Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Global Human Rights, issued the following statement on the bombings in Sri Lanka: “We pray for the souls of those killed in Sri Lanka. At this time, this heinous act appears to be the work of Islamic radicals, who targeted foreigners as well as Christians who were in Church celebrating Easter. This atrocity underscores that Christians are the single most persecuted religious minority in the world today—according... Read more

During the week after Tax Day 2019, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) was joined by NJ charitable and philanthropic organizations in advocating for his new bipartisan legislation to give taxpayers maximum flexibility to make tax-deductible charitable contributions. “In the first tax year since the 2017 tax law was enacted, we’ve already seen reports of a decline in the number of donors to charitable causes,” Smith said. “We need to fix the tax code to help make charitable giving affordable for every taxpa... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) announced on Friday that, in response to his request, Garden City Community College (GCCC) President Ryan Ruda has said he would meet with the mother of Braeden Bradforth, Joanne-Atkins Ingram. The announcement of the first meeting between Ruda and Atkins-Ingram is a turning point after an eight-month ordeal for Braeden’s family to obtain answers about his death at the college. “After eight months of seeking answers about her son’s death, it is long-past time for Joanne t... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of four major laws on autism and co-chair of the Congressional Autism Caucus, issued the following statement on Friday, during World Autism Month, in response to data published by the CDC on autism rates from seven sites across the U.S. including in New Jersey. NJ was identified as the highest among the sites in the autism prevalence rate of children aged 4 years: “The numbers released by the CDC this week confirm the ongoing need and benefits of earlier detection... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the following statement on the passing of Tom Gagliano: “Senator Tom Gagliano was an extraordinary leader—smart, resourceful, tenacious, and effective. Tom was a force for what was good and honorable and won four competitive races for the state senate, the final one in a landslide. His colleagues in Trenton had such respect for him that they made him their leader. Tom made a lasting positive difference in the lives of the people of Monmouth. He leaves behind a grea... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced legislation on Wednesday to require drug testing for methadone for commercial drivers. “Despite clear evidence—and existing law—showing that those using the painkiller methadone should not drive or operate heavy machinery, the DOT does not require testing commercial licensed drivers for the drug,” Smith said. “This omission can allow for these vital tests to miss what is a serious impairment for drivers and a threat on our roadways.” “My legislation would requi... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the Congressman for the family of Braeden Bradforth, will join Braeden’s mother Joanne Atkins-Ingram, her attorney Jill Greene, and Dr. E. Randy Eichner, MD, FACSM, an expert in non-contact related football fatalities, in speaking at a community meeting in Asbury Park, NJ on Thursday. Bradforth, a 19 year-old from Neptune, NJ, received a scholarship in July of 2018 to play football at Garden City Community College in Kansas. On August 1, 2018, his second day on campus, h... Read more

Co-Chairs Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, issued the following statement on news that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been removed from office, following months of peaceful protest which had increasingly been met by a violent government crackdown: “We welcome, with guarded optimism, the news that Sudanese President and longtime strongman Omar al-Bashir has been ousted and call for calm to prevail. We are nonetheles... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today introduced new bipartisan legislation, HR 2122, to help ensure quality workmanship at federal construction projects across the country and to protect the agreed-upon day’s pay for a day’s work for local tradesmen, women and laborers. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) is the chief Democratic cosponsor of Smith’s bill. “Federal law—the Davis-Bacon Act—mandates that prevailing wages are paid to contract workers for a good reason—to ensure accountability and the highest stand... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is spearheading an effort to fully fund a newly-created federal program that could kick-start important federal-local infrastructure projects around military bases and which could benefit Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Along with Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA), Smith is the co-lead of a bipartisan letter asking for $100 million to be appropriated in the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP), which was created last year to help improve local traffic flow and protect m... Read more