With the strong support and vote of Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester, NJ), the House of Representatives today passed the Laken Riley Act (S. 5), to enhance and strengthen deportation laws and better protect Americans from criminal aliens who enter the U.S. “Marie and I offer our deepest sympathies to the family of Laken Riley, whose senseless murder is the direct result of the Biden administration’s illegal open-border policies,” Smith said. “This legislation, named in her honor, closes the loopho... Read more

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and U.S. Representative Chris Smith (NJ-04) today reintroduced the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2025. The bill would make permanent the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. Current policies require an annual vote by Congress to ensure the Hyde Amendment continues. “Lives are saved when federal taxpayer dollars are not available to pay for abortion and the demise of unbor... Read more

– More than 140 members of Congress—led by U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) and U.S. Representatives Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.)—have issued a letter that encourages President Trump to reinstate and broaden the life-affirming pro-life policies in the early days of his new administration. The letter sent to President Trump on Tuesday was led by the chairs of the Senate and House Pro-Life Caucuses (Hyde-Smith and Smith) and the chairs of ... Read more

— Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who has long fought against the offshore wind buildout along the New Jersey Shore, welcomed President Trump’s Executive Order pausing new offshore wind approvals and requiring a comprehensive review of approved projects. “This is a victory for everyone along the New Jersey coast,” Smith said. “On his first day in office President Trump has acted to help end our offshore wind nightmare. Meanwhile, in four years the Biden Administration failed to do anything to address t... Read more

— Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) offered the following comments after President Donald Trump’s Inaugural address: “President Trump declared that today begins a new golden age for America and the people of the United States. “We welcome him back and thank President Trump for working to defeat the radical and destructive policies of the Biden-Harris Administration. “Beginning today with dozens of executive orders, President Trump will restore American leadership on the world stage and return prosp... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith—Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Security and Diplomacy Bureau—today promised a congressional investigation in response to reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has violated the Helms Amendment by illegally using U.S. taxpayer dollars from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to pay for abortions in Mozambique. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Smith who led the charge i... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement in response to Israeli confirmation of a hostage-release and ceasefire agreement in Gaza: "President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu deserve enormous and full credit for getting Israel’s hostages released and securing the ceasefire deal. It is clear that the election of Donald J. Trump, his now-imminent arrival in the White House and his declared priority for finding terms acceptable ... Read more

With the strong support and vote of Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), the House of Representatives today passed (243-140) the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act (HR 23) to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its rampant antisemitism and abuse of power, especially since the brutal attack by Hamas terrorists on innocent Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023. The vote comes less than two months after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and fo... Read more

Comprehensive legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to provide robust funding and enhanced support for Americans with autism was signed into law this week. Smith’s Autism CARES Act of 2024 will provide more than $1.95 billion over five years for programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). “At CDC, the funding will support ongoing developmental disability surveillance and research; ... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today introduced legislation that would empower highly trained state law enforcement units to detect and stop any drones involved in unlawful activities. Smith’s bill—the Law Against Nefarious Drones, Enforcement, Deconfliction (LANDED) Act—comes in response to a request from Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden and Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy for more authorities to respond to potential threats posed by illegal drone activity amid the ongoing unusual drone sig... Read more