Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the House Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, today met with Gilad Erdan—the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations—to discuss the rampant antisemitism at the United Nations and the need for continued US support for Israel. “Ambassador Erdan has one of the most difficult jobs in the world representing Israel at the United Nations, which is unquestionably the world’s foremost legitimizer of antisemitism, including in its most virulent and violent forms,”... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee, today issued the following statement on the reported release of Bishop Rolando José Álvarez and 18 Catholic priests who had been detained by the brutal Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua: “The lives of these courageous leaders of the Church in Nicaragua are no longer in immediate danger, but they continue to long for the protection and fundamental rights of those who still face human rights abuses and punishment for p... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and longtime advocate for democracy and human rights around the world, today issued the following statement in praise of Taiwan’s recent elections: "The courageous people of Taiwan have again inspired freedom-loving people around the world by demonstrating that democracy, constitutional governance and respect for human rights are indeed compatible with the Chinese tradition—rejecting the lies of Xi Jinping and the... Read more

Recognizing National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), an international leader in combating human trafficking, today called for greater action from the international and US communities—at all levels of government—to partner with civil society to eliminate this heinous crime: “On any given day, at least 27.6 million people across the world are enslaved in forced labor and/or sex trafficking. Human traffickers and their nefarious networks are cunning and opportunistic—w... Read more

Amid the ongoing crackdown on the Catholic Church and religious freedom in Nicaragua by dictator Daniel Ortega, Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) today introduced new legislation—the Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights in Nicaragua Act of 2024 (HR 6954)—that would impose serious economic sanctions targeting the Ortega-Murillo regime for its egregious human rights violations. “The United States needs to step up and act quickly to implement all the tools at our disposal ... Read more

With the strong support and vote of Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), the House of Representatives today passed legislation to stop the Biden Administration from waiving “Buy America” protections on electric vehicle chargers. Intended to promote domestic manufacturing, these protections have been implemented in many sectors and require the federal government to purchase goods produced in the United States. “As part of its rush to implement a de facto electric vehicle mandate, the Biden Administr... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) today welcomed news that BP and Equinor have cancelled their contract for the “Empire Wind 2” offshore wind project located off the Monmouth County coastline: “Just two months after Orsted pulled out of its huge taxpayer-subsidized deal approved by Governor Murphy, BP and Equinor have followed suit by terminating their contract for an offshore wind project off the Monmouth County coastline citing ‘changed economic circumstances on an industry-wide scale.’ The pro... Read more

At a ceremony at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB-MDL) today, Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) joined Brigadier General Lisa Hou—the Adjutant General and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs—and senior leaders and service members of the New Jersey Army National Guard to mark the grand opening of the newly built Lakehurst Readiness Center. The 40,762 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility—which was made possible by $15 million in federal funds secured thr... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) issued the following statement in response to recent reports that migrants from the US southern border are now being dropped off at New Jersey train stations: “President Biden’s illegal open-border policies and failure to secure our southern border continue to seriously jeopardize our national security and the safety of American citizens as hundreds of migrants are now being bused to New Jersey and left at train stations throughout our state. While New York grapp... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee, today issued the following statement as Bishop Álvarez suffers 500 days in Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega’s gulag: “Nicaragua’s Ortega-Murillo regime has escalated their crackdown on the Catholic Church—during the Christmas season—these past two weeks. Since December 20, Nicaraguan police have detained a total number of 14 priests and two seminarians, all during the Christmas season. There are currently 15 imprison... Read more