Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Global Human Rights and past Chair of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), today announced that he has invited Li Ching-yu, wife of jailed democracy and human rights advocate Lee Ming-cheh, as his guest to the State of the Union Address, and she has accepted and will be in the House Gallery tonight. “Li Ching-yu’s very presence helps highlight the unjust imprisonment of Lee Ming-cheh and the over 1,300 p... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism and author of the legislation that created the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, today made the following comment on the appointment of Elan Carr as the next Special Envoy: “The U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism is a significant position with a particularly important global reach. Anti-Semitism is on the rise, and appointing the Special Envoy sends a clear... Read more

Nearly 130 years after Thomas Fallon of Freehold earned the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in the Civil War, the distinguished medal has been released to his family. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th District) presented Glenn Cashion of Middletown, who researched and determined that he was great nephew of Fallon, with the medal on February 4 during a ceremony held in the borough’s council chambers. Smith had petitioned the Army for several months, successfully persuading them to release the medal a... Read more

Over 150 years after Private Thomas T. Fallon’s heroic actions in the Civil War, and 128 years after his being awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) presented Fallon’s great nephew—a Monmouth County resident—on Monday with the distinguished medal, returning it to the family. “Private Thomas T. Fallon received this Medal of Honor for his courage and heroism in battle and I am proud to have worked to help return this award to his descendants, as they are the rightful ke... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the former chairs of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), today nominated imprisoned Chinese citizen Ilham Tohti for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Ilham Tohti is an ethnic Uyghur economist, writer, and professor currently serving a life sentence for his attempts to promote harmony and understanding between ethnic Han Chinese and Uyghur Muslims in China. “Ilham Tohti deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, not a prison sent... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), immediate past Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Global Human Rights, issued the following statement on Tuesday on Pakistan's top court upholding the acquittal of Asia Bibi: “I welcome the news that Pakistan’s Supreme Court has upheld the acquittal of Asia Bibi, who faced the death penalty after spurious charges of violating Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy law were filed against her. It is a triumph for the rule of law and a victory over extremism. Now more than ever, she ... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), former chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, issued the following statement on Tuesday after Chinese telecoms company Huawei was indicted by U.S. prosecutors: "Huawei is effectively an arm of the Chinese government and is working hard on behalf of the Communist Party to corner the global market on vital technologies. We cannot allow Huawei, ZTE, drone maker DJI, or other companies to embed their technology in U.S. government systems or critical infras... Read more

Below is a transcript of Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)’s video remarks delivered to the Alzheimer’s Community Forum hosted by Alzheimer’s Association Greater New Jersey Chapter at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, NJ, on January 29: The House is in session today, precluding me from joining this important forum sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association Greater New Jersey Chapter. I appreciate the invite. Special thanks to the Alzheimer’s Association for galvanizing a nation—and world—to confront thi... Read more

Below are excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) at New Jersey's Ninth Annual Human Trafficking Prevention & Awareness Month Event on Friday, January 25, 2019 at the Trenton War Memorial: Thank you Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, Assistant AG Annmarie Taggart, Director Veronica Allende and Program Coordinator Kathy Friess for your extraordinary personal and professional commitments to ending modern-day slavery—in all its horrific manifestations. And special thanks to all the amazing lea... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the following statement on Friday, January 25: I welcome the President’s announcement. We need to immediately restore essential government functions—which I have repeatedly voted to do in recent weeks—while allowing more time to negotiate for funding to secure our border, which I voted for in December. In 2006, I and other members from both parties in Congress—including then-Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton—voted for the Secure Fence Act to authorize a phy... Read more