By Lauren Glassberg Thursday, August 8, 2019 5:43PM NEW YORK (WABC) -- Sean Goldman was just a boy when he captured the nation's attention. His mother took him from New Jersey to Brazil and said they were never coming home. It took years and multiple court rulings for his father to finally get Sean back. Sean is now in college and on Thursday he marked the anniversary of a law in his name that helps fight international child abductions. "It took me a week and a half after coming home to call hi... Read more

By Alex Napoliello | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Even after he was reunited with his father a decade ago, it took Sean Goldman a week and a half before he could call him “dad.” And even then, it was only because he had accidentally fallen into a frigid lake near his Tinton Falls home — and screamed out to his father in terror. Spirited away to Brazil by his mother in 2004, Sean says he was fed lies about his father, David. The elder Goldman had flown to Brazil more than a dozen times to reclaim... Read more

“Words are inadequate to convey my profound sadness and empathy to the grieving families and friends over the loss of their loved ones in El Paso and Dayton—and deep gratitude to law enforcement for their selfless heroism. Comprehensive background checks and an assault weapons ban are likely to make people safer and ought to be enacted by Congress. But regrettably, something is radically broken in the hearts, minds, and souls of these mass murderers. And they are not alone. The culture of violen... Read more

By Stephen Edelman APP Writer - I never knew Braeden Bradforth, but I wish I had. And as I stood on Pop Warner field where his football career began, exactly one year after his life tragically ended nearly 2,000 miles away, I felt an incredibly strong connection to the gentle giant, having chronicled this relentless crusade for answers and accountability locally, and the inexplicable inaction by a Kansas junior college. I couldn’t help but wonder what Braeden would have thought about the scene l... Read more

On Friday, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced a bill named in honor Braeden Bradforth, a college football player from Smith’s district who died a year ago this week from “exertional heat stroke” after a football practice. The legislation, “Braeden's Commission—Protect our Athletes from Exertional Heat Stroke,” HR 4145, would establish a commission to conduct a study on exertional heat stroke among student athletes at educational institutions across the country to study best practices for preven... Read more

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE-PA) has again named Congressman Smith as the OSCE-PA Special Representative on Human Trafficking. In July, Smith’s resolution Educating Schoolchildren to Avoid Human Trafficking was unanimously adopted by the OSCE-PA. He has authored five major trafficking laws in the U.S., including the law that created a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to combating human trafficking in the U.S. and around the world... Read more

The following are excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) at the Pop Warner Football Field, in Neptune, N.J. on August. 1, 2019 marking one year since the death of Braeden Bradforth: As we all know, Braeden had the highest hopes of advancing his football career at Garden City Community College and ultimately, playing in the NFL. But one year ago today exertional heat stroke ended that beautiful dream. For months Braeden’s mom—Joanne—was left to speculate as to how and why her beloved son ... Read more

The following are excerpts of opening remarks by Rep. Chris Smith, co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at the hearing "The Goldman Act at Five Years," convened on July 25, 2019: The commission will come to order. I want to thank all of you—especially all of the left- behind parents I see in the audience, such as Ravi Parmar from Bring Our Kids Home—for joining us this afternoon. Today’s hearing will examine the efficacy of the Sean and David Goldman Child Abduction Prevention a... Read more

By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Federal help for the 1.5 million children on the autistic spectrum received a boost Wednesday when the U.S. House voted to spend $1.8 billion on programs over the next three years. The legislation, approved by voice vote, renews federal programs for a disease that affects 1 in 34 In New Jersey children, the highest rate in the country. The bill “powerfully supports and pursues durable remedies and effective interventions” for children with aut... Read more

By WOBM News Reporter Vin Ebenau - Bipartisan legislation to support and pursue remedies and interventions for the 1.5-million children with autism has been approved unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives. The Autism Cares Act of 2019, co-authored by Jersey Shore Congressman Chris Smith (R) and chief Democrat cosponsor, Rep. Mike Doyle (PA), helps adults with autism who are misdiagnosed, under-diagnosed and overlooked. The bill emphasizes that causes, diagnoses, detection, prevention a... Read more