Isles YouthBuild Institute in Mercer County, N.J. will provide educational, vocational, and leadership skill training for at-risk youths over a 40-month period with the help of a U.S. Department of Labor grant for Isles Incorporated totaling $1,099,643, announced U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today. To make the program more effective, Isles will partner with the College of New Jersey, Mercer County Community College, the Trenton Board of Education, Habitat for Humanity, the Mercer County Workfor... Read more

Legislation on human rights issues in Vietnam was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) author of the legislation, the Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013. The bill was approved in a unanimous voice vote of the full Committee. Smith’s Vietnam bill, H.R. 1897, would institute measures to improve human rights in Vietnam by prohibiting any increase in non-humanitarian assistance to the Government of Vietnam above Fiscal Year 2012 levels unless the government make... Read more

The fight against some of the most neglected diseases in the world were the focus of a hearing held Thursday by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees global health. The hearing, entitled “Addressing the Neglected Diseases Treatment Gap,” was held before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations chaired by Smith. Most often affecting people from the world’s most underdeveloped nations, in rece... Read more

New Jersey Sandy recovery efforts will receive a boost with the announcement that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will reimburse communities at a rate of 90 percent for certain Sandy related expenses, said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). Smith met with FEMA highest official, Administrator Craig Fugate, earlier this month to press for the increase and discuss FEMA’s ongoing New Jersey flood recovery efforts during a meeting in Rep. Smith’s Washington office. At the meeting, Administ... Read more

By Christopher Robbins/NJ.com The Star-Ledger on June 26, 2013 at 7:30 AM The onerous task of funding hurricane recovery just became a little easier for Monmouth County municipalities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced on Tuesday it will boost local Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts by reimbursing communities at a rate of 90 percent for certain Sandy related expenses, said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th). “Being assured of a 90–10 percent split was necessary to continue our rebuildi... Read more

The precarious position of religious minorities in Syria—where over two years of civil war has claimed an estimated 93,000 lives and continues unabated—was the topic of a joint congressional hearing Tuesday held by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees global human rights issues. “Religious Minorities in Syria: Caught in the Middle,” is the title of a rare joint hearing held before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, ... Read more

Cyber attacks from China have become a key point of contention between the United States and China. U.S. Rep. Smith, himself a victim of cyber attacks in 2006 and 2007 that were suspected of coming from China, is co-chair and highest House Member on the bipartisan, executive/congressional branch Commission on China, gave opening remarks at the hearing. The Commission took a hard look at Chinese cyber attacks on Chinese activists and human rights organizations, as well as American businesses and ... Read more

Students from the High Technology High School in Lincroft, N.J. visited Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) June 20 in his Washington office, where he congratulated them for being first place winners in Securities Industry and Financial Markets Associatio'sn “Stock Market Game – Capitol Hill Challenge.” The SIMFA Foundation started the stock market game in 2004, a program which highlights financial literacy and exposes students to Congress. The winning students from High Technology High are Arun Kal... Read more

“Ethiopia After Meles: The Future of Democracy and Human Rights,” is the title of a hearing held today by Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04) of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and Int’l Orgs. Testifying were Donald Y. Yamamoto, Acting Assistant Secretary of State; Earl Gast, Asst. Administrator of U.S. Agency for International Development; Dr. Berhanu Nega, Ph.D., of Bucknell University; Dr. J. Peter Pham, Ph.D., Director of the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center; Obang Me... Read more

The failure of the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of a prohibition against federal HIV/AIDS funding for any group “that does not have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking” is extremely disappointing and tragic for all victims of sexual exploitation, including sex trafficking, said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), the author of the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act. This provision (22 U.S.C. §7631(f)) is in the federal legislation for the pro... Read more