Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement on the Ethiopian government’s arrests of human rights lawyers Henok Aklilu and Michael Melake: “I am concerned by the Ethiopian government’s recent arrest of human rights lawyers Henok Aklilu and Michael Melake, and am worried that it may signal backsliding. I hope and expect that Ethiopian authorities will afford them due process and fair treatment, and that Prime Minister Abiy ... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, issued the following statement on the confirmation of John Cotton Richmond as the next Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons: “Ambassador Richmond has demonstrated a strong commitment to thorough research and evidence-based action on sex and labor trafficking. These traits will serve him well as he oversees the development of the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report—our most succes... Read more

House Foreign Affairs Global Health Subcommittee Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), and Global Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Karen Bass (D-CA) today released a bipartisan report outlining problems with USAID’s largest-ever contract that jeopardized access to life-saving health commodities and wasted taxpayer dollars. The report, entitled “Oversight Investigation: USAID Global Health Supply Chain Contract,” concludes a year-long co... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today honored Walter Pruiksma, a hero who, 74 years ago, braved a nighttime run on a horse-drawn, two-wheel wooden cart through German lines to bring an injured French woman to a hospital only three days after he had landed on Utah Beach in the wake of the D-Day invasion. U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Phillip Churn came from Washington to present him with the Silver Marechaussee Award, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a military policeman (MP) by the... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Global Human Rights and Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, released the following statement on the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson from house arrest in Turkey: “I am overjoyed that Pastor Andrew Brunson is finally free from his cruel and unjust imprisonment and house arrest, and is coming home safely to the U.S. For almost two years he was the victim of efforts by President Erdogan and the Turkish state to crack down on re... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) announced on Thursday that Brookdale Community College in Lincroft will receive a $95,334 grant from the Department of Education for its cybersecurity program. “Cybersecurity training is absolutely critical to national security, now and in the coming years, and I am pleased to announce that Brookdale Community College’s cybersecurity program will have even more resources available to equip students with solid training and skills,” Smith said. “Brookdale’s new FIPSE... Read more

Today’s announced 2.8 percent Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) increase for seniors is better than last year, but still not reflective of the real cost-of-living increases seniors face, said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who is pushing for legislation to establish a more accurate cost-of-living adjustment mechanism for seniors. “While a 2.8 percent increase is an improvement upon the previous benefits, the reality is that it still does not meet the needs of today’s seniors,” Smith sai... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued excerpts of the following remarks at a press conference on Wed., Oct. 10, on the release of the 2018 CECC Annual Report: The Commission’s Annual Report is the “gold standard” of human rights reporting on China and should be required reading. I would also like to thank the staff of the CECC—especially staff directors Elyse Anderson and Paul Protic. They have helped us as Chairs do some v... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith was a guest speaker at the fourth annual JAR of Hope Gala to combat Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, held at the IPlay America center on Schanck Road in Freehold Township this weekend. Below are Excerpts of his remarks: Let me thank Jim and Karen Raffone for their amazing love and effective advocacy for Jamesy—and their extraordinary leadership for all the boys and young men and their families struggling to overcome Duchenne. Jim, Karen and their team are an inspiration. Ever... Read more

On Sunday, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) addressed thousands of American Coptic Christians as they welcomed His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark of the Coptic Orthodox Church, at Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, NJ. Pope Tawadros II is the 118th pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the largest Christian Church in the Middle East. “Your Holiness—Pope Tawadros II—all people of faith and goodwill are deeply grateful for your historic visit,” Smith sa... Read more