Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa, released the following statement after dozens were reported killed in attacks on three communities in Nigeria's Benue State, following the deaths of 19 people in an April 24 attack on St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Benue State: “The continued killing of innocents based on religious and ethnic differences in Nigeria is alarming. President Buhari’s prompt statement in response is encouraging and gives hope that his ensuing... Read more

Congress should investigate and hold accountable the United Nations’ International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) for its role in the prosecution of a Russian family in Guatemala fleeing Putin’s Russia, said Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chair of the congressional Helsinki Commission, at a Friday hearing entitled “The Long Arm of Injustice.” The hearing examined CICIG’s role in the prosecution of the Bitkov family in Guatemala. “Congress has a special responsibility in th... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), chair of the House Subcommittee on Global Human Rights, introduced the Vietnam Human Rights Act (HR 5621) on Wednesday to hold Vietnamese officials accountable over their treatment of religious groups and ethnic minorities. “The communist government in Vietnam to often gets a free pass on human rights but it has one of the world’s worst records, violating the fundamental rights of its citizens including independent religious groups, ethnic minorities and individu... Read more

Washington D.C.— Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Kay Granger (R-TX), and Marc Veasey (D-TX), the co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, issued the following joint statement on a recent report by the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv indicating a sharp increase in anti-Semitism across Europe: “We are gravely concerned by ... Read more

The winners of the 2018 Annual Congressional Art Competition were announced by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), who sponsors the annual show for high school students in the Fourth Congressional District. “The 2018 competition was one of the largest in 25 years,” Smith said. “We had many talented entries from across Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties. I congratulate ‘Best-in-Show’ winner, Jordan Heine. Her ‘American Graffiti’ was amazing. I congratulate all the winners and participants. The jud... Read more

On World Malaria Day, Senior Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-chairs of the House Caucus on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), Congressmen Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) released the following statement: “While global Malaria cases have fallen since 2010—thanks in large part to the President’s Malaria Initiative begun by President George W. Bush—the number of cases actually rose from 2015 to 2016 to 216 million, according to World Health Organization—... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) received the Congressional Leadership Award on Wednesday on Capitol Hill from the group Autism Speaks, a national advocacy group that promotes awareness of and research and solutions for autism spectrum disorder. Smith was awarded at the 2018 World Autism Month Champions Luncheon, capping off a month of significant activity on behalf of children with autism and their caregivers. Smith’s award is for his “committed service and leadership to support the autism commun... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement on the April 24 attack on St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Nigeria’s Makurdi Diocese: “Tuesday’s killing of priests and parishioners on the grounds of St Ignatius Catholic Church in the Makurdi Diocese signals that the religious violence in Nigeria is escalating. It’s imperative that Nigerian authorities punish those who are culpable, lest violence worsen during the upcoming election cycle. Nigeria... Read more

The State Department’s newly-released 2017 human rights report reveals a continued disregard for human rights by the Chinese Communist Party, and shows that the U.S. must speak out even more forcefully against human rights abuses in China, Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Global Human Rights, stated on Tuesday. “2017 was a particularly bleak year for human rights in China,” Rep. Smith, who is also co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (C... Read more

On the 75th anniversary of the founding of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) praised the organization for the life-saving work it has done for decades in 110 countries worldwide. “For 75 years, CRS and thousands of leaders, staff and volunteers have saved and enhanced the lives of the weakest, most vulnerable in over 100 countries,” Smith stated at a 75th anniversary reception for Catholic Relief Services on Capitol Hill on Tuesday . “Whether it be programs for healt... Read more