By Catholic News Service and Staff Reports - In a strong bipartisan vote of 401-20, the U.S. House of Representatives July 26 overwhelmingly passed critical anti-trafficking legislation – the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022. T he bill, written by U.S. Rep Chris Smith, R-N.J., together with U.S. Rep Karen Bass, D-CA, reauthorizes the historic Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and provides more than $1 billion over five years to... Read more

On Sunday night, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) joined Mark Levin on Fox News to expose the Chinese Communist Party’s egregious exploitation of tens of thousands of children in Africa to mine rare earth minerals—including cobalt and lithium—that are in high demand for batteries and solar panels to power the so-called “Green Economy.” Smith and Levin also discussed how the Biden Administration largely looks the other way when it comes to addressing human rights violations in the supply chain and relies... Read more

By Jessica Donohue, Correspondent When discerning which projects to bring to the forefront for inclusion in a recent congressional spending bill, U.S. Rep Chris Smith (R-NJ) knew immediately that there was one within the Diocese of Trenton that would be at the top of his list: Providence House Domestic Violence Services of Catholic Charities in Ocean County. The mission of Providence House, which serves people of all faiths, is to provide shelter and care for victims of domestic violence, and “... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today released the following statement on the sudden passing of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski and her two staff members, Emma Thomson and Zachery Potts: “We mourn the loss of our good friend, Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who was indefatigable in standing up for the most vulnerable among us. The passion, courage, and love she brought to her work on behalf of unborn babies and their mothers set an example that will not be forgotten. We are also deeply saddened by the pas... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Ranking Member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, recently joined Mark Levin on his radio show to expose how the Chinese Communist Party’s quest for cobalt for batteries and lithium for solar panels to power the so-called Green Economy drives extreme human rights abuses, as tens of thousands of children in Africa toil in mines under hazardous, life-threatening conditions. The topic was the focus of the hearing Smith chaired last month. Smith and Levin a... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, today issued the following statement on the recent report released by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on the state of religious persecution in North Korea: “North Korea's human rights abuses are almost without parallel—with horrific reports of up to 70,000 North Koreans currently in prison for their religious beliefs. “The new USCIRF report—based on painstaking interviews with survivors, wit... Read more

By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Legislation sponsored by a New Jersey lawmaker to renew programs to combat human trafficking overwhelmingly passed the House Tuesday. The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022 would earmark more than $1.1 billion to provide shelters, mental health care, education, life skills and job training for victims of trafficking. It would spend $35 million for housing to help women escaping their cap... Read more

The so-called CHIPS Act championed by President Biden and passed by the House of Representatives this week blatantly ignores grave threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who voted against the legislative package in part for its failure to protect America’s manufacturing industry from the growing threat of China’s ambitions. “As China works to expand its power and steals American intellectual property, the United States must take bolder—not weaker—actio... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is pushing new legislation (HR 8382) to restore the Trump Administration’s effective Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)—widely known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy—to combat the worst border crisis in U.S. history. Under HR 8382, migrants apprehended at the border would be required to stay in Mexico as they await their application review by U.S. immigration officials. “President Biden’s disastrous border policies—including and especially his reversal of the Trump Admin... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today met with Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt—the top U.S. official tasked with combating antisemitism—together with members of the Congressional Task Force for Combating Antisemitism to discuss bolstering the United States’ efforts to tackle the alarming rise in attacks against Jews throughout the country and across the world. “Tragically, antisemitism won’t disappear by ignoring it or wishing it away—it must be defeated,” said Rep. Smith, who authored the law that created... Read more