Local New Jersey fire companies and departments can begin applying for federal grants for staffing firefighters, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) announced today. “All eligible career and volunteer fire departments in the Fourth District are encouraged to apply for these Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, which help increase the number of firefighters and first responders to provide our communities with more security,” Smith said. “As we have already seen, this grant progra... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the following statement on Monday: “At a hearing I chaired on combating anti-Semitism in 2004, the great Jewish human rights leader—and former prisoner of conscience in the Soviet Union—Natan Sharansky testified that there was not only a ‘resurgence of anti-Semitic activity in the democratic world’ but also a ‘new anti-Semitism’ that is ‘far more subtle’ and ‘poses a unique challenge’. “He said that while ‘classical anti-Semitism is aimed at the Jewish people or th... Read more

There is “both an ongoing need and reason for optimism” said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) after hosting a meeting with top doctors and researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the agency’s work regarding Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and other muscular dystrophies. Also participating in the meeting held in Smith’s office were NJ-04 constituents James Raffone and David Schultz, who have children with DMD and who are each working through their own foundations to help find a... Read more

Today, Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Mike Doyle (D-PA) introduced the bipartisan Autism CARES Act of 2019 in the House to reauthorize federal programs and activities that assist children, adults and families with Autism. The bill, HR 1058, is supported by a widespread coalition of autism and disability advocate organizations, including Autism Speaks, Autism Society of America, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Autism NJ. A companion bill will b... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Global Human Rights and past Chair of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), today announced that he has invited Li Ching-yu, wife of jailed democracy and human rights advocate Lee Ming-cheh, as his guest to the State of the Union Address, and she has accepted and will be in the House Gallery tonight. “Li Ching-yu’s very presence helps highlight the unjust imprisonment of Lee Ming-cheh and the over 1,300 p... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism and author of the legislation that created the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, today made the following comment on the appointment of Elan Carr as the next Special Envoy: “The U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism is a significant position with a particularly important global reach. Anti-Semitism is on the rise, and appointing the Special Envoy sends a clear... Read more

Over 150 years after Private Thomas T. Fallon’s heroic actions in the Civil War, and 128 years after his being awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) presented Fallon’s great nephew—a Monmouth County resident—on Monday with the distinguished medal, returning it to the family. “Private Thomas T. Fallon received this Medal of Honor for his courage and heroism in battle and I am proud to have worked to help return this award to his descendants, as they are the rightful ke... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the former chairs of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), today nominated imprisoned Chinese citizen Ilham Tohti for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Ilham Tohti is an ethnic Uyghur economist, writer, and professor currently serving a life sentence for his attempts to promote harmony and understanding between ethnic Han Chinese and Uyghur Muslims in China. “Ilham Tohti deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, not a prison sent... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), immediate past Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Global Human Rights, issued the following statement on Tuesday on Pakistan's top court upholding the acquittal of Asia Bibi: “I welcome the news that Pakistan’s Supreme Court has upheld the acquittal of Asia Bibi, who faced the death penalty after spurious charges of violating Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy law were filed against her. It is a triumph for the rule of law and a victory over extremism. Now more than ever, she ... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), former chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, issued the following statement on Tuesday after Chinese telecoms company Huawei was indicted by U.S. prosecutors: "Huawei is effectively an arm of the Chinese government and is working hard on behalf of the Communist Party to corner the global market on vital technologies. We cannot allow Huawei, ZTE, drone maker DJI, or other companies to embed their technology in U.S. government systems or critical infras... Read more