit Airlines is currently the only commercial service at ACY.
“I applaud Governor Christie, Sam Donelson at the SJTA, and the leadership at the Port of New York/New Jersey for recognizing the untapped potential at ACY and working in unison to increase commercial air service to our region. I look forward to formally welcoming United Airlines to ACY next year,” concluded LoBiondo.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361289,Smith Welcomes Designation of Boko Haram as Terrorist Organization,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"At the Nov. 13 joint hearing by the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations and the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, the Obama Administration announced its long-awaited decision to designate the Nigerian terrorist organization Boko Haram and its breakaway faction known as Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. This designation was the subject of H.R. 3209, introduced by Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04) of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations in September. He has been joined as co-sponsors by Reps. Patrick Meehan, Ted Poe and Randy Weber. Chairman Smith led a Congressional delegation to Nigeria in September to examine the Boko Haram threat. “I saw numerous victims of Boko Haram, who told my delegation of the horrific violence these terrorists have used on Christians and Muslims in pursuit of a perverted version of Islam,” Smith said. “What these murderers have brought to Nigeria and surrounding countries is misery and death.” (click here to read Chairman's statement) One of Boko Haram’s victims, Habila Adamu of Yobe State, presented testimony at today’s hearing on his chilling encounter with Islamist terrorist. Adamu said he was challenged to renounce his Christian faith, but when he refused to do so, he was shot in the head and left for dead. He was the only adult male Christian survivor of that attack. “Mr. Adamu’s testimony on the one hand is a terrifying example of the ruthlessness of Boko Haram, but on the other hand, it is one of the most inspiring examples of faith I have ever heard,” Smith said. “Then they asked me, ‘Habila, are you ready to die as a Christian?’” Adamu told the panel. “I told them ‘I am ready to die as a Christian.’ For the second time, they asked me, “Are you ready to die as a Christian?” and I told them, “I am ready,” but before I closed my mouth, they have fired me through my noise (the entering point) and the bullet came out through the back. I fell on the ground. The gunmen thought I was already dead because they stomped on me two times and discovered I was dead, and cried out ‘Allah Akbar’ (God is Great).” Click here to read Mr. Adamu’s powerful testimony about his story of survival. In her testimony announcing the Administration’s Foreign Terrorist Organization designation, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs, said the action will provide U.S. law enforcement and the U.S. Treasury Department additional tools with which to investigate and prosecute those who provide financing and other assistance to Boko Haram and Ansaru. She added that the Administration intended to continue and expand its efforts to provide training and other assistance to the Nigerian military and security forces to combat the terrorist threat in that country. The Smith Congressional delegation was told that Boko Haram and Ansaru have numerous weapons, uniforms and explosives, and while much of their support is from foreign sources, there are domestic Nigerian supporters of their activities. This year alone, 53 Christian churches have been attacked, and 216 people were murdered by terrorists in them. Also testifying at the Nov. 13 joint congressional hearing of both the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade were: Emmanuel Ogebe, Managing Partner, U.S.-Nigeria Law Group
Khalid Aliyu, Secretary General, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (planned to be submitted for record)
Habila Adamu, survivor of violence by Boko Haram
Jacob Zenn, Research Analyst, The Jamestown Foundation
Dr. Guy Nkem Nzeribe, Ph.D, Partner, Guy Nzeribe Associates
Click here to read or listen to the testimony.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361312,"Rep. Smith says Obamacare Massively Violates Hyde Amendment, but Notes Most 'Multi-State Plans' Exclude Abortion",2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"“Rollout of the Obamacare exchanges revealed that many health insurance plans throughout the nation will subsidize abortion on demand—even late term abortions,” said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman of the Congressional Pro-life Caucus. “Billions of taxpayers’ dollars will now be handed out as credits to buy pro-abortion health insurance—a clear violation of the Hyde Amendment’s fundamental principle of restricting funds to abortion subsidizing health insurance plans. At its core, the Hyde Amendment has two parts. It prohibits funding for abortion and funding for any insurance plan that includes abortion except in the case of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother,” Smith said. “Obamacare further breaks with longstanding law by establishing new abortion surcharges and an unseemly marketing secrecy clause. The new law requires premium payers to be assessed an abortion surcharge every month to pay for abortions. But many pro-life Americans may unwittingly purchase pro-abortion plans because of a marketing secrecy clause,” said Smith. “For pro-life individuals seeking health insurance on the exchange in the states with Multi-State Plans available, it will be a relief to know that with only two exceptions, any of the Blue Cross Blue Shield plans with ‘Multi-State’ in their title will exclude elective abortion,” Smith said. He also noted that “in many cases Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans that do not include the words ‘Multi-State’ in their title will include elective abortion. Since abortion coverage is not clearly identified on the exchange websites, consumers may have difficulty identifying which plans exclude abortion.” In response to a letter spearheaded by Rep. Smith (R-NJ), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has confirmed that all but two of the plans with “Multi-State Plan” in their title and sold on the Obamacare exchanges exclude elective abortion coverage. In a letter, OPM made this important clarification regarding Multi-State Plans, which constitute a small segment of just over 150 of the plans sold under Obamacare. Which of the thousands of other Obamacare plans cover abortion remains unknown. “When searching the many more plans available on their state’s exchange pro-life Americans remain unable to ascertain which plans, if any, exclude abortion. It is an outrage that Members of Congress had to write to OPM just to learn whether abortion is included in the currently available multi-state plans, which are just a small subset of plans. While it is a step in the right direction to have information about this one set of plans, Americans continue to be left in the dark regarding the thousands of other plans sold on the federally facilitated marketplace and the state-run exchanges,” said Smith. The OPM letter also specifies that only the States and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can control whether abortion benefit information is displayed to consumers shopping in the Marketplace. “It is up to President Obama to direct HHS to inform consumers about abortion coverage in Obamacare plans. His law already breaks with the decades old Hyde Amendment by allowing federal subsidies for plans that include abortion, now he won’t even give consumers the ability to make an informed choice,” Smith said. The “Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act,” (H.R. 3279) was introduced by Smith to require prominent, transparent disclosure of abortion coverage for each plan offered on an exchange. It also requires that the amount of the abortion surcharge be clearly identified for each plan that includes elective abortion.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361364,"Agence France-PresseUS blacklists Nigeria's Boko Haram as terror group",2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The United States on Wednesday designated Nigeria's radical Islamist Boko Haram network and an offshoot known as Ansaru as terror groups, bowing to months of pressure to act.
Both groups have spread terror in northeastern and central Nigeria and are blamed for thousands of deaths as they battle to set up an Islamic state.
""These designations are an important and appropriate step, but only one tool in what must be a comprehensive approach by the Nigerian government to counter these groups ... to help root out violent extremism,"" the State Department said.
The Islamist insurgency by the shadowy group has claimed scores of lives since 2009 and triggered concern over its potential to spread across the porous borders in the region.
""By cutting these terrorist organizations off from US financial institutions and enabling banks to freeze assets held in the United States, these designations demonstrate our strong support for Nigeria's fight against terrorism and its efforts to address security challenges in the north,"" White House homeland security advisor Lisa Monaco said.
Nigeria welcomed the decision and hoped that the United States would step up intelligence cooperation.
""We salute the US government for its effort in partnering with Nigeria to rout out terrorism,"" Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke told AFP in Nigeria.
""We hope that with this development that the Boko Haram menace will soon become a thing of the past,"" he said.
In July, the State Department offered a $7 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, but raised eyebrows by stopping short of designating the group as a foreign terrorist organization.
While Washington believes that Boko Haram and Ansaru remain ""primarily"" Nigerian organizations, ""both these groups have links to AQIM,"" a senior State Department official told reporters, referring to Al-Qaeda's north and west African affiliate.
""Our assessment is that AQIM has helped provide some training to the groups and has provided some limited financing.""
Emergency rule in the northeast has largely pushed Boko Haram fighters from urban areas into the countryside over the last six months, but attacks have continued unabated.
The three Nigerian states under special measures -- Yobe, Borno and Adamawa -- share frontiers with Niger, Chad and Cameroon and the military has said that insurgents have struck in Nigeria, then fled across the borders.
Despite Abuja's welcome for the designations, Washington has also voiced concern about a heavy-handed crackdown by Nigerian military forces.
""All of our assistance to Nigeria stresses the importance of protecting civilians and ensuring that human rights are respected,"" the State Department said.
'Western education is sin'
Both groups were officially designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations which bars any Americans from assisting them as well as freezing any assets in the United States.
President Barack Obama met Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and urged him ""to pursue a comprehensive counterterrorism approach,"" Monaco said.
Roughly translated, Boko Haram means ""Western education is sin,"" and the insurgents have been blamed for a series of bloody attacks on schools, killing dozens of children.
An earlier version of the group -- known then in local reports as the ""Nigerian Taliban"" -- was formed in 2004 and is now believed to have a number of different factions, with differing aims.
Local and Western analysts have long argued that improving living conditions in the mainly Muslim north holds the key to curbing the insurgency.
Boko Haram is blamed for indiscriminate attacks in Benisheikh, Nigeria in September 2012 in which some 160 people were killed, and was also said to be behind the suicide bombing of a UN building in Abuja in August 2011.
Ansaru has focused attacks on Nigerian military and Western targets, kidnapping several foreigners. They are believed to have been behind the kidnapping of a French family seized on the border of Cameroon and Nigeria in February and released in April.
Representative Chris Smith, who chaired a hearing Wednesday on Boko Haram, welcomed the designation which US lawmakers have long sought.
""What these murderers have brought to Nigeria and surrounding countries is misery and death with no redeeming outcome,"" he said.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/131113/us-blacklists-nigerias-boko-haram-terror-group-3",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=2&itemid=766,Frelinghuysen Statement: Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairmanship,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Rodney Frelinghuysen,F000372,frelinghuysen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Frelinghuysen is New Chairman of House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) has been named the new Chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. He succeeds the late Rep. C.W. Bill Young, who passed away last month.
“I am grateful to Chairman Rogers and the House Leadership for giving me this responsibility. The security and budget challenges we face are real and dramatic. The job before us is to provide for a strong national defense and support the men and women who provide for that defense each and every day.”
The announcement was made today by the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Hal Rogers (KY).
“Rodney is a thoughtful, steady, and strong leader, is staunchly dedicated to doing what is best for the country and his district, and has a determined focus that allows him to rise above politics to get things done. He has an unwavering devotion to the safety and security of our nation, and to the care and protection of our men and women in uniform, and I know he will be a great leader of the Defense subcommittee,” Chairman Rogers said.
Frelinghuysen has served on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee since 1999. Most recently he served as the panel’s Vice-Chairman. The Subcommittee is charged each year with producing legislation that provides funding for critical national security needs and the resources needed to continue the nation’s military efforts abroad. In addition, the bill provides essential funding for health and quality of life programs for the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families.
-30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20140222040013/http://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-introduces-permanent-moratorium-fines-incidental-discharges-commercial,LoBiondo Introduces Permanent Moratorium on Fines for Incidental Discharges from Commercial Fishing Vessels,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02), a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, has introduced a permanent moratorium from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state regulations and fines governing incidental discharges from commercial fishing vessels and all other commercial vessels less than 79 feet. The “Commercial Vessel Discharges Reform Act of 2013” is the latest effort by LoBiondo to protect South Jersey’s critical commercial fishing industry.
“Starting in December 2014, commercial fishermen, charter and tour boat operators, and owners of other commercial vessels less than 79 feet will have to apply for and receive individual permits from the EPA to discharge from their vessels such things as deck wash, bilge water, and the condensation from air conditioning units. Vessels that operate without these permits could be subject to citizen lawsuits and daily fines that exceed $32,000 per violation. Furthermore, the EPA has informed Congress that they do not have the resources to process more than 135,000 permits that would be required,” said LoBiondo. “With our stagnant economy, the government must not enact federal penalties which could discourage economic growth and job creation. The fines that are scheduled to be levied against our commercial fishermen for incidental charges will be devastating to local South Jersey businesses.”
In 2006, a federal court in California ruled that the EPA had to regulate the release of ballast water, bilge water, deck wash, rain water runoff and other incidental discharges from vessels under the Clean Water Act. Two (2) federal agencies and over 28 states have added additional and often contradictory regulations on top of the federal standard.
""This is welcome news to our party, charter boat and private fleets. Frank has fought off the demons every time this issue came up. Now let’s hope we can make this permanent and we can carry on our day to day activities without this burden,” Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance.
While chair of the House Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, LoBiondo secured the current temporary moratorium expiring in December 2014 in the hopes of brokering a permanent solution to establish a single, nationwide standard for ballast water and incidental discharges. Recognizing current political realities, LoBiondo is seeking a permanent moratorium to this issue. Commercial vessels (except fishing) over 79 feet will still need to comply with the EPA standards and all recreational vessels, regardless of size, are permanently exempt from the regulations.
“South Jersey has the second biggest fishing port on the East Coast with the Port of Cape May. In fact, it is the fourth in the nation, landing over 11 million pounds of seafood worth tens of millions of dollars annually. This industry supports thousands of jobs up and down the Jersey Shore, but like all industry, this one has had stiff challenges as its weathered the storm of the recent recession,” continued LoBiondo. “Congress must not allow EPA and the states to threaten fishermen with tens of thousands in daily fines if they fail to control rain water runoff from their decks and condensation from cabin air conditioners.”
According to Jeff Reichle, president of Lund's Fisheries in Cape May, “this legislation is tremendously important to commercial fishermen in New Jersey and all other coastal states, making permanent an exemption from a regulation that would have crippled our fishing industries. Congressman LoBiondo has once again earned the thanks of all of us whose businesses depend on the reasonable regulation of vessels using our coastal waters. We hope other coastal legislators will join Congressman LoBiondo in supporting this vital moratorium.”
“This is tremendously important for the town of Barnegat Light and our fishermen. I appreciate and thank Frank for his common-sense approach on this and other issues that are important to our fishermen. It's the right thing to do, and I'd like everyone to support Frank in these efforts,” said Kirk Larson, Mayor of Barnegat Light.
The “Commercial Vessel Discharges Reform Act of 2013” (H.R. 3464) has been assigned to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for review.
# # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20140222040057/http://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-applauds-disaster-declaration-south-jersey-counties-affected-excessive,LoBiondo Applauds Disaster Declaration for South Jersey Counties Affected by Excessive Weather This Past Summer,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today announced that significant agricultural production losses in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem have warranted a Secretarial disaster declaration by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The declaration cites the combined effects of excessive rain, related flooding, high winds and hail that occurred from May 2013 through September 24th.
“The sheer amount of rain, flooding and extreme weather that South Jersey experienced this past summer was far beyond what our farms and crops could handle. It was appropriate to request federal assistance and I’m pleased USDA Secretary Vilsack has granted a Secretarial disaster declaration across the region,” said LoBiondo. “With this declaration, farm operators will have access to emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency to recoup their losses and rebuild their operations. I appreciate Governor Christie’s efforts to ensure the critically-important agricultural sector of our state – and the backbone of South Jersey – was not forgotten.”
LoBiondo supported multiple applications for disaster declarations for South Jersey farmers due to various extreme weather conditions in the past few years. Mercer and Monmouth Counties were also included as contiguous disaster counties in today’s Secretarial disaster designation. The official USDA letter to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is attached.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2,Senator Cory Booker speaks on manufacturing in New Jersey,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Cory Booker,B001288,www.booker.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator Booker speaks about the importance of manufacturing to New Jersey's economy with Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.
November 13, 2013",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://lobiondo.house.gov/event/christmas-0,Christmas,2013-11-12,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Christmas - Offices Closed
Start:
December 25, 2013
End:
December 25, 2013
Nov 12, 2013",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-announces-beginning-long-branch-beach-replenishment-project,Pallone Announces Beginning of Long Branch Beach Replenishment Project,2013-11-12,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced that the contract has been awarded and work will begin next week on a $40 million beach replenishment project in Long Branch. This Army Corps of Engineers project, which is funded at full federal expense, will restore beaches in Long Branch to conditions better than prior to Sandy. The project is expected to be completed by spring, 2014. Pallone was joined by Colonel Paul Owen, Commander of the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“Sandy severely damaged our beaches and caused serious erosion that needs to be repaired to protect us from future storms,” said Pallone. “With this critical beach replenishment project getting underway, we are moving a step closer toward recovering from Superstorm Sandy and rebuilding the Shore.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is repairing and restoring the entire Sea Bright to Manasquan beach erosion control and storm risk reduction project with funds from the Sandy aid package, which Pallone fought for in Congress. The Long Branch portion of the project, which is the third of four phases, will pump approximately 3.3 million cubic yards of sand along the beaches in Long Branch. The work will be done by Manson Construction using the largest hopper dredge in the United States, the Glenn Edwards.
Beach replenishment will begin in Long Branch at Pier Village and continue south to Takanassee Lake. Upon the completion of that section, replenishment will continue from Pier Village, north to Monmouth Beach. The newly constructed beach berm will be at an elevation of 9.3 feet above the mean tideline with width of 140 to 250 feet.
The section of the coast from Elberon to Loch Arbour will move forward under a separate contract in autumn of 2014. Sand has not previously been placed along this section of the coast. Easements and design work for the project need to be completed including the outfall at Takanassee Lake.
The Army Corps of Engineers is completing the beach replenishment work from Sea Bright to Manasquan under five contracts. The Army Corps recently completed the first replenishment contract in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach and plans to begin replenishment from Asbury Park to Avon-by-the-Sea in January. Construction on the section from Belmar to Manasquan began last week. The last contact will cover work from Elbron to Loch Arbour.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=1,Senator Cory Booker meets with NJ Filipino leaders about Typhoon Yolanda,2013-11-12,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Cory Booker,B001288,www.booker.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 12, 2013
On November 12th, Senator Booker met with leaders of the Filipino community in New Jersey about areas of the Phillipines affected by Typhoon Yolanda.
Experts estimate that 9.7 million people have been affected by the storm and 23,000 houses damaged or destroyed.
Those seeking more information should contact the Center for International Disaster Information at http://www.cidi.org and 202-821-1999. Information on relief activities of the humanitarian community can be found at http://www.reliefweb.int.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361123,Terror Group ‘Boko Haram’ Focus of Joint House Hearing,2013-11-11,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The notorious terror group called Boko Haram will be the topic of a joint hearing to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 13. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) will chair the hearing on an organization dedicated to terrorism, and why the group should be declared a foreign terrorist organization.
“Boko Haram, even given the breakaway group known as Ansaru, clearly is an organization dedicated to terrorizing Nigerians and now even foreigners,” Chairman Smith said. “The group should be declared a Foreign Terrorist organization as they fit the entire definition, and our hearing is intended to demonstrate why this declaration has become imperative for our government to confirm.”
WHAT: Joint congressional hearing of both the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade. Entitled “The Continuing Threat of Boko Haram,” the joint hearing will feature key Administration and human rights organizations witnesses.
WHO:
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Emmanuel Ogebe, Managing Partner, U.S.-Nigeria Law Group
Khalid Aliyu, Secretary General, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (via videoconference)
Habila Adamu, survivor of violence by Boko Haram
Jacob Zenn, Research Analyst, The Jamestown Foundation
WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Room 2200 in the Rayburn House Office Building (second floor).",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-tours-vantage-apparel-stresses-importance-encouraging-american-manufacturing,"Pallone Tours Vantage Apparel, Stresses Importance of Encouraging American Manufacturing",2013-11-09,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Friday, November 8, 2013 at 3:30 p.m., Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) visited Vantage Apparel, where he discussed the importance of manufacturing as an engine of economic growth. Congressman Pallone also discussed the “Make It In America” jobs agenda, which emphasizes bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States.
“American businesses like Vantage Apparel are reinvigorating our country’s manufacturing sector, which is the best way to create jobs that sustain and grow our middle-class now and over the long term,” said Pallone. “I’ve heard from business leaders, labor representatives, entrepreneurs, economists, and other stakeholders that Congress needs to take action in order to help our manufacturing sector grow. I’m hopeful that Republicans will work with us to enact Make It In America legislation and help secure America as the world’s leading producer and innovator for years to come.”
House Democrats’ Make It In America plan focuses on creating the best conditions for American businesses to manufacture their products, innovate, and create jobs right here in the U.S. President Obama has already signed ten Make It In America bills into law, many of which passed Congress with bipartisan support. Leaders in business and labor alike support the Make It In America plan because it will set us on a solid path forward to a future of greater competitiveness, more jobs, and long-term economic success.
For more than 35 years, Vantage Apparel has been a top-ranked brand of identity apparel chosen to promote the names and logos of the country’s leading corporations, resorts, golf courses, colleges and casinos. Vantage manufactures and stocks nearly 200 styles of fashion apparel. Pallone met with Vantage Apparel executives and toured the manufacturing operation.
The Make It In America plan for the 113th Congress is focused on four key priorities that can bring about the changes needed to help businesses grow and create jobs here, and which are the most likely to draw bipartisan support. These priorities are central to creating jobs, helping manufacturers produce more goods here, maintaining America’s innovation edge, and preparing a highly skilled workforce. Democrats hope that both parties will come together during the 113th Congress to pass additional Make It In America bills so we can grow our economy, put more Americans back to work, and ensure the middle class can Make It In America.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361121,"Associated Press Article$25M beach replenishment work starts in Manasquan",2013-11-08,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"By The Associated Press WAYNE PARRY (AP) -- Wider beaches are on the way for some Jersey shore towns whose coast took a pounding during Superstorm Sandy as a $25 million beach replenishment project led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins Friday in Manasquan.
""Right after Superstorm Sandy, I remember seeing the devastation,"" said U.S Rep. Christopher Smith, a Republican who represents some of the affected towns. ""We've got to replenish, we've got to rebuild the dunes because they did mitigate the loss. The damage would have been far worse had the Army Corps projects not been in place.""
But the project that will widen beaches from Manasquan north to Belmar will not include restoring dunes that washed away during Sandy last year. That would have to be done under a separate project, possibly funded by state and local governments
The work is among several beach restoration projects that were done this year, or that will begin next spring or summer. Work on the northern Monmouth County shoreline including Sea Bright was done earlier this year, as were projects in three towns on Long Beach Island in Ocean County. Additional projects in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties could get underway next spring or early summer, said Ed Voigt, a spokesman for the Army Corps.
Those projects include the southern end of Ocean City, along with Strathmere and Sea Isle City, and additional towns on Long Beach Island. Beach replenishment should be completed by December in Ventnor, he said.
The work will widen beaches, some of which have eroded to just 75 feet wide, to a width of 150 to 250 feet.
Normally, the Army Corps would be authorized to return the beaches only to their pre-storm condition. But special authorization after last year's devastating storm gave the Corps permission to restore the beaches to their fully-built design condition, a state last achieved in 1997, according to Anthony Ciorra, a Superstorm Sandy project manager for the Army Corps.
Much of Manasquan's beachfront was devastated by the storm on Oct. 29, 2012. It washed away tons of sand, smashed and washed away half the borough's asphalt beach walk, and destroyed numerous beachfront houses.
Beach replenishment works by sucking sand from the sea floor, carrying it through a network of submerged pipes, and shooting it through a huge basket-type filter onto the shoreline. Originally published: November 7, 2013 4:18 PM http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/25m-beach-replenishment-work-starts-in-manasquan-1.6400058
http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/state/nj/m-beach-replenishment-work-starts-in-manasquan/article_e01c431c-7ffe-5c33-a96b-c070b3789495.html Updated: November 7, 2013 7:42 PM
By The Associated Press WAYNE PARRY (Associated Press)
Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361127,$25M beach replenishment project to start Friday in Manasquan,2013-11-08,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"A $25 million federally funded project aimed at replenishing the beaches from Manasquan to Belmar will start on Friday, officials said.
Anthony Ciorra, sandy coastal recovery program manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District, said 1.5 million cubic yards of sand would be placed on the beach. That sand is part of a total of 8 million cubic yards being placed from Sea Bright to Manasquan.
“The Corps of Engineers mission is primarily coastal flood risk reduction ensuring that these projects and these beaches are in place to reduce the risk to flooding to the highly populated, densely developed coastal communities along this project,” Ciorra said.
Contractors will use hydraulics to pump sand from nearly 1.5 miles offshore of Sandy Hook, Ciorra said. The existing beach at its narrowest point is approximately 75 feet and the beaches will ultimately be 150 to 250 feet wide, restoring it to the conditions in 1997, he said.
But more important than beach width, officials said, is the height of the beach, which will be raised six to eight feet on average.
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th) said the restorative project had previously been approved but there was never funding available. He said he was in Manasquan right after Hurricane Sandy hit the area and it has come a long way.
“When we walked along this frontal area to the beach, the smell of gas … was overwhelming. There were gas leaks. Most of the first floors were just filled with sand and what a difference a year makes,” Smith said. “The reparative efforts that have been made over the course of the last year have been monumental and transformational. People are back.”
Smith praised the mayor, council and emergency management team for assisting residents after the storm, despite their own home damage.
“It is really a testament to leadership and the resilience of the people,” Smith said.
Smith said he and others from the New Jersey delegation lobbied aggressively after Hurricane Sandy for the project.
Manasquan Mayor George Dempsey thanked Smith for his efforts in getting the project to fruition and said that it will help protect the houses that are adjacent to the beach.
“I hate to say he [Smith] did a good job, but he was one of the first ones that came down after the storm, he and Assemblyman Rible,” Dempsey said. “He went right to work on getting us funds.”
Before the congressman’s efforts, Dempsey said, the project was originally only going to restore the beach to the pre-Sandy condition.
“It’s a big step for Manasquan to get this replenishment,” Dempsey said. “I can’t thank the congressman enough, he did a tremendous job for us.”
Dempsey said the next step will be getting dunes in place, however, that is not part of the current project.
Approximately 1,000 to 2,000 feet of beach will be closed at a time while it is being replenished for safety reasons. Once those areas are completed and the contractor moves down the beach, the newly replenished areas will be reopened.
The project is a 24-hours a day, seven days a week operation and is expected to be completed in April or May. Click here to see original article, including photo series: http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2013/11/25m_beach_replenishment_project_to_start_friday_in_manasquan.html",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=360623,U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Breaks Ground on $25M Project to Repair Southern Monmouth Beaches,2013-11-07,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The long-awaited $25 million beach southern Monmouth County replenishment project kicked off today with a ground-breaking ceremony on Manasquan Beach. Hurricane Sandy caused severe beach erosion along the five-mile stretch of the project. The massive beach re-nourishment work to repair and restore the beach to better than pre-Sandy conditions starts tomorrow. “I was here on this very beach in the days after the storm with Mayor Dempsey and his team and it was a near unimaginable scene of destroyed homes, broken gas lines and crumbled debris,” Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) said. “The beach was gone. Today and over the next four months of this project, the Corps will rebuild these beaches and the lives of the people from Manasquan, as well as Sea Girt, Spring Lake, and Belmar.” Joining the Congressman on the beach was Anthony Ciorra, Chief of Coastal Restoration & Special Projects Branch, and Paul Jalowski, Project Engineer, both of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from the USACE Region II (New York District). Present from the Borough of Manasquan were Mayor George Dempsey, Council President Ed Donovan, Councilman Owen McCarthy, Councilman Joe Bossone, Councilman Gregg Olivera, Councilman Mike Sinneck and Borough Attorney Mark Kitrick. Also present was J.C. Krause, Division Manager of The Dutra Group of San Rafael, Ca., the contracting company which has been putting in place heavy construction equipment over the past several days. The total cost of the project is $25,254,400. The project is funded 100 percent by the federal government through the Army Corps’ Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (FCCE) account. Dredging will take approximately 125 days to complete. The project will pump roughly 1,500,000 cubic yards of sand onto Manasquan, Sea Girt, Spring Lake and Belmar beaches. “The reconstruction of this project will provide our shore communities and the families who reside along the shore with critical storm, surge and flood protection in the event of future storms,” Smith said. “New Jersey’s almost 130 miles of coastline was battered by the severe wind, high waves and rising ocean. But we know that in most areas where the Army Corps of Engineers implemented beach re-nourishment projects, there was less damage than those where they did not. Where the Corps built higher berms, they held back the water. Where there were low dunes, the water came flooding in. The damage to houses, businesses and other infrastructure was significantly less that in towns where similar re-nourishment efforts have not yet begun.” “The Corps projects proved themselves extremely worthwhile and we need to continue its work and rebuild where feasible. It is not only the right thing for New Jersey’s recovery, it is prudent federal policy,” Smith said. “Preventing flooded homes and businesses is cheaper and more efficient that repairing them after a water breach. As such, it is necessary, cost-effective and justified for the federal government to provide the Corps with emergency funding to finish beach replenishment and flood protection projects.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-visits-menlo-park-veterans-memorial-home-edison-nj-mark-veterans-day-calls-end,"Pallone Visits Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home in Edison, NJ to Mark Veterans Day, Calls for End to Backlog of Benefits Claims",2013-11-07,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) visited the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home in Edison, NJ to mark the upcoming Veterans Day holiday. Pallone spoke with New Jersey veterans and called for an end to the backlog of disability claims within the Veterans Administration (VA).
“On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, it must be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind,” said Pallone. “As we approach Veterans Day 2013, on this day and every day, let us honor their service with actions that fulfill our commitment to our troops, their families, and our veterans – and that are worthy of our grateful nation.”
With the war in Afghanistan winding down and more servicemen and women returning home, there is an even more prevalent need for a fully functioning VA, but a backlog of disability claims climbed to unprecedented levels with more than 900,000 benefits claims hanging in the balance. Upon the urging of Congress, the backlog was reduced by over 190,000 claims, but the Republican-led shutdown last month put that progress on hold.
Pallone discussed the package of legislative solutions he backs to further reduce the VA’s backlog and get veterans the services they have earned. The package of 10 bills passed the House with bipartisan support on October 28, 2013 and is awaiting action in the Senate.
On Monday, October 28, the House passed legislation (H.R 2189) which included key provisions from the Democratic backlog reduction package including:
Paying veterans more quickly by paying as their individual conditions are adjudicated.
Providing veterans with information that may lead to quicker routes to the successful adjudication of their claim.
Strengthening accountability by requiring VA to regularly track and provide information to the public on claims processing and the performance of VA regional offices.
Taking steps to help ensure the VA has the needed information from other agencies to accurately process claims in a timely way.
Encouraging VA to expand the use of automation in processing veterans’ claims.
Speeding up claims by allowing veterans’ medical examinations to be done by physicians outside the VA system and encouraging veterans to file fully developed claims.
“Never again should those who served this nation hang in the balance because of political infighting or bureaucratic holdups,” said Pallone. “This Veterans Day, the best way to honor the brave men and women who have protected our nation is to make sure they have the benefits they are due and the tools they need to thrive when they return home. We need to do more than just thank American servicemen and women; we need to honor and carryout the obligations we made to them and come through for them the way they did for us.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20140222040133/http://lobiondo.house.gov/press-release/lobiondo-statement-retirement-new-jersey-rep-jon-runyan,LoBiondo Statement on Retirement of New Jersey Rep. Jon Runyan,2013-11-06,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"MAYS LANDING, N.J. – U.S. Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today released the following statement upon the news of fellow New Jersey Representative Jon Runyan’s (NJ-03) decision not to seek re-election:
""I respect the choice Congressman Runyan made for himself and his family. It has been an honor to serve with him, working on critical issues that affect both our South Jersey districts. His voice on both veterans and military issues will be greatly missed. I wish Jon the best going forward.""
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-announces-epa%E2%80%99s-finalization-plans-woodbrook-road-superfund-cleanup,Pallone Announces EPA’s Finalization of Plans for Woodbrook Road Superfund Cleanup,2013-11-05,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"LONG BRANCH, NJ—Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) released the following statement today upon the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency’s that is has finalized its plans to move forward with the cleanup of the Woodbrook Road Superfund site in South Plainfield, NJ:
“The remediation of the Woodbrook Road site is incredibly important to South Plainfield. It is essential that this site be cleaned up in a quick and comprehensive manner. With the issuance of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final cleanup plan for this site, we are now on the way to a full cleanup to remove all public health hazards from the area. I am encouraged that EPA has finalized its plans to remove contaminants from the site instead of on-site storage of the material.
“Superfund sites can contain toxic contaminants that have been detected in drinking water wells, creeks and rivers, backyards, playgrounds and streets. Communities impacted by these sites can face restrictions on water use and recreational activities as well as economic losses as property values decline due to contaminated land. In the worst cases, residents of these communities can face health problems such as cardiac impacts, infertility, low birth weight, birth defects, leukemia, and respiratory difficulties.
“I am pleased to see that we are moving forward with this important cleanup and I remain committed to fighting for increased funding on the federal level for the Superfund program so that sites like this can be cleaned up at a faster pace.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-calls-noaa-improve-summer-flounder-estimates,Pallone Calls on NOAA to Improve Summer Flounder Estimates,2013-11-05,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expressing his concern over preliminary estimates of summer flounder catch made during the 2013 summer.
“There continues to be a troubling lack of confidence among fishermen and many fisheries managers in the data produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and these estimates may reinforce the criticisms weighed against NOAA’s data collection program.” said Pallone.
The preliminary estimates for recreational summer flounder landings were greater than 3 million pounds, higher than any other year for the same time period dating back to 2004. Pallone calls into question the reliability and accuracy of these estimates given the havoc wreaked on New Jersey by Superstorm Sandy and the difficulties faced by some fishermen in returning to normal fishing capacity.
Pallone further questioned whether NOAA has adequate resources to collect reliable data and whether the new Marine Recreational Information Program is producing more accurate fishing data.
“I ask that NOAA fully review the preliminary estimates for summer flounder landings and that any additional biases potentially created by Superstorm Sandy be taken into account before the final estimates are released,” said Pallone. “Furthermore, I ask that you provide me with details about any challenges NOAA faces in providing more accurate fishing data, including limited resources and obstacles faced in implementing the MRIP program.”
November 5, 2013
Dr. Kathryn Sullivan
Acting Administrator
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20230
Dear Acting Administrator Sullivan:
I am writing to express my concern over the preliminary estimates of the summer flounder landings July and August of 2013. There continues to be a troubling lack of confidence among fishermen and many fisheries managers in the data produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and these estimates may reinforce the criticisms weighed against NOAA’s data collection program.
According to preliminary data estimates, more than 3 million pounds of summer flounder were landed during this past July and August. This would mean that there were a greater amount of landings during these two months than during the same period of any other year dating back to 2004. Given the continued difficulties faced by the fishing community as a result of Superstorm Sandy, these estimates cannot be reconciled with observational reporting. For instance, many marinas were damaged and are still rebuilding. Additionally, a considerable number of boats were destroyed and have yet to be replaced. This leaves me concerned that there are a number of considerations that NOAA has failed to incorporate into its estimates.
I also remain concerned about whether NOAA has the resources necessary to collect reliable data. In recent years, I have advocated for additional funds to be directed towards cooperative research and in-season data collection so that better fishing estimates can be made. Yet, rather than investing in management of an industry that serves as an economic driver, sequestration is forcing across the board cuts. I have opposed sequestration and want to know what impact it is having on NOAA.
As Congress considers reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act the reliability of data collection remains a primary concern of mine. The 2006 amendments to the act included requirements to develop an improved recreational data collection program, now the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). Yet there is still concern that random sampling is heavily relied upon by NOAA and that the estimates produced are inaccurate.
I ask that NOAA fully review the preliminary estimates for summer flounder landings and that any additional biases potentially created by Superstorm Sandy be taken into account before the final estimates are released. Furthermore, I ask that you provide me with details about any challenges NOAA faces in providing more accurate fishing data, including limited resources and obstacles faced in implementing the MRIP program.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://lobiondo.house.gov/event/upper-deerfield-townships-annual-veterans-day-ceremony-0,Upper Deerfield Township's Annual Veterans' Day Ceremony,2013-11-04,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,NJ,Frank LoBiondo,L000554,lobiondo.house.gov,,,legacy,"Start:
November 9, 2013 10:00 am
End:
November 9, 2013 11:00 am
Location:
Veterans Monument - Route 77 , Seabrook, New Jersey",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-announces-federal-dollars-cleanup-sandy-damaged-lakes-and-waterways-monmouth,Pallone Announces Federal Dollars for Cleanup of Sandy Damaged Lakes and Waterways in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties,2013-11-04,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"LONG BRANCH, NJ—Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced federal funding for the cleanup of lakes and waterways affected by Superstorm Sandy in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. Pallone announced that several lakes, creeks and brooks throughout the Sixth Congressional District will receive federal dollars to cover 90% of the cost of cleanup and restoration work through the National Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, a part of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
The EWP program is designed to respond to watershed impairments caused by natural disasters, including removal of debris from lakes and streams, repair of undermined stream banks and damaged water control infrastructure.
Pallone made his announcement at Lake Takanassee where he was joined by Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider. More than $197,000 will be allocated to clean up Lake Takanassee. The work at Lake Takanassee slated to be covered by the EWP program funds will include the removal of debris, such as pieces of buildings, bulkheads, sediment and brush that were deposited into the lake as a result of Superstorm Sandy.
“I’m pleased to announce that the city of Long Branch will be receiving $197,435 for removal of debris and sediment deposited into the lake during Superstorm Sandy,” said Pallone. “During Sandy, all kinds of debris, from pieces of nearby buildings and bulkheads, to additional sediment and brush had built up in the lake. It is critical for New Jersey’s lakes and streams to be cleaned up and preserved after the damage wrought by Sandy.”
The following are additional projects throughout the Sixth Congressional District receiving EWP program dollars for cleanup efforts:
Woodbridge, Middlesex County
Removal of downed trees and debris from South Branch Rahway River in the vicinity of Gills Lane and Barbara Court.
Funding: $35,100
Perth Amboy, Middlesex County
Stabilization of eroded hillside and the removal of storm downed trees and debris from the vicinity of Water Street.
Funding: $150,150
Marlboro, Monmouth County
Stream bank stabilization and the removal of storm downed trees and debris from Big Brook. Removal of storm downed trees and debris from Colts Brook and Milford Brook.
Funding: $72,150
Asbury Park/Neptune, Monmouth County
Removal of sediment from Wesley Lake.
Funding: $486,000
Monmouth County
Clearing of downed trees and removal of sediment and debris from various locations around the County.
Union Beach: Ditch clearing from Diddling Street to Orange Ave.
West Keansburg: Ditch clearing from 8th Street to Thorns Creek; 1st Street ditch north of Central Ave to Waackaack Creek.
Keansburg: Waackaack Creek below Highway 36
Port Monmouth: Compton Creek near Bridge MT9
Leonardo: Poricy Brook near Bridge MT29
Atlantic Highlands: Wagner Creek from West Highland Ave to Sandy Hook Bay
Funding: $50,000
The EWP program is currently reviewing additional applications and further funds under this program may be released in the coming months.
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http://pallone.house.gov/press-release/pallone-tours-boys-and-girls-clubs-monmouth-county-asbury-park-discusses-importance,"Pallone Tours Boys and Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, Asbury Park, Discusses Importance of Healthy Living for Kids",2013-11-04,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,NJ,Frank Pallone,P000034,pallone.house.gov,,,legacy,"LONG BRANCH, NJ—Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. visited the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monmouth County’s Asbury Park Unit where he toured the facility, observed fitness programs and took part in a juice tasting of juices made by kids. Pallone also discussed the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and lauded the Boys and Girls Club’s Triple Play program, which is designed to (1) educate youth about good nutrition, (2) make physical fitness a daily practice and (3) develop individual strengths and good character.
“I’m pleased to see all of the good work being done here at the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County,” said Pallone. “The health benefits of diet and exercise are widely known, and it is critical that young people form good habits early to avoid negative health affects later in life. That’s why programs like the Boys and Girls Club’s Triple Play are so important.”
""It's more important than ever for our young people to have a safe, caring and nurturing place to go in the afterschool hours,” said Douglas Eagles, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monmouth County. “The Boys & Girls Club of Asbury Park provides just that and more. Through collaborative partnerships with Nike the Monmouth & Ocean County Food Bank and innovative programs like Triple Play, Club kids experience increased physical activity, learn about nutrition, and are taught how to develop healthy relationships.""
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Monmouth County is a private non-profit organization that serves children that come from some of the most difficult circumstances in the County. With a professional licensed staff, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monmouth’s youth enjoy a variety of activities ranging from exercise programs, to exploring the world of computers.
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