U.S. Rep. Chris Smith announced today that Rutgers University’s Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities (The Boggs Center) will receive a federal designation and funding to boost its system of care for children with disabilities and their families. Last year, Smith secured a provision in the Fiscal Year 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act (PL 114-113) boosting resources for LEND programs and directing HRSA to designate new programs in states, like New Jersey, that do not have one, yet have h... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith, chairman of a house panel on global human rights, released the following statement on the possibility of a downgrade of Burma’s Trafficking Status: “Burma's downgrade, if true, is justified and long overdue—the government was warned for the past four years that such an action was possible. Something must be done when government officials and military leaders are complicit in forced labor, recruiting child soldiers, and pushing the Rohingya into the hands of the traffickers. If ... Read more

BY CRISTINA ROJAS, TRENTON TIMES STAFF WRITER - One of Hamilton's nine fire districts has been awarded a $140,908 federal grant that will allow it invest in new respirators and other gear. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.) made the announcement Thursday. Fire District 4 will use the money to buy 22 self-contained breathing apparatus and a thermal imaging camera that can be used to help find downed firefighters and bring them to safety. "This grant will help protect those who are willing to put... Read more

Today the Supreme Court ruled against the state of Texas in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, a case challenging a 2013 Texas law that required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic, and requiring abortion clinics to meet the minimum standards for ambulatory surgical centers. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, made the following statement: “The Supreme Court’s tragic decisio... Read more

After four years of congressional hearings focusing on the potential for disaster in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the U.S. Department of the Treasury finally added Celestin Kanyama, a Congolese government official, to the Specially Designated Nationals list for his role in using violence to prevent preparation for election. “The Department of Treasury’s decision to sanction this first government official is a welcome first step, however more must be done while there is still time ... Read more

BY JIM WALSH, STAFF WRITER Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is a finalist in the competition to host the next generation of Air Force air-refueling tankers, federal legislators said Thursday. The military base is one of five sites being considered to host the KC-46 aircraft, which are expected to arrive by 2020. The planes, now in testing, eventually would replace the military’s current fleet of KC-10s. The other finalists are Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Fairchild in Washington; Grand Fork... Read more

BY JONATHAN SALANT OF THE STAR LEDGER Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is one of five finalists to house the Air Force's new KC-46 tankers. Six other facilities were eliminated from consideration for the tanker fleet. A decision is expected Dec. 15 and the tankers are expected to be delivered in 2020. "The joint base is one of our nation's premier air mobility installations, and a great option for housing the KC-46," said Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd Dist.), a member of the House Armed Services Com... Read more

By JIM WALSH Staff Writer - Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is a finalist in the competition to host the next generation of Air Force air-refueling tankers, federal legislators said Thursday. The military base is one of five sites being considered to host the KC-46 aircraft, which are expected to arrive by 2020. The planes, now in testing, eventually would replace the military’s current fleet of KC-10s. The other finalists are Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Fairchild in Washington; Grand For... Read more

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB-MDL) has made the U.S. Air Force’s final list of installations that will be considered for the next round of KC-46 Pegasus tankers, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced today. The Air Force is in the process of determining which installation will host Main Operating Base 4 (MOB4). If chosen, JB-MDL will receive up to 36 new tankers to replace the current fleet of 32 KC-10 Extenders. JB-MDL is also currently home to eight KC-135 Stratotankers operated by th... Read more

New evidence that the Chinese government, hospitals and officials continue to profit from the billion-dollar illicit organ harvesting industry was revealed today by medical experts at a hearing jointly chaired by Representative Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Human Rights, and Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats. “The illegal practice of organ harvesting is barbaric, but it is growing as a commercial and punitive pract... Read more