Sub-Saharan Africa hosts more than 26 percent of the world’s refugees—civil war in South Sudan alone has now produced more than 1.7 million refugees since 2013. Even within African countries, an estimated 12.4 million are internally displaced. Governments involved in conflict and their neighbors are faced with providing services to affected populations, but while shelter and medicine are usually provided, nutrition too often suffers – both for refugee populations and citizens within these countr...
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Today, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on Africa, took to the House Floor in support of H. Res. 187: Last August, my staff director Greg Simpkins and I visited Juba, South Sudan, to press President Salva Kiir, his Vice President, the Minister of Defense, and five of his top generals, to end the civil war, protect innocent lives and reverse the conditions causing rampant disease and severe malnutrition that could soon lead to a famine. Just two months ago, famine was formall...
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Just before their historic White House meeting today with President Trump, all 14 members of the United Nations Security Council were briefed by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on International Organizations, on the critical matters that will help form the agenda U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley sets as the new President of the Council. “The Security Council is at the core of our post-World War II world,” said Smith, who also serves as Congress’ Representative to the...
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WASHINGTON, DC—In 1988, the United States first imposed economic restrictions on Sudan due to its egregious human rights violations. Since then, conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan have only increased the humanitarian disaster created by the Khartoum-based Government of Omar al Bashir. Despite nearly three decades of bipartisan support for sanctions against Sudan, the Obama Administration decided to partially ease sanctions—with the first provisions taking effect on January 17th...
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U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) today presented military service medals to Al Salazar, 93, of Wall Township, NJ, for his service in World War II, including the invasion of Normandy. Mr. Salazar served under both General Omar Bradley and later Lt. General George Patton. Among his critical duties were operating as “the radio man” and sending Morse code signals. “It was 73 years ago this week that Mr. Salazar landed in Europe as a 20-year-old young man,” said Smith, the former Chairman of the ...
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A Service Academy Information Night will be held Wednesday, April 26, 2017, from 5:30 to 7:30 at Naval Weapons Station Earle, 201 Highway 34 in Colts Neck, NJ, announced Congressman Christopher H. Smith (NJ-04). The event is for any high school or college student (and their parents, counselors or educators) residing in the Fourth Congressional District who is interested in learning about competing for a nomination to one of the United States Service Academies. Each institution plays an integral ...
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There is nothing new about Congress being deadlocked on important issues facing the nation. But the divisions have deepened and the rancor has intensified over the past several years. And as the poll numbers on the accompanying chart show, the divisions apparent in Washington largely reflect those same divisions among Republicans and Democrats all across America. An April 2016 Pew Research Center poll provided a snapshot of the contempt that partisans have for their opponents. Forty-one percent ...
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By Staff Writer Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman - Unresolved hate crimes like the racially motivated murder of black Chicago teen Emmett Till, who was abducted, beat down and shot to death during a family visit to Mississippi in 1955, have inspired a group of Hightstown High School students to lobby Congress into action. When Midwest Congressman Bobby Rush (D-Illinois) introduced the Civil Rights Cold Case Record Collections Act of 2017 into the U.S. House of Representatives on March 1, the bill was actua...
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High school students who live in the Fourth Congressional District can now sign up for the 2017 national Congressional Art Competition hosted by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04). The deadline to notify Congressman Smith of intent to enter is April 18 for current high school student artwork recently completed or specifically created just for the competition, that meet the originality, suitability, size and other entry guidelines of the national competition. “Each year the students’ artwork is impr...
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Today, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) released a letter signed by over 170 Members of Congress calling for robust funding levels to support key animal welfare programs. As the letter notes, proper federal spending now not only protects animals, it also improves human safety and reduces long term spending. “I believe that animals must be treated humanely and have long supported the enactment of and adequate funding for programs to ensure that goal. Strong enforcement me...
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