The House of Representatives today approved a comprehensive Foreign Relations Authorization bill (H.R. 2601) authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) by an overwhelming bi-partisan vote of 351-78. The bill authorizes $22.3 billion for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. International broadcasting activities, and security assistance to America’s allies. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) won approval for his Amendment to H.R. 2601, The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, that will help thousands of women suffering from a painful condition called obstetric fistula. Smith, the Vice Chairman of the International Relations Committee, is the author of H.R. 2601 and offered the Amendment to expand the new healthcare program that will be created by his legislation. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today urged passage of H.R. 2601, a foreign relations bill that authorizes $22.3 billion for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. International broadcasting activities, and security assistance to America’s allies. Read more

Members of the U.S. Helsinki Commission praised today a resolution of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly strengthening the organization’s role in election monitoring. Read more

Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) successfully offered a resolution entitled “Combating involvement in trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation and abuse by international peacekeeping forces” to the declaration of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session. Smith serves as the OSCE PA’s Special Representative on Human Trafficking. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) led a bipartisan group of lawmakers calling on Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai to release dozens of political prisoners held on trumped up charges and to issue passports to individuals accepted by the US Refugee Resettlement Program. Read more

U.S. Rep Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House International Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations and Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission), called today for improved enforcement and reauthorization of the Torture Victims Relief Act (TVRA) of 1998. In a hearing before the Subcommittee, Chairman Smith said that the law had marked a watershed in human rights legislation, but that expanded implementation was urgently needed. Read more

The Committee will come to order. Today we are meeting to examine the government of Vietnam’s respect for human rights and religious freedom. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations, has called on Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to call off security forces, who by Wednesday evening had killed scores of peaceful protesters, wounded at least 100 others and jailed more than 400 Ethiopians protesting the results of the recent elections in that East African nation. Read more

The House International Relations Committee today finished its mark-up of major legislation to provide nearly $10 billion for State Department programs and other American diplomacy initiatives for each of the next two years. Read more