Seven years ago this month, the East African nations of Eritrea and Ethiopia began a devastating two-year conflict that cost the lives of as many as 100,000 soldiers and civilians. The war, which largely took place on Eritrean territory, displaced a third of that country’s population and caused massive destruction. The deprivation in both countries continues long after the war ended, and the suffering goes on. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith today announced that the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to repair storm damaged bulkheads along the Point Pleasant Canal. Read more

I want to thank my good friend from Iowa, Jim Leach, for co-chairing today’s joint hearing, and for his groundbreaking work in authoring the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004. I was proud to work with him on that legislation, and I share his resolve to see that the new law results in real improvements in the lives of the men and women of North Korea. It is particularly fitting that we are meeting today, on the first anniversary of the North Korean Freedom Day rally that took place on the National Mall. Read more

The Subcommittee will come to order. I am pleased to convene this hearing of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations. Today we will be examining the U.S. government’s efforts to combat two killer diseases, Malaria and Tuberculosis, which are ravaging the developing world. Read more

The premier US agency charged with investigating government procedures, mistakes and general policy implications has agreed to Rep. Chris Smith’s (R-Hamilton) request for a comprehensive examination of the actions taken by the Environmental Protection Agency in response to the discovery of asbestos at the site of the former W.R. Grace/Zonolite plant in Hamilton, New Jersey. Read more

Among the key witnesses scheduled to testify Tuesday is Youssou N’Dour, Senegalese Jazz Musician, Goodwill Ambassador, and with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. Youssou N’Dour has been called “Probably the best known African musician in the world today” by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and Rolling Stone magazine has said “If any third world performer has a real shot at the sort of universal popularity enjoyed by Bob Marley, it's Youssou, a singer with a voice so extraordinary that the history of Africa seems locked inside it.” Read more

Rep. Chris Smith will again be hosting “Academy Night” for students who live in the Fourth Congressional District and who are interested in attending one of the United States service academies. Read more

The Subcommittee will come to order. I am pleased to convene this hearing of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations. Today we will be looking at the prospects for democracy in one of the most troubled countries on the African continent, Zimbabwe. Read more

The federal government’s Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) preliminary testing indicates the air is clear around the former W.R.Grace plant in Hamilton Township. Rep. Chris Smith said, “The EPA’s initial report on air quality following the W.R Grace Company fire is positive news for Hamilton and Lawrence Township residents who live near the former plant.” The U.S. EPA deployed 15 air-monitoring stations in a two-mile radius around the former paper shredding plant on Hamilton’s Industrial D... Read more

The Subcommittee will come to order. I am pleased to convene this hearing of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations. Today we will be examining the important and highly relevant topic of reform of the United Nations’ human rights institutions. Read more