By News Desk Published November 7, 2025 A Washington lawmaker is pushing for new legislation that urges the U.S. State Department to take stronger actions to promote religious freedom and protect persecuted Christians in Nigeria. This comes amid growing concerns about escalating violence against Christians in the country, which the lawmaker describes as having “gotten significantly worse within the past year.” President Donald Trump recently made headlines with remarks stating that the U.S. migh... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, introduced new legislation commending President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and outlining the course of action the U.S. Department of State should follow in response to the Nigerian government’s complicity in the religious persecution of Christians. Smith’s new bill, H.Res.860, is cosponsored by Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Maria El... Read more

By Elise Winland Published November 5, 2025 Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., recently recalled what sparked his lifelong mission to defend religious freedom: reading “Tortured for Christ,” Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand’s account of underground Christians tortured under dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. “I was moved to tears. And challenged to act,” he said during remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) Christian Persecution Summit Oct. 30. A Catholic and longtime human rights adv... Read more

By Ocean County Leader Published November 5, 2025 Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, has introduced new legislation commending President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) and detailing steps for the U.S. State Department in response to religious persecution in Nigeria. The bill, H.Res.860, is cosponsored by Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL). It u... Read more

By Jim Lonergan Published November 3, 2025 at 11:10 AM FREEHOLD, N.J. — As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) — landmark federal legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) — Monmouth County officials are joining the fight locally by backing a New Jersey bill that would require rideshare drivers to complete anti-human trafficking training. “Since becoming New Jersey’s statewide provider for human trafficking victim services in ... Read more

By Eva Fu Published November 1, 2025 at 1:52:25 PM EDT WASHINGTON—Two prominent Republican lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to side with a lawsuit accusing Cisco of aiding a brutal persecution in China. In a letter dated Oct. 29, Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), who respectively lead the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the House Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party, urged the administration to press the Supreme Court so the case cou... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) and senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sat down with Tony Perkins on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins to discuss President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and to condemn the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s atrocious human rights and religious freedom record. He also responded to new polling showing strong support for restoring previous FDA-safeguards on the a... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the author of legislation (H.Res.220) calling upon the President to designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” applauded President Trump for taking such action today and admonishing the Nigerian government’s inability to address and combat widespread religious persecution of Christians in the region. “President Trump’s decisive action is a powerful step forward in holding the Nigerian government accountable for its complicity in the unchecked murder, rape, and... Read more

By Jeanne Wall Published October 30, 2025 at 1:53 AM WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) marked the 25th anniversary of his Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), landmark legislation that established the foundation of the United States’ modern fight against human trafficking. Right now as you are reading this, people are being tortured in unimaginable ways, many of them children. An estimated over 50 million people are trapped in modern slavery worldwide, 35% are childre... Read more

At CPAC’s Christian Persecution Summit today, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a renowned human rights lawmaker and religious freedom advocate, delivered the following keynote remarks: Special thanks to Matt and Mercy Schlapp for their leadership and today’s call to action in defense of persecuted Christians everywhere. Thank you for organizing CPAC’s Christian Persecution Summit and helping to mobilize a serious defense of those who follow Jesus Christ—at home and abroad—who are harassed, marginalized... Read more