Stephen Edelson, Asbury Park Press Published 9:47 a.m. ET April 24, 2019 | Updated 2:37 p.m. ET April 30, 2019 On April 23, less than two weeks after Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., appeared to broker a long-awaited meeting between the president of a Kansas college and the grieving mother of a former Neptune High School football standout who died there last summer, the face-to-face encounter was put on hold. Now more lawmakers are getting involved. All 12 New Jersey members of the House of Representat... Read more

New Jersey’s U.S. House delegation called Tuesday for an independent investigation into the heatstroke death of a Kansas community college football player from their state. The state’s 12 representatives wrote to Garden City Community College President Ryan Ruda requesting the probe of 19-year-old Braeden Bradforth’s death. Bradforth, who was a defensive lineman from Neptune High School, died in August about an hour and a half after practice. An autopsy report from December blamed his death on e... Read more

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities' (AUCD) host of "Tuesdays with Liz" recently interviewed Congressman Chris Smith to discuss what Smith's recently introduced legislation, the Autism CARES Act of 2019, does and why it is important that Congress re-authorize funding for CARES by September 2019. The weekly video series highlights current issues in disability policy, and is hosted by Liz Weintraub, a long-time disability advocate, and produced by AUCD. Congressman Smith provides... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Global Human Rights, issued the following statement on the bombings in Sri Lanka: “We pray for the souls of those killed in Sri Lanka. At this time, this heinous act appears to be the work of Islamic radicals, who targeted foreigners as well as Christians who were in Church celebrating Easter. This atrocity underscores that Christians are the single most persecuted religious minority in the world today—according... Read more

By WOBM Radio Morning News Anchor Vin Ebenau Jersey Shore Republican Congressman Chris Smith spent the beginning of Tax Week joined by NJ charitable and philanthropic organizations as he advocates for his new bipartisan legislation to give taxpayers maximum flexibility to make tax-deductible charitable contributions. “In the first tax year since the 2017 tax law was enacted, we’ve already seen reports of a decline in the number of donors to charitable causes,” Smith said. “We need to fix the tax... Read more

During the week after Tax Day 2019, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) was joined by NJ charitable and philanthropic organizations in advocating for his new bipartisan legislation to give taxpayers maximum flexibility to make tax-deductible charitable contributions. “In the first tax year since the 2017 tax law was enacted, we’ve already seen reports of a decline in the number of donors to charitable causes,” Smith said. “We need to fix the tax code to help make charitable giving affordable for every taxpa... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) announced on Friday that, in response to his request, Garden City Community College (GCCC) President Ryan Ruda has said he would meet with the mother of Braeden Bradforth, Joanne-Atkins Ingram. The announcement of the first meeting between Ruda and Atkins-Ingram is a turning point after an eight-month ordeal for Braeden’s family to obtain answers about his death at the college. “After eight months of seeking answers about her son’s death, it is long-past time for Joanne t... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of four major laws on autism and co-chair of the Congressional Autism Caucus, issued the following statement on Friday, during World Autism Month, in response to data published by the CDC on autism rates from seven sites across the U.S. including in New Jersey. NJ was identified as the highest among the sites in the autism prevalence rate of children aged 4 years: “The numbers released by the CDC this week confirm the ongoing need and benefits of earlier detection... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the following statement on the passing of Tom Gagliano: “Senator Tom Gagliano was an extraordinary leader—smart, resourceful, tenacious, and effective. Tom was a force for what was good and honorable and won four competitive races for the state senate, the final one in a landslide. His colleagues in Trenton had such respect for him that they made him their leader. Tom made a lasting positive difference in the lives of the people of Monmouth. He leaves behind a grea... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced legislation on Wednesday to require drug testing for methadone for commercial drivers. “Despite clear evidence—and existing law—showing that those using the painkiller methadone should not drive or operate heavy machinery, the DOT does not require testing commercial licensed drivers for the drug,” Smith said. “This omission can allow for these vital tests to miss what is a serious impairment for drivers and a threat on our roadways.” “My legislation would requi... Read more