As the nation continues to mourn the death of Otto Warmbier—the American student who died after being held in horrendous conditions by the North Korean regime for 17 months—Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on Africa and global human rights, is calling on the State Department to increase their efforts to free a naturalized American citizen being held without charge by the government of Congo-Brazzaville since March 2016. “The principle of due process demands that Congo-Brazza... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who represents parts of Monmouth, Mercer and Ocean counties, today warned of a dangerous new telephone scam being used to target individuals across the country, with seniors at particular risk. Reports of this new scam have increased throughout the country in recent days, prompting a call to action by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In this latest con, callers will claim to be from the IRS and tell the victim that two letters have been sent to their home addres... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) delivered the following remarks in support of H.R. 2484: Mr. SMITH of New Jersey… Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a few words in support of Representative KRISTI NOEM’s Women, Peace and Security Act (H.R. 2484). Among other things, it highlights the role women must play in peacemaking. In the limited time we have, I would just like to highlight the role of one woman who served as a peacemaker, whom I have had the opportunity to get to know—Nuala O’Loan, who served as th... Read more

Last week, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on global human rights, received two hunger awards in less than two hours recognizing his outstanding leadership on issues important to hungry and poor people in the U.S. and abroad. The first award, the “Leadership on Global Food Security and Nutrition” presented by Bread for the World was followed by the “Bill Emerson and Mikey Leland Hunger Leadership Award,” given by the Congressional Hunger Center. “To end hunger worldwide we ... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on human rights, released the following statement on the death of Otto Warmbier: “My condolences and prayers go out to the parents, family and friends of Otto Warmbier. His death is an unnecessary tragedy that must be laid squarely at the feet of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. “The era of strategic patience is over, the Administration has thankfully moved on from the failed policies of the Obama Administration, but we cannot shy away from ... Read more

The Hellenic Federation of New Jersey bestowed Congressman Chris Smith of Hamilton, NJ with its 2017 Public Service Award for his work in government. The Federation represents 45 Greek associations across the Garden State. The event began with the U.S. National Anthem, followed by the Greek National Anthem. Smith spoke about human rights issues in Turkish-occupied Cyprus, as well as the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the recent passage on the House Floor of House Resolution 354. (WATCH SLID... Read more

BY BRANDON SCALEA ROBBINSVILLE -- Township firefighters will receive federal funding to update their medical equipment, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith recently announced. Smith said the Robbinsville Fire Department will be awarded a $22,740 grant from the Department of Homeland Security, through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. Smith said in a statement the grant will be used to purchase four defibrillators and one CPR device. The money will cover about 95 percent of the total cost, r... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on global human rights, released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s New Cuba Policy: “I am encouraged by President Trump’s seeking to curtail the flow of funds to the communist Castro regime in Cuba. This is the first step in halting the Obama Administration’s misguided policy—which overlooked egregious human rights abuses, including the regime’s complicity in human trafficking, in order to further his personal ‘legacy.’ I ... Read more

By Salem Solomon, VOA Staff Writer - In 2003, Roger Thurow was a journalist assigned to cover the looming famine in Ethiopia. Upon arriving in the country, he was given a warning by a World Food Program worker who told him that “looking into the eyes of someone dying of hunger becomes a disease of the soul.” Thurow soon found that to be all too true. While visiting the emergency feeding tents he met a little boy named Hagirso who was five years old and weighed under 14 kilograms when his dad ca... Read more

Throughout the East African region, 28 million people are unable to meet even the most basic needs without aid. Today, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on Africa, held a hearing where the root cause of the famine—including and especially man-made conflict—was scrutinized and strategies on how to help mitigate the ongoing suffering were developed. “Famine in Africa and Yemen has been called the worst since World War II, even worse than the catastrophic 2011 famine in East Afr... Read more