In an exchange at a Wednesday hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member on the Committee, that he would work for the appointment of a Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Rep. Smith had asked the Secretary to act on the appointment of the vacant Special Envoy position. “And in 2004, I authored the Anti-Semitism Special Envoy. That, too, has not been filled,” Smith said to Pompeo of the vac... Read more

The defense funding authorization bill for the 2019 Fiscal Year (FY) that has Rep. Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) support includes $10.2 million for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, authorizes the largest pay raise for military personnel in nine years, and leaves out the federal process to realign and/or close military bases. “I am committed to ensuring that the men and women who serve our country in the armed forces have as much support as possible,” Rep. Smith stated. “For too long they have been in di... Read more

Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Collin Peterson (D-MN), the co-chairs of the Congressional Lyme Disease Caucus, are pushing bipartisan legislation to create a new national strategy for Lyme disease and strengthen treatment and prevention of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases during May, Lyme Disease Awareness Month. “So many patients suffer from the debilitating effects of this disease that persist for years, especially if not detected early, while being told that their illness does not exist,” Rep... Read more

A bill authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to elevate and enhance the Special Envoy position at the State Department charged with monitoring and combating anti-Semitism passed out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday. Smith authored the original provisions of the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 that created the position and office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the State Department. “Jewish communities here and abroad continue to be targeted for... Read more

Under the largest-ever contract awarded by USAID, in 2015 under the Obama Administration, Chemonics International failed to consistently deliver life-saving drugs and medical supplies “on time and in full,” in U.S. global health programs in 2016 and 2017. This failure was the focus of a House global health subcommittee hearing chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) on Thursday. “By holding today’s hearing, this subcommittee is fulfilling its obligation to the American taxpayers to conduct vi... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today praised the determination by the Trump administration to accurately reflect the conditions in Japan on international parental child abduction, and thereby to support left-behind parents. “For the first time, the State Department has held Japan accountable for its repeated failures to return abducted American children, including the Elias children who were abducted from their family in New Jersey in 2008,” said Rep. Smith. The State Department on Wednesday released i... Read more

A bipartisan bill, the Charitable Giving Tax Deduction Act, was introduced today by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) with Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) as an original co-sponsor, to protect taxpayers and encourage charitable giving. “Charitable organizations, including churches, synagogues, and other religiously-based entities, are the life-blood of services to those in need in our society, and I am committed to a tax policy that amplifies their ability to serve our community,” said Rep. Smith. “Ameri... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (PL 106-386) is the law being used in the recent high-profile indictment of a trafficking ring in New York that involved actress Allison Mack of the TV series “Smallville,” as well as the indictment of former Middletown, N.J. police officer James Keenan on child sex trafficking charges. “This law, the TVPA, sends a message to traffickers of the gravity of their offense,” Rep. Smith, co-chair of the Congressional... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the following statement on Burundi's suspension of the operations of Voice of America within the country: “Voice of America’s suspension in Burundi is an outrage and must be reversed. “VOA is an independent media and provides an opportunity for both government leaders and citizens to express themselves in a fair manner. VOA’s Kirundi-language call-in radio shows give voice to the people, and report on a wide variety of matters including on critical health issues. “... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, issued the following statement on the detention of Franck Nzila, human rights advocate, in the Republic of the Congo: “Yesterday’s detention of Franck Nzila, human rights advocate, is a worrisome indicator that the Republic of the Congo is beginning to use China’s repressive and regressive blueprint of government control and is moving in the wrong direction ... Read more