At today’s House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) pressed Secretary of State Antony Blinken for answers on the Biden Administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, including left-behind Americans, the vetting of Afghan evacuees, untruthfulness in Biden’s phone call with Afghan President Ghani, and resulting foreign policy implications such as Taiwan. Click here or on the image to view the exchange, or view the transcript below: Transcript Rep. Smith: Mr. Secr... Read more

Excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Monmouth County September 11 Memorial Ceremony Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook, Atlantic Highlands, NJ Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing—I was in Washington chairing a Veteran’s Affairs Committee hearing—when a group of radical jihadists hijacked 4 airliners to perpetrate the worst act of terrorism in American history. Today—20 years later—we remember the horror and pain suffered by those who were murdered—147 from Monmouth... Read more

The Robbinsville Township Fire Department will receive a federal grant totaling $1,349,440 from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program to hire four new full-time firefighters, said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today. “The firefighters and first responders at the Robbinsville Township Fire Department put their lives on the line every day to protect their neighbors when emergencies strike and help ensure overall safety and well-being,” said Rep. Smith, a member of the Co... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) was joined by the great-great-great-grandson of Frederick Douglass, Ken Morris, and Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) to introduce the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2021 (H.R. 5150)­­­ on Capitol Hill today on the anniversary of Douglass’ self-emancipation. The bipartisan legislation would provide $1.6 billion over five years to combat forms of modern-day slavery in the United States and around the world. Trafficking survivo... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) released the following statement today on the damage caused by remnants of Hurricane Ida: “The tragic loss of lives, displacement of people from their homes and immense destruction of property caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida have been utterly devastating. I commend our first responders who have courageously put their lives on the line to save those gravely endangered by heavy rains, high winds and rising floodwaters. “To bring much-needed relief to towns hit hard ... Read more

By Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) September 2, 2021 (732) 780-3035 As Afghan evacuees continue to arrive at Joint Base MDL, today I joined members of the NJ congressional delegation and the Governor for a high-level briefing at the base by U.S. Northern Command Commander General Glen VanHerck. As the process to assist and relocate the Afghan evacuees intensifies, the outstanding men and women of the Joint Base are playing a critical role in this humanitarian crisis by meeting the basic needs of tempora... Read more

A federal grant in the amount of $67,048 has been awarded to the Red Bank Public Library to adopt new measures that will improve library service to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic or other crisis, said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today. “Library access was—and continues to be—impacted by COVID restrictions and protocols,” said Smith who represents Red Bank and 33 other Monmouth County towns. “This grant will help library users in the Red Bank community to access services while still main... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, recently joined CBS Eye on the World—hosted by John Batchelor and Malcolm Hoenlein, vice chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Among the many topics discussed were the Biden Administration's disastrous August 31st exit strategy in Afghanistan and what it means moving forward. Click below to listen: Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) released the following statement on the arrival of evacuees from Afghanistan at New Jersey Joint Base MDL: “There is a both a compelling need and moral obligation to provide immediate safe haven and humanitarian aid to the refugees fleeing the unspeakable cruelty, violence and terrorism perpetrated by the Taliban in Afghanistan owing to President Biden’s disastrous August 31st exit strategy. “Many of these individuals and families arriving at the Joint Base provided vital... Read more

Chris Smith Special to Asbury Park Press USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has handed over an entire nation to unspeakable cruelty, violence, terrorism and egregious abuse of women and girls. Safe passage out of Afghanistan for thousands of Americans and our allies including Afghan translators, their families, former U.S. employees and others must be the immediate priority. To ensure a safer, faster, and a more robust evacuation from Afghanistan, I strongly ur... Read more