Today, with the support of U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the U.S. House of Representatives passed a broad bill designed to sanction three key bad actors on the world stage. The legislation, entitled, “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” (H.R. 3364), is an enhanced version of legislation that passed the Senate 98-2 last month, and gives the U.S. Congress more diplomatic tools to use against Iran, Russia and North Korea. “When foreign nations are supplying arms to our enemies, ... Read more

This bill brings together a critical arsenal of stiff and timely sanctions trained at some of the gravest national security threats our country faces today. The Trump Administration was absolutely right in early February to put Iran ‘‘on notice’’ regarding its continued testing of ballistic missiles. This bill underscores that warning by imposing expanded sanctions against Iran’s missile program—demonstrating that the United States will not sit idly by as Iran augments its ability to blackmail I... Read more

By Jay Cook - Go ahead and enjoy that sigh of relief, New Jersey fishermen. After months of back and forth over what regulations would be placed on New Jersey summer flounder fishing, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross approved New Jersey’s self-designed regulations. That means the summer flounder season will stay open after fears arose last month of a federal shutdown. “We are very pleased that NOAA worked with us to understand our p... Read more

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I held a hearing to assess the impact of the Global Food Security Act and judge how it is being implemented. We examined it with an eye toward reauthorization later this Congress. By way of background, as many of you know, the Global Food Security Act was a standout piece of bipartisan legislation that was passed in the last Congress. I was the author of the House version of the bill, which had the support of Ms. BASS and Mr. MEADOWS from our subcommittee. While GFSA was o... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Chairman of the House panel on Africa and global health, today held a hearing to assess the benefits of the Global Food Security Act (GFSA), which was signed into law in July of last year. The objective of the GFSA is to enhance U.S. national security interests by enhancing food security around the world, helping countries achieve food self-sufficiency so as to reduce their dependency on U.S. foreign aid. At the hearing, Smith also announced that he was working on reau... Read more

The reauthorization of the Global Food Security Act (P.L. 114-195), a critical law that defines the United States’ global food strategy, will be the topic of a hearing held by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House panel on global health. The hearing will feature expert testimony from several government officials representing the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. African Development Foundation. “As Congress looks to reauthorize the Global Food Se... Read more

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey... Mr. Speaker, Liu Xiaobo’s premature death was a jarring shock to everyone who admired this champion of freedom and democracy. We mourn his loss because it is a tragic loss for his wife, family and friends and a catastrophic loss for China and the entire world. We owe Liu Xiaobo a debt of gratitude because he demonstrated that the noble ideas of democracy and due process, liberty and the rule of law are not foreign ideas in China. These are universal principles that bea... Read more

By Dan Radel, APP Staff Writer - There will be no moratorium on New Jersey fluke's season after U.S. commerce secretary sided with the state on its fluke regulation battle with a regional fishery commission. As the news made the rounds on the docks and VHF radios there was a sigh of relief from boat captains. "There was a concern, yeah, that it might be shut down. I hoped not," said Captain Bob Bogan, of the Gambler party boat in Point Pleasant Beach. The Gambler fishes daily for fluke, also kno... Read more

At a hearing held today by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Chairman of the House panel on global human rights, the life and works of the great Chinese human rights activist and Nobel Laureate, Liu Xiaobo, were examined and the plight of his wife, who is still trapped in China, was emphasized. “Liu Xiaobo’s premature death was a jarring shock to everyone who admired this champion of freedom and democracy,” said Smith, who is also co-Chair of the Congressional Executive Commission on China (CECC). “We ... Read more

By Associated Press - July 14 at 11:29 AM BEIJING — The Latest on the death of Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo (all times local): 10:30 p.m. Members of the U.S. Congress have held a hearing on the life of Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo following his death in Chinese custody. Rep. Christopher Smith, chairman of the House panel on global human rights, said Liu’s death Thursday from liver cancer was a catastrophic loss for China and the entire world, and that his contri... Read more