By Asbury Park Press reporter Carol Gorga Williams -- U.S. Rep. Chris H Smith, R-NJ, long an advocate for study and services for the state's surging autism population, this afternoon pledged before parents and other advocates to make every effort to see that autism funding, set to expire this year, will be re-authorized. On the eve of World Autism Day — and surrounded by other parents of children with autism at Search Day Academy in Ocean Township, Smith recalled those early days when he lobbied... Read more

By Asbury Park Press Reporter Carol Gorgo Williams -- Back in 1997, Bobbie and Billy Gallagher of Brick knew there was something different with their young daughter Alanna, and when she was three, they had the diagnosis: autism. When their son Austin was 16 months, they knew the same was true for him. And then they started realizing how many other kids in their community and elsewhere were being diagnosed with autism. Armed with a spreadsheet, the housewife and her fisherman husband marched into... Read more

Advocates for children and adults with autism met today to discuss newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing rocketing autism prevalence rates—1-in-68 across the United States and 1-in-45 in New Jersey—on the eve of World Autism Day at a press conference at the SEARCH Day Program school, the first specialized autism school in New Jersey and one of the first in the nation. U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chair of the House autism caucus (the Coali... Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) voted yes on two bills supporting Ukraine Tuesday night. HR 4152, the Support for the Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy and Economic Stability of Ukraine Act of 2014, supports Ukraine and stands up to Russian aggression through a comprehensive package of loan guarantees, aid, and sanctions on persons responsible for certain abuses. S 2183, United States International Programming to Ukraine and Neighboring Regions, counters Russian propaganda by supporting increased ... Read more

A press conference regarding today’s publication by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of its latest study on autism showing rocketing prevalence rates—1-in-68 across the United States and 1-in-45 in New Jersey—will be held Tues. April 1, the eve of World Autism Day. Who: U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chair of the House Autism Caucus The organization Autism New Jersey The group POAC (Parents of Autistic Children) Autistic children, parents of autistic children Educators... Read more

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released new data showing a continued increase in autism prevalence rates: 1 in every 68 American children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls). In New Jersey, 1 in every 45 children has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the highest rate in the CDC study. “The continued increase in children affected by autism—a deeply disturbing 30 percent rise from the previous figures of 1-88 children—shows the magnitude of the problem. When the number was ... Read more

The first 1,000 days of the health of a child and U.S. development aid programs that address health and nutrition were the focus a congressional hearing on Tuesday before the House global health panel chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04). The hearing, entitled, “The First One Thousand Days: Development Aid Programs to Bolster Health and Nutrition” underscored how the quality of life for mother and child is dependent on the best possible medical care from the earliest stages of pregnancy th... Read more

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey: Mr. Speaker, I, like my colleagues, am grateful that the U.S. Supreme Court took up this critical case for religious liberty; and I--we, Mr. Speaker, are hopeful that the court will provide much-needed relief from this discriminatory Obamacare policy. Under the Obama administration's coercive mandate, family-owned businesses like Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood have found themselves in the impossible situation of being forced to violate their moral or religious beliefs or... Read more

The first 1,000 days of the health of a child and U.S. development aid programs that address health and nutrition will be the topics of a congressional hearing on Tuesday before the House global health panel chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04). The hearing will underscore how the quality of life for mother and child is dependent on the best possible medical care from the earliest stages of pregnancy through age two. Who: Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman of the global health subcommittee ... Read more

Responding to the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s action in blocking access to Twitter in Turkey, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, released the following statement: “I urge the Prime Minister to answer his critics directly rather than try to silence them. This would show respect for the Turkish people and for his responsibilities as an elected official. In recent years the Turkish government has shown a troubling propensity to t... Read more