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113 members of Congress submit amicus briefRep. Smith, Sen. Cassidy lead bicameral amicus brief to Supreme Court urging reversal of the Biden FDA’s mail-order abortion policy

Fri, 08 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus; Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP); and more than 110 Republican lawmakers filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, urging the Justices to uphold the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in The State of Louisiana v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which halted the Biden Administration’s dangerous mail-order abortion pill policy while litigation continues.

The amicus brief, first obtained by Fox News and co-signed by 113 Republican lawmakers—including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa C. McClain (R-MI), and Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton (R-AR)—encourages the highest court in the land to reaffirm the Fifth Circuit’s decision and deny two abortion drug manufacturers, Danco Laboratories’ and GenBioPro’s, requests to stay that judgment.

In the brief, the Republican legislators write, “The Biden administration in 2023 lifted a key safety requirement in the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS)—the requirement of in-person dispensing of mifepristone, one of two drugs that are used to chemically induce abortion.”

The authors of the brief underscore the policy reversal’s significant, negative health implications for mothers and babies, arguing that “the Biden FDA did not have a sufficient evidentiary basis to conclude that eliminating the in-person dispensing requirement was safe. And because no in-person visit is required now, women cannot be meaningfully screened for serious contraindications for the use of this drug, such as ectopic pregnancy.

“It also increases the likelihood that some women are being coerced into taking these drugs against their will, as the heartbreaking story of Plaintiff Rosalie Markezich illustrates,” the co-signatories continue.

“In an effort to subvert the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Biden’s radical, pro-abortion FDA completely overstepped its authority and removed mifepristone’s in-person dispensing requirement,” said Smith, who, earlier this year, led an amicus brief in support of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill regarding the Biden FDA’s illegal mail-order abortion policy.

“The Biden FDA’s reckless decision, which has led to the mass proliferation of this baby poison pill, placed extremist pro-abortion ideology above medical due diligence. Mifepristone is extremely dangerous to women—in fact, more than one in ten women who take the chemical abortion drug experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days,” he continued.

“Without the in-person dispensing requirement, women are being mailed this dangerous drug, absent any real interaction with a medical professional and without proper screening for contraindications, coercion, or other serious health concerns. The Fifth Circuit Court recognized and affirmed these glaring concerns, and I am hopeful that the Supreme Court will uphold the lower court’s decision and protect mothers and their babies,” Smith concluded.

Sen. Cassidy, M.D. said: “I am grateful to my home state of Louisiana for leading the effort to defend women and babies in our state and across the country. Chemical abortion drugs kill innocent children and put mothers’ lives at risk. Safeguards protecting against coercion, such as the in-person dispensing requirement, must be reinstated immediately. The Fifth Circuit got this right, and I urge the Supreme Court to affirm that decision.”

Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said: “We’re deeply grateful to pro-life champions Senator Bill Cassidy and Representative Chris Smith for leading this amicus brief in support of Louisiana and courageous survivor Rosalie Markezich against the FDA’s reckless mail-order abortion policy. The FDA’s decision to side with the abortion industry and allow dangerous abortion drugs to be shipped nationwide without an in-person doctor’s visit is unacceptable.

“This policy kills countless unborn children, enables coercion and abuse, and gravely endangers women and girls, while the FDA callously ignores the well-documented harms that states and survivors have warned about for years. We are thankful for the members of Congress fiercely supporting pro-life states like Louisiana and survivors who are seeking justice in court,” she concluded.

House Cosigners (85): Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Speaker Johnson (R-LA), Leader Scalise (R-LA), Whip Emmer (R-MN), Chairwoman McClain (R-MI), Aderholt (R-AL), Alford (R-MO), Arrington (R-TX), Bean (R-FL), Bentz (R-OR), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Sheri Biggs (R-SC), Bilirakis (R-FL), Boebert (R-CO), Bost (R-IL), Brecheen (R-OK), Burlison (R-MO), Cammack (R-FL), Carter (R-TX), Cline (R-VA), Clyde (R-GA), Crank (R-CO), Crawford (R-AR), Davidson (R-OH), Downing (R-MT), Ellzey (R-TX), Estes (R-KS), Fedorchak (R-ND), Fischbach (R-MN), Fitzgerald (R-WI), Flood (R-NE), Fong (R-CA), Foxx (R-NC), Franklin (R-FL), Gosar (R-AZ), Graves (R-MO), Griffith (R-VA), Grothman (R-WI), Guest (R-MS), Guthrie (R-KY), Hageman (R-WY), Harrigan (R-NC), Andy Harris (R-MD), Mark Harris (R-NC), Harshbarger (R-TN), Higgins (R-LA), Houchin (R-IN), Hudson (R-NC), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Jordan (R-OH), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Langworthy (R-NY), Letlow (R-LA), McDowell (R-NC), McGuire (R-VA), Messmer (R-IN), Mary Miller (R-IL), Moolenaar (R-MI), Barry Moore (R-AL), Blake Moore (R-UT), Riley Moore (R-WV), Tim Moore (R-NC), Moran (R-TX), Norman (R-SC), Ogles (R-TN), Onder (R-MO), Palmer (R-AL), Pfluger (R-TX), Rogers (R-AL), Rouzer (R-NC), Roy (R-TX), Self (R-TX), Sessions (R-TX), Simpson (R-ID), Strong (R-AL), Stutzman (R-IN), Tenney (R-NY), Thompson (R-PA), Van Duyne (R-TX), Van Epps (R-TN), Weber (R-TX), Webster (R-FL), Williams (R-TX), Wilson (R-SC), Yakym (R-IN)

Senate Signers (28): Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Jim Banks (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND) , Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Rand Paul, M.D. (R-KY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), James Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Todd Young (R-IN)

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Washington Examiner article on Congressman Smith's work to combat forced organ harvesting'GOP trying to stop US involvement in China's organ harvesting scheme'

Thu, 07 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Gabrielle Etzel
Published May 7, 2026 at 6:00 AM ET

Republicans in Congress are struggling to come together to craft a coherent policy to curb U.S. participation in the international forced organ harvesting market.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) told the Washington Examiner that Republicans in the House and Senate are actively working on developing policy to combat forced organ harvesting, or removing organs for transplant from patients unable to give consent.

Standing against forced organ harvesting is one of the rare instances of bipartisan agreement in both the House and Senate, but members disagree about the scope of the policy and, in particular, whether to focus on China as the main perpetrator.

Since the mid-1990s, the People’s Republic of China has been a leading driver of human trafficking for the purpose of organ extraction, which mainly involves taking organs from political prisoners and religious minorities, including Muslim Uyghurs, Falun Gong practitioners, and Christians.

Although there are no official estimates, Smith said as many as 70,000 people each year in China are murdered for their organs to be given or sold to patients on transplant lists, both in China and abroad.

Demand for organs for transplant significantly outpaces supply worldwide, with multiyear waits for kidney, heart, lung, and liver transplants in almost every Western country. Investigative reports, however, have found that transplant list wait times in China are significantly shorter, sometimes only a matter of days for Chinese Communist Party members.

But Smith said there is emerging evidence of a significantly broader international market for illicit organ trafficking and human trafficking for organ extraction.

In particular, Smith said organs extracted from Muslim Uyghur prisoners are frequently sold to Middle Eastern buyers, who put a premium on organs from patients who practiced the Islamic dietary practice of halal.

“This is a global phenomena,” Smith said. “It’s going on all over the world: the Philippines, the Middle East, other places where they buy and sell. And it’s not just China.”

Smith’s bill, the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025, which passed nearly unanimously last year in the House, is meant to punish not only Chinese Communist Party actors engaging in organ trafficking but also the United States and other entities involved in the international network. But the bill has not yet been taken up by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In March, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced a competing bill zeroing in on holding China accountable for human rights atrocities called the Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act. Since then, legislation has been stalled.

Targeting US involvement in international organ harvesting

Smith contends that all countries, to some degree, including the U.S., are complicit in international illicit organ trafficking.

“The whole world has some complicity in this, especially when it comes to brokers, governments looking the other way or looking askance,” Smith said. “So we have, I think, a moral duty, an obligation to say we need to stand with the victim and with the oppressed, not the oppressor, and stop it.”

Only two U.S. medical societies, the Transplantation Society and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, have voiced opposition to forced organ harvesting in China and other countries.

The most recent policy from the American Medical Association, for example, says it encourages the People’s Republic of China to be in “compliance with internationally recognized standards” and condemns organ retrieval “without the informed consent of the donor,” but stops short of calling out alleged forced harvesting.

Smith juxtaposed the U.S. medical establishment’s toleration of CCP human rights abuses with the lack of tolerance given to the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War. The Soviet Union, according to Smith, was largely excluded from the Western scientific community during the Cold War, and he believes the same should happen today for China.

The Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act creates penalties to hold bad actors accountable for complicity in aiding the CCP’s forced organ harvesting, including imposing sanctions or revoking travel documents from foreign nationals involved in the international network.

But the bill also establishes a civil penalty of up to $250,000 in damages and criminal punishment of up to 20 years in prison and $1 million in fines for participating or enabling forced organ harvesting, applicable to U.S. nationals and foreigners on U.S. soil.

For example, criminal or civil charges could be applied to U.S. physicians or healthcare providers who actively encourage their patients to go to China for an organ transplant, knowing that they will likely receive an organ from a victim rather than a consenting donor.

“It’s a real problem. It’s global,” Smith told the Washington Examiner. “It needs a really aggressive approach, and this bill does it.”

Cruz hones in on China’s human rights abuses

Cruz’s legislation is narrower by comparison, solely focusing on the CCP’s orchestration of forced organ harvesting for political prisoners and religious minorities.

The senator’s bill only allows the State Department to revoke passports or travel documents for those suspected of the practice in China and the president to impose sanctions on Chinese officials.

Cruz’s bill also does not create criminal or civil penalties for those on U.S. soil who are convicted of participating in forced organ harvesting schemes.

Further, instead of creating a mandate for an annual report on international forced organ harvesting, Cruz’s legislation requires the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services to jointly produce a singular report on the scope of the problem in China within the year the bill is signed into law.

Smith told the Washington Examiner Cruz’s legislation does not go far enough.

“China is the most egregious violator of it, but it is a huge problem everywhere,” Smith said.

A spokesperson for HHS told the Washington Examiner that the department does not comment on pending legislation. The State Department did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment on its preferences between Smith and Cruz’s bills.

A spokesperson for Smith told the Washington Examiner that his office is working on scheduling a meeting with Cruz and his team to reach a compromise. Cruz’s office declined to offer comment.

Smith said he recently met with Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to discuss advancing the legislation, which will likely require compromise with Cruz and confirmation from the White House that the bill will be signed by the president.

Risch told the Washington Examiner in a statement that he is “committed to working with Representative Smith on this very important issue” and advancing legislation to “put an end to the horrible practice of organ harvesting.”

“We’ve asked the Senate to bring it up,” Smith said. “Delay is denial if you’re a victim.”

This article was published on May 7, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/4558254/gop-us-involvement-china-organ-harvesting-scheme/

More than 100 members of Congress send letterRep. Smith, Sen. Scott lead bicameral letter to President Trump urging him to raise Jimmy Lai’s case during upcoming meeting with Xi Jinping

Thu, 07 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

In a new letter sent to the White House today, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), and 105 other members of Congress urged President Trump to again advocate for Hong Kong political prisoner Jimmy Lai by asking for his humanitarian release during his upcoming meeting with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping.

“Given Jimmy Lai’s advanced age and ailing health, we urge President Trump—a tenacious, vocal advocate for Jimmy’s freedom—to again raise Jimmy’s case and call for his humanitarian release during his upcoming meeting with General Secretary Xi Jinping,” said Smith, the Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC).

“President Trump has an incredible, rare opportunity to speak to Xi, face-to-face, and personally ask him to free Jimmy Lai. The Lai family, and all advocates for free speech and democracy, would be eternally grateful if President Trump secured Jimmy’s release,” the China policy expert continued.

In the letter, first obtained by the Washington Post, the group of bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers stressed the dire state of Lai’s deteriorating health and emphasized the necessity of his release: “On February 9, 2026, Mr. Lai—now 78—was sentenced to 20 years in prison under Hong Kong’s National Security Law. Given his age and condition, this sentence amounts to spending the rest of his life behind bars.

“His health has declined in custody, and prolonged isolation and inadequate prison conditions only increase the risk of permanent harm,” the authors continued.

The U.S. lawmakers—representing both sides of the aisle—also underscored the symbolic significance of Lai’s release, which would function as “a clear, practical path forward that reunites a family and prevents this case from becoming an irreversible tragedy—and an enduring symbol of repression that will echo far beyond Hong Kong.”

At the conclusion of their letter, the lawmakers appealed to President Trump—who, in the past, has strongly advocated for Lai’s freedom—and asked him to intervene on the Lai family’s behalf: “Your direct engagement is critical to securing Mr. Lai’s immediate release on humanitarian parole, so he can receive appropriate medical care and reunite with his family.”

Smith, a leading human rights lawmaker, has been a vocal and persistent advocate for Lai’s release, authoring legislation (HR 2522) and chairing numerous congressional hearings to raise awareness of his case and condemn the CCP’s corruption of Hong Kong’s judicial system.

To increase international scrutiny of Jimmy Lai’s unjust imprisonment and sentencing, Smith brought Lai’s daughter, Claire, as his guest to President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address. Lai’s son, Sebastien, also testified at Smith’s 2023 CECC hearing, entitled “One City, Two Legal Systems: Political Prisoners and the Erosion of the Rule of Law in Hong Kong.”

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The Washington Post exclusive article on Smith-Scott letter to President Trump'Trump pledged to free Jimmy Lai. Now U.S. lawmakers want action at China summit.'

Thu, 07 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Liam Scott, Cate Cadell, and Noah Robertson
Published May 7, 2026 at 2:26 p.m. EDT

Ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip to China next week, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers — including about two-thirds of the Senate — is urging him to seek the release of publisher Jimmy Lai, an ardent critic of the Chinese Communist Party who has been imprisoned in Hong Kong since 2020.

In a letter Thursday, more than 100 lawmakers asked Trump to raise Lai’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week and ask for his freedom. Trump pledged during his 2024 campaign to secure the release of Lai, a British citizen who has become a symbol of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, but has yet to do so.

“Your direct engagement is critical to securing Mr. Lai’s immediate release on humanitarian parole, so he can receive appropriate medical care and reunite with his family,” the lawmakers wrote in the Republican-led letter, according to a copy reviewed by The Washington Post.

The letter was signed by 68 senators, including more than 40 Republicans. It was also signed by more than 35 House members, including more than 25 Republicans. Among the signatories were Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), as well as Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California).

Jimmy Lai walks through the Stanley prison in Hong Kong in 2023. (Louise Delmotte/AP)

The request adds to an already crowded agenda for Trump in China, with tensions related to Iran hanging over the trip and pressure high for the president to produce results on trade, Taiwan and artificial intelligence. It also comes as Trump has moved away from the human rights campaign that defined parts of his first term’s China policy, recently focusing instead on narrower economic and strategic deals with Beijing.

For Lai, the summit in Beijing may represent a small moment of opportunity. In February, the 78-year-old was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty in December of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and sedition. Lai denies the charges, which the U.S. government has also said are politically motivated. Lai’s international legal team has said that the publisher’s best hope for freedom is through a diplomatic deal brokered by the U.S. and British governments.

A successful entrepreneur who founded the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, Lai has been imprisoned in Hong Kong since late 2020, the same year that Beijing’s national security law was imposed in the city. Among other things, prosecutors alleged that Lai used Apple Daily to ask the United States and other countries to penalize Hong Kong and Chinese officials as punishment for cracking down on Hong Kong’s 2019 pro-democracy protests.

“Now is a key time to re-emphasize the case, not only given Mr. Lai’s age and health, but also because this will be the first time you are meeting with Xi Jinping since the Hong Kong legal proceedings against Mr. Lai came to an end,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Trump.

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump said he would “100 percent” be able to secure Lai’s release if he returned to the White House. “He’ll be easy to get out,” Trump said at the time.

On Monday, Trump said he would mention Lai’s case during the China summit.

“I will be bringing it up,” Trump told conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt on his radio show.

The president said he previously raised Lai’s case with Xi in South Korea last October. “There’s a little bitterness, I would say, with him and Jimmy Lai. Hong Kong was not as easy,” Trump said Monday.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) spearheaded the new letter.

“Jimmy Lai is a dear friend, and his immediate release is dire,” Scott said in a statement.

“What they’re doing to Jimmy goes against everything we believe as Americans. I’m glad President Trump has committed to bring up his release when he next meets with Xi,” Scott added. “I am hopeful that President Trump will get this done.”

Even as the Trump administration targets the news media in the United States, Lai is continuing to receive bipartisan support from Congress.

“Jimmy Lai is a hero,” signatory Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) said in a statement. “His crime? Practicing freedom of expression.” Smith added, “President Trump has an incredible, rare opportunity to speak to Xi, face-to-face, man-to-man, and personally ask him to release Jimmy Lai.”

Lai’s daughter Claire said she was “deeply grateful” to the lawmakers for speaking up on her father’s behalf. “He does not have the luxury of time,” she said in a statement. Claire added that she hopes Trump “will help President Xi see the wisdom of releasing my father so that he can spend his twilight years with his family.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who as a senator was a staunch critic of China’s human rights record and is expected to join next week’s trip, said Wednesday that the United States “always” raises human rights issues in “appropriate forums,” when asked whether the U.S. would discuss rights issues during the talks.

During the first Trump administration, the State Department declared that the Chinese government was perpetrating genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. Beijing denies wrongdoing in the region. In 2019, Lai visited Washington and met with then-Vice President Mike Pence, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pelosi, then the House speaker.

During Trump’s second term, the president has focused on trade and tariffs with China while broadly refraining from commenting on human rights issues in China. His administration — via the Elon Musk-led U.S. DOGE Service — has also sought to unwind much of the comprehensive monitoring and funding network that was responsible for exposing Chinese rights violations.

The Trump administration brokered an agreement in September for the release of an Atlanta-based Wells Fargo executive who was held in China for several months under an exit ban. But Lai’s case represents a more challenging task. Overturning the conviction of the ailing media tycoon would mark a major concession by Beijing, which has long defended its crackdown in Hong Kong as necessary for stability.

Last month, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 40 shipping firms and vessels, plus a Chinese oil refinery, in a growing crackdown on maritime business with Iran. Most of the sanctioned vessels are either Chinese-linked operations or have a record of delivering crude oil to China as their final destination.

Trump’s China trip was initially scheduled for March, but it was delayed due to the war in Iran. The summit is now set for May 14 and 15.

This article was published on May 7, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/05/07/lawmakers-trump-jimmy-lai/?_pml=1

Fox News exclusive article on Smith-Cassidy-led amicus brief to SCOTUS'FIRST ON FOX: Top Republicans take abortion pill fight to Supreme Court, citing coercion and safety risks'

Thu, 07 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Jasmine Baehr
Published May 7, 2026 at 5:43 PM EDT

FIRST ON FOX: More than 100 Republican lawmakers are urging the Supreme Court to reinstate abortion pill restrictions, warning current policy allowing mifepristone to be mailed without in-person oversight has led to cases of women being coerced — and in some instances allegedly forced — to take the drug.

The amicus brief, led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., backs Louisiana’s legal fight to restore an in-person dispensing requirement for the drug.

At the center of the filing are allegations that loosened federal rules have enabled coercion, with lawmakers arguing the Biden-era policy "increases the risk of coercion," referring to changes to the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) that removed the in-person requirement.

The brief points to several alleged cases in which abortion pills were obtained online or administered without a woman’s consent, including plaintiff Rosalie Markezich, who says her boyfriend ordered mifepristone from a California doctor and coerced her into taking it.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., speaks during a Senate hearing while pointing to a chart showing fetal development stages on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Courtesy U.S. Senate Photographic services)

"Had she visited a doctor in person, her boyfriend would never have been able to obtain the drugs he made [her] take," the brief says.

Lawmakers also cite additional reported incidents, including a case in which a Louisiana mother allegedly obtained abortion pills online for her teenage daughter, leading to a medical emergency, as well as another case involving a man accused of administering the drugs to a pregnant woman without her knowledge.

Lawmakers argue such cases are more likely under a system that allows abortion pills to be prescribed online and shipped without face-to-face medical screening.

Activists for and against abortion demonstrate outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2024, three years after the Dobbs decision. The demonstration coincides with a landmark Texas filing seeking to prevent interstate abortion pill mailing. (Allison Robbert/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

They say the policy not only weakens safeguards but puts women at risk while removing protections designed to prevent abuse.

Cassidy said those safeguards should be restored immediately.

"Chemical abortion drugs kill innocent children and put mothers’ lives at risk," Cassidy said. "Safeguards protecting against coercion, such as the in-person dispensing requirement, must be reinstated immediately. The Fifth Circuit got this right, and I urge the Supreme Court to affirm that decision."

Anti-abortion activists hold signs outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2022, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP)

The filing comes after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Louisiana and reinstated the in-person dispensing requirement while litigation continues.

Lawmakers argue the FDA "overstepped its authority" by allowing abortion drugs to be distributed through the mail, saying the policy conflicts with the Comstock Act, which prohibits mailing items "designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion."

Smith also argued the drug poses serious risks, citing claims that more than one in 10 women experience complications such as infection or hemorrhaging.

They also contend the agency relied on insufficient safety data when it removed the in-person requirement, weakening adverse-event reporting standards and then using limited data to justify expanded access.

Louisiana lawmakers approved a bill on May 23, 2024, classifying two abortion-inducing drugs as controlled and dangerous substances despite criticism from doctors about their other reproductive health uses. (Allen G. Breed/AP)

The brief further argues that eliminating in-person visits prevents doctors from screening for serious medical conditions, including ectopic pregnancies, and makes it more difficult to detect coercion or abuse.

The legal fight intensified over the weekend when mifepristone manufacturers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro filed emergency appeals to the Supreme Court, warning the lower court ruling is already causing "immediate confusion and upheaval" across the country.

Danco argued the decision is disrupting access and forcing providers, pharmacies and patients to navigate rapidly changing rules, while GenBioPro said the order effectively eliminates mail-order access and upends a system relied on for years.

The companies are asking the justices to block the ruling while litigation continues, setting up a high-stakes legal battle that could reshape how the abortion drug is distributed nationwide.

The Supreme Court is now weighing emergency requests from the manufacturers, which are seeking to pause the 5th Circuit’s order while the case proceeds.

The outcome could reshape access to abortion pills nationwide, determining whether they remain widely available by mail or are once again restricted to in-person medical oversight.

"There are legitimate concerns about these drugs putting women and girls at significant risk," said Leader Thune. "I urge the Supreme Court to reinstate the safety guardrails that were in place before the Biden administration while the Department of Health and Human Services reviews these drugs."

This article was published on May 7, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/first-fox-top-republicans-take-abortion-pill-fight-supreme-court-citing-coercion-safety-risks

Lakewood Alerts article on Manchester Twp.'s new, federally-funded police vehicles'Manchester Police Unveil New Fleet Funded by $1.1 Million Federal Grant'

Thu, 07 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Lakewood Alerts
Published May 7, 2026

Rep. Chris Smith joined local officials this week to formally unveil a new fleet of vehicles for the Manchester Township Police Department, marking a significant investment in public safety funded through federal appropriations.

The ceremony featured nine new police SUVs and an animal control van, purchased with $1.148 million secured by Smith during the congressional appropriations process. The funding was aimed at replacing aging vehicles and strengthening the department’s operational capabilities.

Police Chief Antonio Ellis said the upgrades go beyond equipment, emphasizing their impact on officer safety and community service.

“Today is about more than new vehicles. It’s about commitment, partnership, and delivering for the residents of Manchester Township,” Ellis said. “At the end of the day, this is about people. It’s about our officers having the equipment they need to respond safely and ensuring they return home safely to their families.”

Smith credited a coordinated local effort for bringing the project to fruition, highlighting the roles of township leadership and law enforcement officials in advocating for the funding.

“Today is an amazing example of what good local governance can lead to,” Smith said. “Their remarkable advocacy has reaped tangible benefits for the people of Manchester Township—the nine brand-new Chevy Tahoe SUVs and animal control van that stand before us will actively make Manchester safer and better equipped to fulfill the needs of its residents.”

Also in attendance were Ocean County Commissioners Robert Arace and Jennifer Bacchione, and Manchester Mayor Joseph Hankins, along with other local officials.

Township leaders said the new vehicles will immediately be deployed to support patrol operations and enhance response capabilities across the community.

This article was published on May 7, 2026 and can be found online at: https://lakewoodalerts.com/manchester-police-unveil-new-fleet-funded-by-1-1-million-federal-grant/

Made possible through federal funding secured by SmithSmith, Manchester Twp. and Ocean County officials unveil Manchester Police Department’s new, federally funded police vehicles

Wed, 06 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Yesterday, Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), Manchester Twp. Police Chief Antonio Ellis, Ocean County Commissioners Robert Arace and Jennifer Bacchione, Manchester Twp. Mayor Joseph Hankins, and other local elected officials formally unveiled Manchester Twp. Police Department’s nine brand-new police vehicles and animal control van, purchased with federal funds secured by Smith during the congressional appropriations process.

Manchester Township Chief of Police Antonio Ellis, who delivered brief remarks during Tuesday’s event, said: “Today is about more than new vehicles. It’s about commitment, partnership, and delivering for the residents of Manchester Township.

“At the end of the day, this is about people. It’s about our officers having the equipment they need to respond safely and ensuring they return home safely to their families,” he continued.

“Special thanks to Chief Antonio Ellis, then-Mayor and now-Commissioner Rob Arace, then-Chief Robert Dolan, Mayor Joseph Hankins, and the entire Manchester Town Council for their tireless efforts to identify concerns with Manchester Twp. Police Department’s aging fleet of police vehicles and spearhead this critical request to the finish line,” said Smith.

“Today is an amazing example of what good local governance can lead to. Their remarkable advocacy has reaped tangible benefits for the people of Manchester Township—the nine brand-new Chevy Tahoe SUVs and animal control van that stand before us will actively make Manchester safer and better equipped to fulfill the needs of its residents.”

Smith, who has represented Manchester Twp. in Congress for several decades, secured $1,148,000 in federal funding for Manchester Twp. Police Department’s fleet augmentation initiative through the annual congressional appropriations process.

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60 NJ-04 high school students from Ocean, Monmouth counties participated in contestRep. Smith announces 2026 high school winners of his Congressional Art Competition

Tue, 05 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Rep. Smith stands with the winners of his 2026 Congressional Art Competition. From left to right: Kiley Knueppel of Wall High School; Aaron Hajart, MS, ATC, FACHE, President and CEO of Community Medical Center; Clarisa Herrera of Wall High School; Hazel Stockton of Wall High School; Alivia Czerwinski of Wall High School; Megan Farrell of Wall High School; Julia Ahlfeld of Wall High School; Luna Montague of Red Bank Regional High School; Abigail Buechler of Wall High School; Danice Alameda-Munoz of The Rugby School; Jill Alexander, Art Teacher at Wall High School; and Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester).

At an award ceremony held at the Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health (RWJBH) Medical Center in Toms River, NJ, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) announced the winners of his 2026 Congressional Art Competition, which drew submissions from 60 high school students across New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District.

“Thank you to all the students participating in the art show. Your commitment, discipline and creative talent have produced impressive works of art, that over the past several weeks, have been marveled at and enjoyed by thousands of people—including patients, doctors, nurses, hospital staff and visitors,” Smith told guests at Friday’s reception.

Since during first term in Congress in 1982, Smith has held the annual contest, which recognizes, fosters, and celebrates the artistic talent of local high school students. Visit Smith’s 2026 Virtual Art Gallery to view all entries for this year, or here to view the judges’ 2026 top selections.

“This year, as we celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, we rely upon artistic depictions of the time to understand and appreciate the sacrifices made to establish the United States of America,” Smith continued.

“George Washington would certainly have approved of the congressional art show. He once said, ‘To encourage literature and the arts is a duty which every good citizen owes to his country.’”

Aaron F. Hajart, MS, ATC, FACHE, President and CEO of Community Medical Center, also spoke at the reception and joined Smith to present the winners with their ribbons and congressional certificates.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) with Julia Ahlfeld of Wall High School, the "Best in Show" winner, and Aaron Hajart, MS, ATC, FACHE, President and CEO of Community Medical Center.

“We were honored to once again host the annual Congressional Art Competition and exhibition,” said President and CEO Hajart.

“Hospital staff, patients, and visitors have greatly enjoyed seeing artwork from these talented local high school students within our medical center. We thank Representative Chris Smith and his team for sharing this opportunity to connect with our community members in this creative way.”

Throughout the award ceremony, Smith congratulated all of the student artists, especially and including “Best in Show” winner Julia Ahlfeld of Wall High School for her painting, “End of an Era,” completed in oil on Masonite, which will be displayed within the U.S. Capitol over the next.

All artwork submitted to the competition had been on display at RWJBH Community Medical Center since April 2, culminating in this past weekend’s award ceremony. The complete list of winners selected by Smith’s panel of judges—comprised of local artists Debbie Jencsik, Jim Inzero and Rich Thompson—includes:

Best in Show: Julia Ahlfeld’s “End of an Era,” done in oil on Masonite, from Wall High School (Grade 12);
First Place Runner-up: Megan Farrell’s “Puppy in Contrast,” done in charcoal, from Wall High School (Garde 11);
Second Place Runner-up: Hazel Stockton’s “Barefoot Summer Nights,” done in charcoal on black paper, from Wall High School (Grade 11);
Third Place Runner-up: Clarisa Herrera’s “Heart String,” done in colored pencil, from Wall High School (Grade 12);
Fourth Place Runner-up: Abigail Buechler’s “The Silent Goodbye,” done in colored pencil, from Wall High School (Grade 12);
Fifth Place Runner-up: Danice Alameda-Munoz’s “Education is Everything,” done with Computer Graphics, from The Rugby School (Grade 11);
Honorable Mention: Anthony Garcia’s “Kenny the Frog,” done in Acrylic Paint, from Ocean Academy Charter High School (Grade 10);
Honorable Mention: Kiley Knueppel’s “Tamed, not Changed,” done in colored pencil, from Wall High School (Grade 12);
Honorable Mention: Luna Montague’s “Double Trouble,” done in ebony pencil, from Red Bank Regional High School (Grade 11); and
Honorable Mention: Alivia Czerwinski’s “Winter Watcher,” done in oil on Masonite, from Wall High School (Grade 12).

Closing out his remarks, Smith said, “Although only one artwork can be selected by our judges to hang in the U.S. Capitol—where it will be seen along with submissions from every participating congressional district in America, by an estimated half-million people—I thank each of you for taking the time and the effort to share with us your inspiring creations.”

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EWTN article on Smith's new anti-human trafficking bill, HR 1144'Bishops offer firm support for legislation to combat human trafficking'

Tue, 05 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Tessa Gervasini
Published May 5, 2026 at 6:00 AM ET

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) stated its unwavering support for legislation that advances “our nation’s commitment to eradicating the sin of human trafficking."

In an April letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky, and Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria, Texas, expressed their support for the legislation (S. 2241 / H.R. 4307) on behalf of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and Committee on Migration.

The bill, which the House passed in March, would require the Department of Labor to train its employees to detect human trafficking, identify suspected victims, and refer potential cases to the Department of Justice or other appropriate authorities.

U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Tanarch/Shutterstock

“The Catholic Church is a steadfast voice against human trafficking and other forms of exploitation, as well as a longtime provider of services and pastoral care to victims of these crimes,” the bishops wrote.

Under the bill sponsored by Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, the Labor secretary would tailor training for the departmentʼs Wage and Hour Division by taking into account the needs of those operating in states where oppressive child labor has recently surged. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, who is Catholic, introduced the Senate version of the measure with one cosponsor, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan. No committee action is scheduled.

“We urge the committee to report the bill favorably to the full Senate and for the chamber to join with the House in passing this measure to bolster the U.S. Department of Labor’s important role in combatting human trafficking,” the bishops said.

“We appreciate the bill’s specific mention of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division, which plays such an instrumental role in detection and thwarting labor exploitation by unscrupulous employers, especially for children,” the bishops said.

As Congress has begun the appropriations process for fiscal 2027 and funding for the Department of Labor, “we renew our previous calls for the long underfunded agency to receive increased support to address its pervasive staffing and resource shortages, particularly given its role in thwarting child labor exploitation, as S. 2241 acknowledges,” they wrote.

Further support

The bishops also recently voiced support for H.R. 1144, a bill introduced by Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, that would reauthorize a 2000 anti-trafficking bill.

“This is another important, bipartisan anti-trafficking measure that warrants immediate action as a further step to counter the scourge of human trafficking in our country and beyond,” the bishops wrote in a March letter to U.S. representatives.

The bill would update elements of the federal framework to prevent international trafficking, and establish and reauthorize anti-trafficking programs across the State Department, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Among other actions, the bill would authorize HHS to carry out a program to help victims of trafficking integrate or reintegrate into society. It also would require the Department of Stateʼs Trafficking in Persons Report to include information about trafficking for the purposes of organ removal.

“I … want to recognize and thank the amazing, heroic, and extraordinarily compassionate survivor-leaders who helped write this bill,” Smith said at a press conference on April 23. “Their courage, strength, tenacity, wisdom, and, above all, their love for the vulnerable not only inspires but helped us get it right.”

“This legislation is of, by, and for them — to help heal, restore, and empower,” said Smith, who is Catholic.

Reauthorizing the bill “is essential to sustaining a comprehensive, prevention-focused response to human trafficking,” Katie Boller Gosewisch, executive director of the Alliance to End Human Trafficking, an anti-trafficking organization founded and supported by U.S. Catholic sisters, told EWTN News.

“The bill strengthens the systems that protect those most at risk while ensuring survivors have access to the services and support needed for long-term stability and healing. The Alliance to End Human Trafficking urges Congress to act without delay to move this legislation forward in both the House and Senate and ensure its swift passage.”

This article was published on May 5, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/bishops-offer-firm-support-for-legislation-to-combat-human-trafficking

The New York Sun article on Smith's TLHRC hearing'Free Speech on the Brink as South Korean Government Suppresses Criticism of Pyongyang'

Mon, 04 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Donald Kirk
Published May 4, 2026 at 4:00 AM ET

Free speech is in jeopardy in South Korea under the left-leaning government that took power in Seoul nearly a year ago. A former American air force intelligence officer and a member of the academic council of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Tara O, described the loss of freedom in Korea at a congressional hearing recently conducted by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on rights in both North and South Korea.

“There are more and more restrictions on freedom in the Republic of Korea — restrictions on freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and other freedoms,” Ms. O told the commission. Increasingly, Ms. O said, “the measures to suppress freedom are being codified into laws, and now they are even trying to change the constitution.”

Ms. O’s comments reflected the widespread impression that the left-leaning president, Lee Jae-myung, who took over in a snap election a year ago after the impeachment, ouster, and jailing of his conservative predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol, has infringed on the rights of individuals who oppose concessions or dialogue with North Korea.

South Korea's president, Lee Jae-myung, campaigning at Seoul, on May 1, 2025. Suh Myung-geon/Yonhap via AP

“And who are the people so focused on eroding freedom in South Korea?” Ms. O asked, rhetorically. “They are pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP), pro-Korean Workers’ Party (in North Korea), anti-ROK, anti-U.S. and anti-Japan. They now control the majority of the levers of power in South Korea.”

Ms. O had the support of Representative Chris Smith, co-chairman of the Lantos Commission, named for the late congressman Tom Lantos, a Hungarian who survived the Holocaust and founded the congressional human rights caucus, which was named after him after he died in 2008.

Mr. Smith accused Mr. Lee’s government of taking “steps that have had the effect of constraining human rights advocacy related to North Korea.” Among them, he said, were “halting government-sponsored broadcasts into North Korea” and “supporting legislation that allows police to block activists from sending information such as leaflets and digital media into North Korea.”

Such actions, Mr. Smith said, “directly affect the ability of civil society – especially defector-led organizations to carry out one of the most effective forms of engagement within the North Korean people: the transmission of information.”

No one feels these views more passionately than the president of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, Suzanne Scholte, who for more than 30 years has been waging what appears to be a losing struggle on behalf of human rights in North Korea.

Now is “the most challenging time in the history of the North Korean human rights movement,” she said at the hearing and then again at a confab at Washington in which North Korean defectors described the horrors they endured before getting out of North Korea.

In Seoul, Koreans repeatedly say that the South Korean regime is probably less willing to confront North Korea on human rights than at any time in recent years. Newspapers rarely report on the issue while refraining from direct criticism of Mr. Lee and members of his government.

Ms. Scholte remained optimistic, noting that the government at least has not stopped defectors from broadcasting for two hours each day from Seoul into North Korea on Free North Korea Radio, One defector, Park Sang-hak, conceded he’s not able to send balloons over North Korea, dropping leaflets exposing the cruelty of the regime as he did before the rise of the Lee government.

These days, defectors and their advocates have almost as much trouble being heard in South Korea as in North Korea. Conservative newspapers that once criticized ruling officials and their policies are afraid to speak up while the government pleads for dialogue with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un.

“To help understand the scope of the problem,” Ms. O observed at the hearing, “it’s useful to point out that the major media in South Korea do not report in the news on massive rallies where people call for defending South Korea or a strong alliance with the U.S.”

Signs saying “CCP Out,” calling for the Chinese Communist Party to cease its covert activities and get out of South Korea, appear at rallies but not in the newspapers. Charges of election fraud are constantly heard in Seoul but not reported.

“Thus, people share these events through social media,” said Ms. O, “and the social media — YouTube (Google Korea), X Korea, Facebook, Threads, etc. are then subsequently censored, as if copying censorship practices” of the People’s Republic of China.

This article was published on May 4, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.nysun.com/article/free-speech-on-the-brink-as-south-korean-government-suppresses-criticism-of-py