The House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed (402-13) new comprehensive legislation (HR 7213) authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to provide more than $1.95 billion to reauthorize and strengthen the United States’ whole-of-government autism spectrum disorder (ASD) initiative through 2029. Smith’s bill—with Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) as the Democrat lead and 61 other bipartisan cosponsors—now heads to the Senate. Smith, who has authored four major autism laws to date, said his new leg... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) joined high-ranking Navy officers and sailors today at U.S. Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown to commission the USS New Jersey—the branch’s newest submarine and the third naval vessel named after the state of New Jersey. “Today is a special day for the United States Navy and our country,” said Smith, who has represented three Navy installations during his tenure in Congress—including Naval Weapons Station Earle, Naval Air Warfare Center Trenton and Naval ... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today called on Brazil’s government to reverse its recent decision to block access to X (formerly known as Twitter) and ban its citizens from accessing the popular social media platform. “The government of Brazil has both raised the stakes and hit a new low—it has expanded from persecuting political opposition by removing them from social media to banning one of the biggest social news networks in the world and makin... Read more

With the strong support and vote of Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), the House today passed (219-199) legislation that would prevent the Biden-Harris Administration from signing the World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic treaty without prior Senate ratification. “The World Health Organization’s pandemic treaty—which has been drafted through backroom negotiations with no transparency—is an absolute power grab by a troubled U.N. agency that is in the pocket of China’s Communist dictator Xi Jinp... Read more

As part of its “China Week” push to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) economic aggression and espionage in America, the House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed (413-3) legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) aimed at rescinding the diplomatic immunities and privileges of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) that do the bidding of the CCP within the United States. Smith’s legislation—the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act (HR 110... Read more

A New Jersey adult survivor of international child abduction shared heartbreaking testimony of her immense tribulations growing up in a foreign land and her long and difficult journey to return to the United States at a congressional hearing chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today. Born in Newark, Nafeesah Ali Ismail was only seven years old when she was abducted by her father to a small village in Northern Egypt, where everything was foreign to her. “I was only seven, and I didn’t really unde... Read more

The following are excerpts of remarks delivered on the House Floor by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the Dean of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation, while leading the House of Representatives in a moment of silence to honor the late Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ): “Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I rise to convey our deepest sorrow on the passing of our longtime friend and 14-term New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. of the 9th District in New Jersey. We offer our prayers and heartfelt condole... Read more

The following are remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) submitted in the Congressional Record in honor of his good friend and remarkable Lyme disease advocate, Pat Smith of Wall, New Jersey, who passed away peacefully on August 17, 2024: Pat Smith, a trailblazer for Lyme Disease patients, with Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester). Read more

In a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) strongly advocated for robust federal funding for programs that provide critical nutritional services for seniors, including Meals on Wheels of Ocean and Monmouth Counties and other effective community-based initiatives that deliver hot meals to seniors in need. “With the appropriations process underway, I urge you to ensure that sufficient funding is provided for the Older Americans Act (OAA) Title ... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), the Dean of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation, today issued the following statement on the passing of Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. of Paterson: “Bill’s life was marked by steadfast public service to the people of his beloved state and country, having served in the U.S. Army and as a high school history teacher and adjunct professor before becoming a state assemblyman, mayor, and congressman. He was dedicated to New Jersey families and an outspoken advocate espe... Read more