Organizations on the front lines of the fight to contain Ebola in West Africa came to Capitol Hill today to detail both the hurdles and the progress of the life-and-death efforts to contain the virus and assist the victims of the epidemic before the House global health subcommittee chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04). Smith introduced legislation on Nov. 14 to authorize U.S. efforts to contain the virus overseas. Today’s hearing, "Fighting Ebola: A Ground Level View," follows two congres... Read more

U.S. Representatives Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), House co-Chairs of the Bipartisan, Bicameral Task Force on Alzheimer's disease, commended the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) for holding its 12th annual Memory Screening Day on Nov. 18. “The AFA has remained steadfast in its commitment to provide access to these necessary evaluations, which assist Americans in forming their healthcare decisions surrounding Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. I have been fortunate to c... Read more

Efforts to foster electricity and energy development in Africa was the focus of a hearing held today by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Africa Subcommittee. The congressional hearing, entitled “The Future of Energy in Africa,” featured testimony from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Energy Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) about prospects to bring about policies to help energize the continent, which in turn could he... Read more

Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), the leading Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations today announced that they have introduced legislation to improve American efforts to preserve cultural property around the world and cut off one source of funding to ISIL. The Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act (H.R. 5703) would tak... Read more

The Berlin + 10 Conference on Anti-Semitism, held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), concluded yesterday in Berlin, Germany, with a commitment to address the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), co-chairman of the Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission), the U.S. independent agency tasked with OSCE policy), met a group of European officials and activists on the topic of increas... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) gave the following opening statement at a congressional hearing today entitled “Combating Ebola in West Africa: The International Response,” held by the House Committee Foreign Affairs: "The unprecedented West African Ebola epidemic has not only killed more than 5,000 people, with nearly 13,000 known to be infected, it also has skewed the planning for how to deal with this outbreak," said Smith, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee who has held two hear... Read more

The U.S. State Department, U.S. Energy Department and U.S. Agency for International Development and other witnesses will testify at a hearing to be held by the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Africa Subcommittee, Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04). Smith scheduled the congressional hearing, entitled “The Future of Energy in Africa,” for Friday. Who: Smith, chair of the Africa and global health subcommittee, other Members of the panel, and: Dr. Robert F. Ichord, Jr., Ph.D., Deputy ... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Dean of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation, released the following statement upon learning of the death early today of former U.S. Congresswoman Margaret “Marge” Roukema of New Jersey. “Marge and I were both first elected to Congress in the Reagan Revolution of 1980, and we served together for many years,” Smith said. “She was a true public servant, always looking out for New Jersey and her district. Marge’s leadership role in the enactment of our nation’s f... Read more

To mark Veteran's Day 2014, U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) presented a long-overdue Bronze Medal to Richard A. Walker, Jr. of Neptune City, nearly 44 years after he was supposed to get it for combat action in Vietnam. Smith additionally presented Mr. Walker with: the Army Commendation Medal, the Good Conduct Medal; the National Defense Service Medal; the Vietnam Service Medal & Bronze Star Attachment; the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, and; the Sharpshooter Badge & Rifle Bar. “During... Read more

By Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com/The Star-Ledger When Richard Walker, Jr. came home from Vietnam – and the conflict he volunteered to serve in with the U.S. Army – the last thing he was thinking about was collecting the medals he earned there. "I think I did a good job and I was proud that I served. But when I came home, we were 'baby killers' and 'dope smokers,' and if you came back as a military person you were ostracized," Walker said. "So I came home, grew my hair long, traveled th... Read more