At a hearing convened by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04) and other lawmakers examined blatant denialism of the Armenian genocide by the Government of Turkey and the decades-long effort to seek accountability. Today, April 24, marks 100 years since the start of a genocide that left an estimated 1.5 million Armenian civilians murdered in 1915. “The Armenian genocide is the only genocide of the 20th century in... Read more

The Congressional Coalition for Autism Research and Education (CARE), co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Mike Doyle (D-PA), hosted an autism briefing on Capitol Hill April 23 entitled the "Autism and the Aging Out Crisis" to highlight the need for increased federal support for improved transition services for the youth and young adults with autism and their families. “Every year 50,000 young people on the autism spectrum transition into adulthood and are in the process of losing acc... Read more

Bipartisan legislation to take on global hunger and help the world’s poorest countries develop better agricultural practices has been introduced by Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.), chairman of the House panel that oversees global health initiatives. The legislation, the Global Food Security Act of 2015 (H.R. 1567), is designed to help prevent starvation and famine, and reduce hunger and malnutrition by enabling countries to feed their own people. “In essence, it is a program that teaches a man ... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) was honored by The Healey International Relief Foundation (HIRF) and Capital Area Reach Program (Capital Reach) for improving the lives and making significant contributions to the people of Africa and in particular Sierra Leone. The Awards Reception was held on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 in Washington, D.C. at the Liaison Hotel Rooftop. Both HIRF and Capital Reach conduct humanitarian work in Sierra Leone. The ongoing Ebola crisis has made the groups work urgent an... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman of The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, announced a hearing entitled "A Century of Denial: The Armenian Genocide and the Ongoing Quest for Justice.” The hearing will be held Thursday, April 23, at 1:30 at the Rayburn House Office Building in Room 2175. On the 100th anniversary of the first genocide of the modern era, Armenians are still fighting for recognition of the genocidal nature of the massacres that ... Read more

The U.S. State Department’s main effort to combat human trafficking was the main focus of a hearing held today by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees global human rights issues, and author of the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), a law which mandates the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP). The hearing, dubbed “Accountability and Transformation: Tier Rankings in the Fight Against Human Trafficking,” wa... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) said a federal grant in the amount of $30,477 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been awarded to Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, headquartered on Proving Ground Road in the historic town of Lakehurst Borough, to purchase a critically-needed self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) compressor and filling station. This year’s award is in addition to a $76,609 grant the company received last year. “The Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Company has ... Read more

The U.S. State Department’s main effort to combat human trafficking will be the topic of a hearing planned by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees global human rights issues, and author of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, a law which mandates the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP). “Accountability and Transformation: Tier Rankings in the Fight Against Human Trafficking,” is the title of the hearing to be held bef... Read more

Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) talked about a bill that would give Congress a voice on any nuclear agreement with Iran, the fight against ISIS* and Boko Haram, and the stalemate over human trafficking legislation. * The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is a militant group that has called itself the Islamic State. Click here or on image below to watch the program. Congressman Smith discusses Iranian nuclear program, t... Read more

The Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015 (HR 1150) was passed Wednesday by the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and International Organizations today. The bipartisan bill, authored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) with the lead co-sponsorship of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA), would give the Administration and the State Department new tools, resources and training to help counter extremism and the growing persecution of religious minorities globally. “The need to advanc... Read more