The following story by the Washington Post about Chinese political prisoner Gao Zhisheng, the subject of a congressional hearing held Feb. 16 by Cong. Chris Smith (NJ-04) , chairman of the U.S. China Commission, was published on Feb. 16, 2012: By Dan Zak, Published: February 16 Somewhere between the desert basins and craggy mountains of far west China, in the lonely expanse to which criminals and subversives have been exiled for generations, a human rights lawyer named Gao Zhisheng presumably si... Read more

From Havana, Cuba, former political prisoner Dr. Óscar Elías Biscet, M.D., a courageous human rights advocate who has spent over 11 years in jail, testified today before a rare joint hearing chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) of the House subcommittee on human rights, as well as the subcommittee that addresses Western Hemisphere issues. From Havana, Cuba, former political prisoner Dr. Óscar Elías Biscet, M.D., a courageous human rights advocate who has spent over 11 years in jail, testif... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith gave the following remarks at press conference in support of H.R. 1179, The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, on February 15, 2012: "President Obama’s slick public relations offensive on Friday contained neither an “accommodation” nor a compromise nor a change in his coercion rule. "The final rule promulgated Friday remains a direct, obnoxious, unprecedented government attack on the conscience rights of religious entities and anyone else who for moral reasons cannot and... Read more

“As President Obama welcomes Vice President Xi Jinping, China’s leader-in-waiting to the White House today our Commission will hear testimony from two wives who are appealing for the immediate release of their jailed husbands—great human rights leaders—back in China,” said Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04) at a bipartisan hearing of the U.S. China Commission today. “As Chairman, I hope that President Obama doesn’t put human rights last on the agenda—or not at all—as he did when Chinese President Hu J... Read more

A project supporting a critical mission at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB-MDL) that Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) has been working on since 2008 is included in the Army’s fiscal year 2013 budget released today. The Army’s proposed budget includes $47 million for a new state-of-the-art aviation hangar to house the Communications and Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) Flight Activity (CFA) on the former Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station side of the join... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) released the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement today that violates the religious freedoms of people of faith and people of conscience. “The so-called new policy is the discredited old policy, dressed up to look like something else,” said Smith. “It remains a serious violation of religious freedom. Only the most naïve or gullible would accept this as a change in policy. “The newest iteration of Obama’s coercion rule utterly fails bec... Read more

(CNA/EWTN News) - Representative Chris Smith thinks that the Obama administration's decision to force religious organizations to purchase health insurance plans in violation of their consciences is an attempt to force "Catholic health care to cease to be." "That's the end goal here. I think we have to be very blunt about it," he said in a Jan. 23 interview with CNA. The Republican congressman from New Jersey also responded to President Barack Obama's Jan. 22 statement on the anniversary of the S... Read more

A strengthened federal effort unveiled this week in Washington will help ongoing efforts to battle a disease that afflicts over five million Americans, a number expected to triple in the decades ahead, said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), who co-chairs the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. "This is a war against a disease that ravages individuals and takes a terrible toll on their caretakers and family members," said Smith. “Every battle launched against Alzheimer’s brings us clo... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) today released the following statement in response to President Obama’s decision to coerce people of faith and people of conscience to violate their convictions or else suffer severe consequences. “President Obama is using the coercive power of the state to force people of faith and people of conscience to violate a fundamental conviction or suffer severe penalty,” Smith said. “What Obama has done is unconscionable and violates religious freedom... Read more

Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore testified before a congressional hearing held today by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the U.S. Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, also known as the Helsinki Commission). “While today many countries in Europe are inwardly focused on economic crises, the world still cries out for global leadership,” Smith said. “Ireland has stepped up to the plate, accepting the 2012 chairma... Read more