Rep. Smith (NJ-04), an advocate for the prevention of Lyme disease for more than two decades, took to the House floor in support of 21st Century Cures Act today with the following statement: I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his extraordinary leadership on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, in 1992, 24 years ago, I met—along with a great advocate, Pat Smith—with top officials of NIH and CDC on Federal guidelines that precluded the existence of chronic Lyme disease. Subsequently, every Congr... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Tom MacArthur (NJ-03) announced today that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will issue final regulations tomorrow (Nov. 30) that will move all Federal Wage System (FWS) employees at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB-MDL) into the New York locality pay area. Roughly 600 employees located on the former McGuire Air Force Base and Fort Dix will see their pay increased as a result of tomorrow’s final decision. “OPM’s announcement is a big win for Jo... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced today that the Gold Star Families Voices Act (HR 4511)—which expands the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project (VHP) to include family members of veterans who died as a result of their service or who are missing in action—has been signed into law. Smith’s legislation was approved by a unanimous voice vote in the House on September 6, 2016 and by a unanimous 97-0 vote in the Senate on November 15th. “The new law honors the men and women who gave ‘the las... Read more

By DAVID LEVINSKY, BCT STAFF WRITER - Hundreds of civilian workers on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst can expect a boost in pay before the end of the year thanks to the impending correction of a long-standing pay disparity issue. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management plans to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register this week to designate the entire joint base in the higher-paying New York wage area, rather than split between New York and the lower-paying Philadelphia wage area, accord... Read more

By Jonathan Salant of the Star Ledger/NJ.com - The Library of Congress' veterans history project will include stories from Gold Star families under legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama. Under the measure sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.), the Library of Congress, which now collects interviews with veterans, also would seek stories of from family members of those killed or missing in action while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. "The new law honors the men and women wh... Read more

As the United States, and the world, review the brutal legacy of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) said that with honest negotiations the past need not be prologue with the Communist regime, now headed by Raúl Castro, so long as we all remain mindful of history when assessing future relations with the island nation. Smith noted that there will no doubt be those counseling the incoming President to continue the Obama Administration’s policy of concessions to the Castro brother... Read more

By Alex Napoliello of the Star Ledger/NJ.com Nov. 27, 2016 - When the 73-acre Wreck Pond overflows, a decades-long problem, its surge prompts frequent beach closures and carries devastating impacts to the coastal environment and nearby homes. With the completion of a concrete culvert that is part of Gov. Chris Christie administration's $7.4 million lake restoration project, officials are a step closer to improving the health of the pond and the surrounding community. Nearly 16 months after the l... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who has worked for years securing federal support through multiple initiatives aimed at mitigating the flood and pollution problems associated with Wreck Pond, today joined N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin and other state, county and local officials to mark completion of a key component in the restoration of the pond, a state-of-the-art flood-control culvert. “Beginning in 2003, when Wreck Pond became part of the fourth congr... Read more

By Jonathan Salant of the Star Ledger/NJ.com The U.S. Senate has cleared legislation to add Gold Star families to the Library of Congress veterans history project, enabling them to tell stories of their loved ones killed while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), would have the Library of Congress, which now collects interviews with veterans, also seek stories from family members of those killed or missing in action. The bill passed the Senate Mo... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, denounced the passage today of a revised Law on Religion and Belief, saying the law was fundamentally flawed, violating Vietnam’s international obligations to protect human rights and increasing the government’s control over religious life in Vietnam. “This law is not a step forward. People of faith will continue to suffer under a Communist Party that wants to restrict religious liberty rather than protect a fundamental h... Read more