The following are excerpts of the opening remarks of Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, at a congressional hearing he chaired entitled "Establishing a War Crimes and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia," on Monday, June 21, 2021: Today’s hearing is on the compelling and long overdue need to establish an Extraordinary Criminal Tribunal for Liberia—an unmet need for justice in a country that suffered through two civil wars from 1989 through 2003, which has y... Read more

The following are excerpts of opening remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, at today's congressional hearing entitled "Judicial Independence in Central America": The topic of today’s hearing is one which should garner support on both sides of the aisle – the importance of judicial independence. Indeed, as a matter of general principle, embedded among larger principles – namely, respect for constitutionalism and the separation of power – support i... Read more

The following are excerpts of the opening remarks of U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, at a joint congressional hearing he chaired entitled "China, Genocide and the Olympics," held on Tuesday, May 18, 2021: “…in solidarity with the oppressed and not the oppressor, in solidarity with the victims and not the victimizer … find a new host city—or boycott… Don’t enable or sponsor the “Genocide Olympics” This hearing—China, Genocide, and the Olympics—wil... Read more

The following are excerpts of the opening remarks of Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, at a congressional hearing entitled "Democracy and Human Rights in Belarus," held on Thursday, May 6, 2021: Nine months ago, the world witnessed tens of thousands of Belarusian demonstrators—in some cases, over one hundred thousand—take to the streets in Minsk and other cities to protest an egregiously flawed election. These non-violent pro-democracy demonstrators wer... Read more

The following are excerpts of the opening remarks of U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, at a congressional hearing entitled "Civil and Political Rights in the Republic of Korea: implications for Human Rights on the Peninsula," held on Thursday, April 15, 2021: I’d like to begin by thanking all our witnesses for joining us today as we explore the state of civil and political rights as they exist in our close friend and ally, the Republic of Korea, an... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, spoke at the March 25, 2021 committee markup of his bill, H.R. 1079, to avert massive food shortages and related destabilization in areas of Africa. Smith's bill passed in a unanimous voice vote. The following are excerpts of his remarks: Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and Ranking Member McCaul for including H.R. 1079, the Desert Locust Control Act in today’s ma... Read more

The following are excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, at the commission's hearing "The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act: Taking Stock," held on Wednesday, March 24, 2021; I’d like to begin thanking Co-chairman McGovern not only for organizing today’s hearing, but for the constant and consistent collaboration over the years with regard to the Global Magnitsky Act, known colloquially as GLOMAG. When I introduced the... Read more

Excerpts of remarks by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) at a hearing of the House Africa Subcommittee on the crisis in Ethiopia held on December 3, 2020: I’d like to thank Chairwoman Bass for once again convening a hearing on an extremely important topic–the unfolding conflict in Ethiopia, centered around the Tigray region, but one which impacts the entire country. Indeed, it is my belief that Ethiopia is one of the two most strategically significant countries in Africa–Nigeria being the other ... Read more

Excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) during markup of H.R. 8438 in the House Foreign Affairs Committee October 1, 2020: Belarus was perhaps the nation most mired in its Soviet past, with an inefficient economy and a strongman autocrat in charge for over two-and-a-half decades. Yet the irrepressible spirit of freedom stirred among the people of Belarus, and when a patently false election result was announced on August 9 declaring Alyaksandr Lukashenka the winner, the people took to the ... Read more

Co-Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) held a hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission today entitled "Religious Freedom in China: The Case of Bishop James Su Zhimin" Excerpts of his remarks: "We are here today to focus attention on the case of His Excellency Bishop James Su Zhimin, Bishop of Baoding diocese, whom this Commission has recognized as a prisoner of conscience. Bishop Su has endured approximately 40 years in prison. His crime—simply exercising his universally recognized human right ... Read more