As President Obama prepares to host Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24-25, 2015, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), will hold a hearing Friday, Sept. 18 to examine the critical human rights and rule of law issues that deserve frank and robust discussions during the planned state visit. Chinese authorities have targeted for arrest and harassment human rights defenders; media outlets and journalists; human rights lawye... Read more

“Consumer trust in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is broken, and FEMA must make every effort—including today’s decision to extend the review deadline—to make New Jersey policyholders whole again. Our constituents have waited on FEMA to get things right for nearly three years—they should not have been further burdened by an arbitrary deadline in the first place,” said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), who led efforts to push FEMA to conduct the reviews. Smith said he will continue to ... Read more

U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Frank LoBiondo announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Search & Rescue Strategic Group has unanimously recommended that New Jersey Task Force One (NJ-TF1) enter the National US&R System. “Once NJ TF1 receives final approval, this long overdue designation will bolster both our state and our nation’s emergency preparedness,” said Smith, whose district includes the NJ-TF1 Training Facility in Lakehurst. “The Task Force is an elite team ... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) gave the following remarks on H.R. 3134 and H.R. 3504 on the House floor today: Mr. Speaker, human dismemberment is a painful and absolutely frightening way for anyone to die but in Planned Parenthood clinics across the country, such violence against children is commonplace and usual. Subsidized by half a billion taxpayer dollars annually, Planned Parenthood kills a baby every two minutes, snuffing out the lives of over seven million infants since 1973—a staggering ... Read more

Victims of Superstorm Sandy who may have been underpaid on their flood insurance claims have until Tuesday, September 15th, to request a review from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), who led efforts to push FEMA to conduct the reviews. The Sandy Claims Review Process is open to National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders who submitted a Sandy-related flood claim. “This is an opportunity for homeowners who were wronged after Sandy to r... Read more

With the House of Representatives voting 162-258 today to resoundingly reject the controversial Iran nuclear deal, Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee who voted against the deal, delivered the following remarks during debate on the House floor: “What was previously unacceptable—an Iranian nuclear state—is now inevitable under the terms and conditions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. “Tragically, the deal is riddled with serious flaws, gaps,... Read more

On the very first day of the fall session, the House took up and passed vital legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to continue America’s bone marrow and cord blood donor registry. Sponsored by Smith with lead co-sponsor Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2015, H.R. 2820, ensures that two collaborative programs that support treatment and therapies derived from adult stem cell lines will not expire at the end of the federal fisca... Read more

UPDATE: After being stranded in Portugal for four months, Kim and Fred Spratt are finally back in New Jersey. On Sept. 6, they arrived in Teterboro on a medical flight with their premature daughter, Hayden Grace. Unavailable for interview, the family headed straight to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where their daughter will remain for an undisclosed period of time. Their journey has been nothing short of mind-blowing. Here is their story. Stay tuned to app.com for updates. K... Read more

By Shari Puterman of the Asbury Park Press - A couple on their "babymoon" in Portugal in May have been stranded there since the premature birth of their twins. Unable to travel commercially because their surviving child required a medical transport not covered by their insurance company, the New Jersey couple will now be returning home. Kim Kirzow Spratt and her husband, Fred, welcomed twins into the world May 10 — 13 weeks before they were due. Since then, one twin has died, and the other remai... Read more

By Trenton Times Staff Writer Cristina Rojas - Recent layoff notices issued to 59 Trenton firefighters will now be rescinded thanks to a new $14 million federal grant awarded to the fire department, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.) announced Friday. The department will get an estimated $13.2 million to retain 59 active firefighters and another $872,900 to hire five entry-level firefighters to make up for expected retirements. The money, which comes from the U.S. Department of Homeland Securit... Read more