Five senior House Foreign Affairs Leaders—US Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Ted Deutch (D-FL)—have called upon Secretary of State John Kerry to demand the release of a detailed UN investigative report into corrupt practices at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the conduct of its Director-General, Francis Gurry, who has been implicated in the illicit transfer of technology to the rogue nations of Iran and Nor... Read more

A $13,393 federal grant has been awarded to the Robbinsville Township Fire Department for a cost-saving health and wellness program for Township firefighters, Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced today. "This grant is a modest investment by some standards but it could have long-term, positive returns,” said Smith, a long-time member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. “Mayor Fried and Deputy Chief Schaffener, who worked on this grant, should be praised for having foresight to start t... Read more

Today, the co-chairs of the House of Representatives Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism issued the following statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah: “On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we stand together in commemoration of the darkest chapter of human history—the Holocaust—which claimed 11 million lives, including 6 million Jews, and we rededicate ourselves to fulfilling the promise of ‘never again.’ “Recently, anti-Semitism has fueled attacks on Jewish museums, markets,... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) released the following statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day: Today I join with the Jewish community and all people of good will in commemorating the more than six million Jewish victims who the Nazis murdered in the Holocaust. Anti-Semitism, the world’s oldest hatred, fueled that genocide and today’s Iranian denial of the Holocaust and threats to wipe Israel off the map. It also fuels violent, deadly attacks on European Jews by ISIS, like those on the Jewish Mus... Read more

“Will President Obama Prioritize the Release of Prisoners of Conscience in Vietnam?” is the title of a congressional hearing to highlight the victims and human rights advocates fighting for basic freedoms in Vietnam including labor, press and political rights from the Vietnamese government at a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill planned for Tuesday by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chair of the House panel that oversees global human rights. Nguyen Van Dai, a human rights lawyer who was arre... Read more

The transitional government set up in South Sudan as part of last year’s peace accord has missed a major internationally-set deadline thereby jeopardizing the establishment of a lasting democratic government in the new country according to experts testifying at a Capitol Hill hearing today. “The humanitarian crisis we are trying to address is indeed among the worst in the world today,” said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Human Rights, who opened th... Read more

“South Sudan’s Prospects for Peace and Security,” 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. "South Sudan, the world's youngest country, is teetering on the verge of becoming a failed state," said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the Afri... Read more

Today U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Senator James Lankford (OK), joined by 73 of their colleagues, sent a bicameral letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressing concern and requesting information about the agency’s recent decision to change its policies regarding the abortion drug mifepristone. The letter says in part - “We are deeply disappointed to learn that you have loosened FDA standards governing use of the abortion drug mifepristone, also referred to as Mifeprex or... Read more

A bill giving the Administration and the State Department new resources and training to help combat the escalation of persecution of Christians and anti-Semitism was unanimously adopted by the House Foreign Affairs Committee today. Authored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) with the lead co-sponsorship of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA), the legislation enjoys widespread bipartisan support, garnering over 100 cosponsors. It is named the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (HR 1150), i... Read more

JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY - A congressional human rights commission heard testimony from experts on how Islamic radicalization in Europe has ramped up risk for Jewish communities. “ISIS especially hates the Jewish people and has instructed its followers to prioritize killing them,” Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the chairman of the US Helsinki Commission, said Tuesday, launching the hearing he called in the wake of recent attacks in Europe, and referring to the Islamic State terrorist group behind so... Read more