December 6, 2006MR. SMITH of New Jersey: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 843, with an amendment, the Combating Autism Act. This bill is great news for the 1.5 million individuals suffering from autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families, the many ASD advocacy groups who have been working hard for so long, and also the very many Members of Congress who have championed the cause of autism with the goal of providing meaningful relief to those autistic individuals and their famili...
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The life-saving stem cells in umbilical cords are one of medicine’s best-kept secrets. This rich, non-controversial source of stem cells has already been used to treat thousands of patients with more than 67 different diseases, including Leukemia, Sickle Cell Anemia and Hurler disease. Unfortunately, hospitals discard millions of umbilical cords each year due to a lack of infrastructure to collect and store them.
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U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Vice Chairman of the House International Relations Committee and Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman, welcomed the decision by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to designate Uzbekistan as a “Country of Particular Concern” for its particularly severe violations of religious freedom. “I applaud Secretary Rice for making the right decision as the situation in Uzbekistan has deteriorated significantly over the last 18 months. The United States cannot sit quietly while peo...
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At a press conference on Capitol Hill today, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro Life Caucus, called on Amnesty International to resist pressure from abortion rights advocates to adopt a pro-abortion position. Smith was joined by U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA), Luis Fortuno, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico (R-PR), Deirdre McQuade, Director of Planning and Information for the Pro-Life Secretariat of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Kirsten Day, Executive Director of Democrats for Life.
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Citing countries like Romania which continue to block American families from adopting children, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today called for swift and proper implementation of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption to promote international adoptions and pressure signatory nations to meet the agreement’s true intentions during a hearing in the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations.
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Calling the move to normalize trade relations with Vietnam misguided and premature, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today voted against legislation to authorize the extension of normal trade relations treatment to the regime in Hanoi saying the bill “puts profits ahead of basic human rights.”
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U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)–the author of the landmark law to expand ethical and effective stem cell treatment and research–today announced the awarding of over $12 million in federal contracts to procure and store the nation’s supply of umbilical cord blood, making life-saving stem cells available to treat more than 67 diseases including leukemia and sickle cell anemia, as well as for research into further medical advancements.
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U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today expressed outrage at the Ethiopian government’s continued silence about the report linking their security forces to nearly 200 deaths during two waves of protests over election results in 2005, and called for immediate passage of his bill to promote human rights and democracy in Ethiopia when Congress reconvenes.
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U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House International Relations Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations Subcommittee, today urged greater U.S. and international involvement in ending the brutal conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions in northern Uganda and a halt to the use of child soldiers in that conflict and others around the world.
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