Today, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced that his bill, the “Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer’s Act,” has earned the bipartisan support of a monumental 301 members of Congress. Smith, co-founder and co-chairman of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, introduced HOPE to provide Medicare coverage for a care planning session for patients newly-diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, family caregivers or legal representatives. “I am gre... Read more

Despite the appeals from South Sudan’s top leaders to end violence by their loyalists, reports of violence and tensions have increased in the past several days, not diminished. In light of this uneasy “peace,” Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, called on the United Nations to expand its mandate and take a more active role in protecting civilians and restoring and maintaining order. “The U.N. mission in South Sudan was established in 2011 to ease the transitio... Read more

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management will announce on Wednesday that the agency is proposing placing all Federal Wage System (FWS) employees at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst into a single wage schedule. If implemented, the proposed rule will increase pay for roughly 600 employees located on the former McGuire Air Force Base and Fort Dix by considering them within the same locality pay area as their Navy Lakehurst counterparts. “Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is one installation and the m... Read more

On the one-year anniversary of the Obama Administration’s disastrous nuclear deal with Iran, the House of Representatives passed a package of three reinforcing legislative initiatives to prevent the nuclear agreement from further damaging U.S. national security and that of U.S. allies. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), senior member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a strong supporter of American-Israeli relations, who voted for the package said of the first bill, the “No 2H20 from Iran Act,” (... Read more

Before leaving town on Thursday, the Senate passed Kevin and Avonte’s Law, legislation aimed at protecting children with autism and seniors with Alzheimer’s who are prone to engaging in wandering behavior, which tragically can have fatal consequences. “I’m pleased that the Senate has passed Kevin and Avonte’s Law. This is a step forward in the effort to keep seniors with Alzheimer’s and children with autism safe. I’ll continue to fight for passage of this legislation in the House to ensure this ... Read more

In its 2016 report, mandated by the “Sean and David Goldman Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act,” the U.S. State Department does a better job at identifying countries that fail to meet obligations under an international child abduction treaty, but the agency falls short in properly listing every country that should be condemned for its “pattern of non-compliance,” a key designation and first step towards sanctions. At a hearing today on Capitol Hill, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of t... Read more

The House Foreign Affairs Committee today approved two important resolutions introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04)–one to help prevent a constitutional crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (H. Res. 780) and the other to forestall deterioration in next month’s presidential election in Gabon (H. Res. 821). DRC Elections in DRC are scheduled to be held in November of this year, but it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the elections can be held on time. According to the DRC constitut... Read more

Today Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) introduced the Equity for Disaster Victims Act to provide relief to victims of Superstorm Sandy and reform the federal government’s disaster relief programs to ensure fairness and flexibility. “Following Sandy, victims acted in good faith to jumpstart the recovery process and begin rebuilding with SBA loans,” said Smith, who represents hard-hit Monmouth and Ocean Counties. “Those who accepted SBA loans have since found... Read more

The damage done by President Obama’s single-minded focus on his legacy—at the expense of the Cuban people—was examined this afternoon by those who have lived through it at a hearing entitled “The Castro Regime’s Ongoing Violations of Civil and Political Rights.” Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee tasked with addressing human rights, blasted the “deplorable and deteriorating” prospects for civil and political rights on the island. “Disregard for civil and... Read more

Today, on an overwhelming and bipartisan basis, the House passed the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (S. 304). This bill seeks to end discrimination against people, plans and providers who choose not to be involved in abortion. A full explanation of the bill can be found in Smith’s statement. (click here) Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus said on the passage: “The Obama Administration’s refusal to enforce the civil right of conscience is not onl... Read more