With David Goldman and other left behind parents from around the country at a congressional mark-up Tuesday, a bill designed to empower the U.S. State Department with more tools to achieve the return of children abducted from the U.S. and to enforce the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction was approved by Members of the House panel that oversees human rights. Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House congressional human rights subcommittee, saw his ... Read more

Promoting online freedom in repressive countries is at the core of the Global Online Freedom Act (GOFA) passed today by the House panel that oversees international human rights and chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04). At the markup of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, Chairman Smith described the deteriorating state of freedom of political and religious speech online and the growing danger for dissidents who use the Internet. “The threat to human rights is ... Read more

The National PACE Association (NPA) today presented Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) with the NPA Public Service Award at its Spring Policy Forum in Washington. He received the award for his leadership in helping protect PACE—Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly—as an option for New Jersey seniors as the State works to reform its long-term care delivery system. Smith helped launch the first Medicare-sponsored PACE in New Jersey, and the NPA selected him in recognition of his support of P... Read more

At a congressional mark-up Tuesday, a bill designed to empower the U.S. State Department with more tools to achieve the return of children abducted from the U.S. and to enforce the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction will be voted on by Members of the House panel that oversees human rights. According to the U.S. State Department, over 3,200 new international parental child abduction cases involving over 4,700 children were reported from October 2007 to December... Read more

A bill to address the wave of internet censorship being engaged in by repressive regimes around the world—the Global Online Freedom Act (GOFA)—will be taken up at a congressional hearing Tuesday to be held by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chair of the House panel that oversees human rights. The legislation would prevent U.S. information technology companies from collaborating with foreign dictators in their efforts to censor the Internet and spy on their own citizens. The bill is in response ... Read more

Geraldine Finucane, widow of murdered human rights attorney Patrick Finucane, led a group of witnesses who testified Wednesday before a congressional hearing on human rights in Northern Ireland chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the U.S. Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission). “In connection with the Good Friday peace agreement, the British government promised to conduct public inquiries into prominent, recommended cases... Read more

“Last week while the House of Representatives was out of session, the mass deception of the Obama 2010 Executive Order was finally exposed,” said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today at a Capitol Hill press conference called to highlight the Obama Administration’s plan for public funding for abortion coverage in Obamacare. “On March 24, 2010, President Obama said in his Executive Order (#13535) ‘Ensuring Enforcement and Implementation of Abortion Restrictions in the Patient Protection and Affordable C... Read more

A bill to increase U.S. exports to Africa was introduced today by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights. The “Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa Act of 2012” is intended to stimulate U.S. bilateral trade with Africa and boost American exports to Africa by 200 percent within 10 years. Smith is joined in this bipartisan legislation by Congressman Bobby Rush (IL-01), who has supported similar trade legis... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the U.S. Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE or U.S. Helsinki Commission), and co-chair of the U.S. Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs, will hold a congressional hearing of the Helsinki Commission Wednesday on the progress for peace and justice in Northern Ireland. The hearing, entitled “Prerequisites for Progress in Northern Ireland,” will be held Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 2 p.m. in Room 2247 of the Rayburn House Office Building... Read more

This week while the House of Representatives was out of session, the Obama Administration confirmed its insidious plan for public funding for abortion coverage in Obamacare (PL 111-148) when it issued rules for Obamacare exchanges, complete with an abortion surcharge and a secrecy clause. “The mass deception of the Obama 2010 Executive Order has finally been exposed,” said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-chair of the Congressional Pro-life Caucus. “The Executive Order implemented the same a... Read more