Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, recently joined CBS Eye on the World—hosted by John Batchelor and Malcolm Hoenlein, vice chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Among the many topics discussed were the Biden Administration's disastrous August 31st exit strategy in Afghanistan and what it means moving forward. Click below to listen: Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) released the following statement on the arrival of evacuees from Afghanistan at New Jersey Joint Base MDL: “There is a both a compelling need and moral obligation to provide immediate safe haven and humanitarian aid to the refugees fleeing the unspeakable cruelty, violence and terrorism perpetrated by the Taliban in Afghanistan owing to President Biden’s disastrous August 31st exit strategy. “Many of these individuals and families arriving at the Joint Base provided vital... Read more

Chris Smith Special to Asbury Park Press USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has handed over an entire nation to unspeakable cruelty, violence, terrorism and egregious abuse of women and girls. Safe passage out of Afghanistan for thousands of Americans and our allies including Afghan translators, their families, former U.S. employees and others must be the immediate priority. To ensure a safer, faster, and a more robust evacuation from Afghanistan, I strongly ur... Read more

Below is the op-ed written by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, on the crisis in Afghanistan: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/20/create-humanitarian-corridors/. Read more

Erik Larsen, Asbury Park Press staff Already thinking about a trip abroad next summer, when perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic will — dare it even be imagined — finally be over? Well, better get to work on renewing that expired or soon-to-be expired passport now. A nationwide backlog in passport applications has resulted from a shutdown of passport offices across the country during the public health crisis, said Ocean County Clerk Scott M. Colabella. The county clerk’s office administers the start of... Read more

In response to the backlog of passport applications – which exceeds 2 million nationally, including more than 400,000 that hadn’t even been opened yet as of the last update – a New Jersey congressman is asking that all current passports get extended. Rep. Chris Smith, R-Hamilton, said the last word from the State Department was that there were 1.75 million applications pending adjudication and 413,000 in lockboxes awaiting processing. In response, he has proposed legislation that would temporari... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) this week reintroduced Braeden’s Commission: Protect our Athletes from Exertional Heat Stroke (H.R. 4855)—bipartisan legislation named in honor of Braeden Bradforth, the college football player from Smith’s congressional district who died suddenly from exertional heat stroke following a team practice at a Kansas college on August 1, 2018. “Braeden had the highest hopes of advancing his football career and playing in the NFL one day, but exertional heat stroke ended that ... Read more

Marking this year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA - P.L. 106-386), today called on the United States and nations around the world to bolster and expand their efforts to combat the worldwide scourge of human trafficking and protect those who are most vulnerable. “Today especially, we shine a light on these unspeakable crimes and the millions of victims who are still in urgent need of help... Read more

By Julie Asher | Catholic News Service and Staff Reports As he offered three amendments to the State Department appropriations bill before the House July 28, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., asked his House colleagues in remarks from the floor, "Where is the justice and empathy and compassion for unborn babies?" "Rather than funding the death of a baby, I believe we must increase access to maternal and prenatal care and ensure access to safe blood and better nutrition," said Smith, a Catholic, wh... Read more

Three bipartisan amendments offered by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to enhance federal support for autism research and Lyme disease programs passed the House of Representatives as part of an en bloc amendment this week during consideration of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 4502). The first of Smith’s amendments, cosponsored by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), would redirect $10 million from the HHS Office of the Secretar... Read more