During the national advocacy summit of the Autism Society of America, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) received the very first “Ignite 4 Autism, Congressional Champion Award,” given in recognition of his past and ongoing commitment to individuals with autism and their families. “I want to thank the Autism Society of America for its work to highlight the needs of individuals with autism and their families, and its tireless work to implement federal policies that address these needs,” said Smith, co-found... Read more

Joined by victims of torture at the hands of the Ethiopian government, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Rep. Mike Coffman (CO-06), came together this afternoon to bring to light the actions of the oppressive government of President Mulatu Teshome. “For too long the government of Ethiopia has used violence, including the shooting of peaceful protestors, to snuff out any opposition,” said Smith, Chairman of the House Panel on Africa. “Simple conversations with the Ethiopian Government have proven to n... Read more

In response to removal of key documents regarding enforcement and oversight from the USDA’s website, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) joined with many of his House colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to President Trump, asking that the information be made available as quickly as possible. These documents, containing information on which organizations do not meet Animal Welfare Act (AWA) standards, are used by public citizens, advocacy groups, law enforcement and state governments. “When Congress p... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Rep. Mike Coffman (CO-06), two Ethiopian speakers and others will be holding a news conference on Wednesday, February 15 to express their views on what the Ethiopian and American governments should do to redress the increasingly tragic situation in Ethiopia. The conference will coincide with the introduction of a bipartisan resolution urging that action be taken to stem the denial of human rights and outright abuse of citizens by the Ethiopian government. “The human rig... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today participated in the official opening of a new state-of-the-art aviation hangar to house a critical Army mission on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB-MDL). Joined by Rep. Thomas MacArthur (NJ-03), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Col. David Caldwell, Directors Henry J. Muller Jr. and Gary Blohm and senior leadership from across the base, the Communications Electronics Research Development Engineering Center (CERDEC) Flight Activity hangar will retain this mission in ... Read more

One year to the date of its enactment, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) reports that the International Megan’s Law is already having the intended effect of reducing the threat of child sex tourism. Smith, who authored the bill, met today with a delegation from Thailand who expressed deep gratitude for the enactment of the law. During the meeting, Ambassador Pisan Manawapat, joined by representatives from the Royal Thai Police force, indicated that in Thailand alone, over 160 convicted sex offenders were... Read more

At a Capitol Hill briefing this week promoting heart health for women, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Heart and Stroke, said, “increased awareness, education and federal resources have helped, but too many people still wrongfully see heart disease as a ‘man’s disease’—thereby missing key warning signs and grave risks for women.” “Cardiovascular disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year,” said Smith, who has been a strong supporter of funding for the Nat... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chair of the House Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus, today spoke at the Capitol Hill premier of “I Am Jane Doe,” an anti-Human Trafficking documentary which chronicles the epic battle that several American mothers are waging on behalf of their middle-school aged daughters, all victims of sex-trafficking facilitated by public webpages. “Through a series of successful anti-trafficking laws, Congress has made perfectly clear that those who knowingly benefit financial... Read more

Out of an abundance of caution for the health, safety and welfare of Monmouth County families, JCP&L’s powerline project should be rejected as proposed, said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) in a statement submitted to the New Jersey Senate Economic Growth Committee on February 6, 2017. Addressed to Chairman Lesniak and Members of the Senate Economic Growth Committee, the statement read: I thank you for this opportunity to have my testimony in opposition to the Jersey Central Power & Light’s (JCP&L... Read more

Responding to reports that Russian democracy activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, currently in a coma in a Russian hospital, was diagnosed with “acute poisoning by an undetermined substance,” Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) released the following statement: “I am deeply concerned by reports that, just as in 2015, Vladimir Kara-Murza was poisoned in Russia. Kara-Murza has been a champion of free and fair elections in Russia, and has fought bravely to hold Russian officials accountable for human rights violatio... Read more