“Democracy Support Strategies in Africa,” is the title of a congressional hearing to be chaired Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the Africa and Global Human Rights Subcommittee. Officials from the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and human rights advocacy groups will testify. WHAT: Congressional hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee WHO: Smith, members of the Subcommittee on Africa and global human rights, and witnesses: Panel ... Read more

WASHINGTON, DC – A bill to allow the stories of those servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice to be included in the ongoing Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress was passed by a key committee. In a unanimous voice vote, the Committee on House Administration approved the Gold Star Families Voice Act, a proposed law authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (Hamilton, NJ), who said the Committee’s action is a major step to righting a wrong. His legislation would allow immediate f... Read more

Legislation giving the Administration and the US State Department new resources to help combat the worldwide escalation of persecution of Christians and Anti-Semitism was debated and unanimously approved by the House of Representatives yesterday evening. “The world is experiencing an unprecedented crisis of international religious freedom, a crisis that continues to create millions of victims; a crisis that undermines liberty, prosperity and peace; a crisis that poses a direct challenge to the U... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), co-chair of the House Bipartisan Pro-Life Caucus, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court decision today: “Today the Supreme Court, which is frequently divided, unanimously rejected President Obama’s oppressive regulation and instructed lower courts to find a real solution for religious groups that do not want to violate their conscience. This Obamacare mandate has been subject to repeated challenges in the courts for years for violating the... Read more

The first comprehensive study about international sexual abuse of children in travel and tourism shows that two decades of efforts have failed to even put a “dent,” and that more children than ever before are being exploited, said US Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), author of the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), who participated in today’s the release of “Offenders on the Move: Global Study on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children in Travel and Tourism.” “Tourism is soari... Read more

A Nigerian schoolgirl who twice escaped mass Boko Haram kidnappings told a congressional panel on Africa and human rights, chaired by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), of her harrowing ordeal and of the growing violence in the northern part of the country. Using the pseudonym “Sa’a” to protect herself and her family, the brave 20-year old explained how she escaped the clutches of Boko Haram and expressed the pain and sorrow she feels for those still in captivity every day. “I have twice escaped fro... Read more

The wife of a Vietnamese prisoner of conscience made a dramatic appeal at a congressional hearing today for the unconditional release of her husband Nguyen Van Dai. Appearing at a human rights subcommittee chaired by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) Ms. Vu Minh Khanh testified that her husband has been detained for almost five months after being arrested in December after leaving his home to meet with a delegation from the European Union who were in Vietnam for the annual EU-Vietnam Human Rights Di... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced his support for a package of bills moving through the House of Representatives this week to address prescription drug abuse and equip local communities with the tools needed to combat the national opioid epidemic. “Communities across the country are struggling to address this public health and safety crisis and assist those in need of treatments,” said Smith citing federal statistics that show that deaths from unintentional overdose of prescription painkil... Read more

“The U.S. Role in Helping Nigeria Confront Boko Haram and Other Threats in Northern Nigeria,” is the title of a congressional hearing to be chaired Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the Africa and Global Human Rights Subcommittee. A school girl victimized by Boko Haram kidnappings in 2014 will address Congress, as will as key human rights advocacy groups. “For more than a decade, the Nigerian government has battled the deadly threat of Boko Haram, now the world’s most dange... Read more

Decoding thousands of individuals’ complete DNA sets—i.e. genomes—to identify genetic markers may provide new tools for those working to improve diagnosis, treatment and quality of care for persons on the autism spectrum. At a recent Capitol Hill briefing entitled “the Human Genome and Precision Medicine,” and hosted by Autism Speaks in collaboration with the Congressional Coalition on Autism Research and Education (CARE), researchers provided an update on developments in precision medicine and ... Read more