By Amanda Oglesby and Joe Strupp - Asbury Park Press staff writers New Jersey community leaders condemned the attack Saturday on a Jewish house of worship in Texas and said the act reflected growing antisemitism across the nation. Malik Faisal Akram, 44, a British citizen, took hostages at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, on Saturday, according to the FBI and media reports. He appears to have acted alone, according to the bureau. Akram was killed and none of the four hostages were...
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Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, today issued the following statement on the tragic hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Texas: “I am grateful and relieved that all hostages from Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, have been freed unharmed. I thank the FBI and local law enforcement for their professionalism and their role in bringing an end to this tragic drama. It reminds us, however, that we have seen an ...
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In a bipartisan letter released this week, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), together with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), pressed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to prove Olympic uniforms are not made with forced labor from China’s Xinjiang Region—where the Chinese Communist Party is committing genocide against predominantly-Muslim Uyghurs and other Central Asian minorities. The letter to IOC President Thomas Bach comes after the Committee entered contracts ahead of the...
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As another deadline to fund the federal government approaches on February 18, 2022, more than 180 Members today released a letter to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy applauding the leaders’ “unwavering commitment” to ensure pro-life protections remain in all federal appropriations bills and vowing to “vote against any federal funding bill that weakens or eliminates them.” “Thank you for the consistent pro-life leadership you have shown even as ...
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Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today voted to defend voter identification laws across the country and uphold states’ election security laws as House Democrats rammed through legislation—HR 5746—to federalize elections and force states to implement measures that would drastically weaken the integrity of the vote. “The so-called ‘Freedom to Vote Act’ jammed through the House by Democrats seriously jeopardizes our sacred right to vote,” said Rep. Smith. “This partisan bill weakens our election security a...
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By CNA Staff In recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11, a New Jersey congressman is calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bipartisan piece of legislation intended to combat what his office calls “modern-day slavery.” “Human traffickers have benefitted from a culture of denial and a lack of awareness throughout our communities,” U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) said in a Jan. 11 press release. “Education and awareness programs — especially and including t...
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Marking National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), an international leader in the fight to combat human trafficking, today recognized the dedicated work of grassroots anti-trafficking organizations to combat modern-day slavery and called on the House to immediately pass the comprehensive Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2021 (H.R. 5150) that he and Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) authored to bolster efforts to end the scou...
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By Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) January 6, 2021 was a tragic day for our Nation that resulted in the loss of life and physical injury, including brave Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick from New Jersey who died the next day. The U.S. Capitol Police are owed our profound gratitude for their bravery and heroism on January 6th that continues to this day. Rather than seeking the truth and a roadmap to ensure the safety and security of those who work at or visit the Capitol, the so-called “Select Comm...
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By Doug O’Malley and Greg Lalevee The signing of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package last month was a historic step forward to invest and repair our nation’s infrastructure — from our roads, bridges and rail lines to investing in broadband and modernizing our electric grid to repairing our water infrastructure. This long-delayed legislation rightfully received the full support of every member of the New Jersey Congressional delegation. The package included a $15 billion down paym...
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Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and Ranking Member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, today issued the following statement on the enactment of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (H.R. 6256)—the bipartisan legislation Smith cosponsored to stop U.S. imports produced by slave labor, including from China’s Xinjiang Region, where the Chinese Communist Party is committing genocide against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other Central A...
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