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Witnesses testify at Rep. Smith's April 28th TLHRC hearing on North Korean human rights. From left to right: Suzanne Scholte and Tara O.

Committee Hearing Opening Statements

Opening statement of Co-Chairman Smith at hearing on North Korean human rightsNorth Korean Human Rights Movement: Current Prospects and Obstacles
April 28, 2026
The following are excerpts of Co-Chairman Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) opening statement at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s April 28th hearing, entitled “North Korean Human Rights Movement: Current Prospects and Obstacles”: Good afternoon and thank you to everyone joining us today – above all, our witnesses, Tara O and Suzanne Scholte, for their dedicated service to the people of North Korea, and for their unique knowledge of the North Korean human rights movement, which we will benefit from t... More

Press Release

Smith chairs hearing on North Korean human rights & weakening of democracy in South KoreaIs South Korea under President Lee becoming communist?
April 28, 2026

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), today held a congressional hearing—his twelfth on North Korea—on North Korean human rights movements and the obstacles imposed by the South Korean government. In a dangerous development, Smith said, under President Lee Jae Myung, “South Korea is abandoning human rights and is beginning to look more like North Korea and Communist China. “Not only is Lee failing to advocate for the victims of the North Korean dic... More

Statements by Congressman Smith Office

Rep. Smith condemns the assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
April 26, 2026
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the below statement following the third assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 25th: “President Trump was again courageous, strong, resolute, gracious and extraordinarily calm in the face of yet another attempt on his life at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. “Secret Service brought down and arrested the heavily armed alleged perpetrator, but not without one agent getting shot, who was thankfully... More

Article

The Epoch Times article featuring Smith's commentary'US Lawmakers Voice Support for Falun Gong on 27th Anniversary of Peaceful Appeal in Beijing'
April 25, 2026

By Frank Fang Published April 25, 2026 A group of lawmakers expressed solidarity with Falun Gong practitioners on April 25, the 27th anniversary of a peaceful protest in China whose effects still reverberate today. The peaceful gathering, now known as the April 25 appeal, took place in 1999. It was one of the largest protests in communist China’s recent history, as about 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered in Beijing, seeking to secure the release of detained adherents and the right to prac... More

Article

Washington Examiner article on Smith-Wicker letter to NIH Director Bhattacharya'Anti-abortion Republicans call on NIH to stop human embryonic stem cell research'
April 24, 2026

By Gabrielle M. Etzel Published April 24, 2026 at 6:00am ET A coalition of anti-abortion legislators is calling for an end to human embryonic stem cell research at the National Institutes of Health, reviving a debate on the ethical use of aborted fetal materials in research after nearly two decades of inaction on the controversy. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), along with 16 other House members and five other senators, sent a letter on Friday to NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattac... More